EcoBroker® Provides New Standard Of Care For Real Estate Community

With the real estate market facing challenging economic times, real estate professionals are looking to gain a well-deserved competitive edge in the marketplace. The key to gaining this advantage is providing unmatched customer service that sets you apart from the rest of the brokerage community.

EcoBroker International trains its Realtor® membership to do just that, by teaching them how to provide a new standard of care for real estate consumers and investors. Through an innovative curriculum centered on lowering energy costs, creating cleaner water and improving air quality, EcoBroker is making the real estate professional an invaluable resource to his/her clients by helping improve overall quality of life.

THE LANGUAGE OF GREEN

EcoBroker training is truly comprehensive. Unlike introductory programs, EcoBroker provides a three-day set of classes that teaches the fundamental language of green. Moreover, Eco-Broker provides impeccable coaching and on-going communication and education to its membership on a monthly basis through e-newsletters, continuing education classes, membership services, and annual conferences that discuss the hottest topics in the green real estate industry.

EcoBroker is the first and largest provider of green training for real estate professionals. Through Eco- Broker’s unique energy and environmental designation curriculum, which emphasizes everything from energy efficiency to solar energy to indoor air quality and green financing, real estate professionals acquire the knowledge and resources to become EcoBroker Certified®, assisting real estate consumers and communities in their pursuit of green properties that provide more affordability, better comfort and healthier environments.

BUILDING A BRIDGE

As Realtors® and green building scientists, we founded EcoBroker in 2002 to meet the demand we saw in the real estate industry for green education and to build a resource-oriented bridge between the real estate industry and the blossoming green buildings industry. There simply wasn’t anything that taught real estate agents how to address the new energy and environmental features that are found in 5 to 10 percent of all new homes or to help consumers incorporate green features into existing homes.

According to the National Association of Realtors®, 46 percent of American homeowners claim they would be eager to incorporate green principles into their homes (NAR, 2007). Real estate professionals recognize the quality service and benefit they can provide by helping consumers incorporate money-saving green features
into homes, and communicate their benefits when selling a home.

Since its inception in 2002, EcoBroker has grown substantially. To date, EcoBroker has over 3750 members in 47 states, five Canadian provinces, the Caribbean, and New Zealand. And the numbers grow every day, as Realtors® look for genuine training to create genuine competitive advantages.

GREEN DESIGNATION

“I achieved my EcoBroker designation because I have always been greenminded and wanted to educate and help others become more eco-friendly,” said Christopher Welch of Keller Williams Front Range Properties LLC in Boulder, CO. And Chris is but one of now thousands of examples of Realtors® providing that additional standard of care to buyers and sellers.

EcoBroker is not only the first and largest provider of green training but also the most trusted by the consumer and brokerage communities. The EcoBroker designation offers agents a competitive advantage. When building their client base, our membership finds more and more consumers are looking for real estate professionals with green expertise when buying, selling or retrofitting a home.

In a recent membership survey (with an amazing 35 percent response rate), 20 percent of EcoBroker respondents reported working with a client to complete a major cost effective retrofit that helped them significantly reduce their energy bills. Moreover, nearly 100 percent of respondents indicated they had encouraged their clients to undertake similar projects or smaller green upgrades as well.

These projects spanned across all regions of the U.S. and beyond, and benefited consumers in virtually every demographic. “I can attribute nearly half of my business directly to referrals based on just my EcoBroker and E-Pro designations,”
said Diane Sherry, EcoBroker with RE/MAX Alliance in Fort Collins, Colorado.

We love these kinds of stories, and we know that Diane is really helping people (making everything we do for the membership worth every bit).

GREEN BUSINESS PRACTICES

With national surveys indicating that 80 percent of consumers consider themselves “green-minded,” green business practices are becoming more common in all industries. A trend toward green building practices has emerged to mitigate the environmental impact of home building and remodeling and address consumer and investor demand.

Green building techniques are increasingly more a part of the standard practices. Builders are finding that utilizing green building and remodeling techniques reduce
call backs, improve customer satisfaction, and enhance overall profitability. According to GreenBiz.com, the market for green homes is expected to rise from $2 billion to $20 billion over the next ten years (GreenBiz.com,2007).

With this growth comes misinformation and the need for education. EcoBroker fills this niche in the green real estate space by offering licensed real estate professionals the only comprehensive green educational curriculum available, with a healthy dose of the need for proper representation and caution about greenwash.

CURRICULUM REQUIREMENTS

In order to earn the EcoBroker Designation®, licensed real estate professionals must fulfill a straight-forward set of requirements that center on an energy, environmental, and marketing training program. They actually have homework, take tests, and update their training each year. The curriculum is $395, and includes three day-long interactive classes complete with quizzes, homework, activities, and a final exam.

Unlike other programs, every EcoBroker member is required to renew their certification on an annual basis through the program’s four-hour annual update course. The curriculum is designed to help real estate professionals address a variety of topics that impact the environment and consumer life, including: green home certification programs such as Energy Star® Qualified Homes, energy- efficiency, environmentally sensitive design, health issues in properties, mold, radon, and indoor air quality.

Affordability is also of key concern, and we provide real estate professionals information to help improve the efficiency and comfort of homes. When our members’ work then leads to cost savings on utility bills, consumers in all real estate price-points win and so does the environment. For the real estate professional looking to improve his/her overall standard of care, the EcoBroker designation is an ideal way to provide invaluable professionalism.

Be Careful Out There

Tragic events in recent months serve as stark reminders of the importance of agent safety. In British Columbia in February, a 24-year-old female agent was found dead in a vacant home after apparently being lured there by a mysterious caller earlier in the day. No arrests have been made.

Just six weeks later, in Wisconsin, a 71-year-old agent — a mother of six and grandmother of 16 — was also killed at an empty listing. An ex-convict, who called for a hasty showing after seeing the agent’s number on a for-sale sign, was arrested and charged with her murder. Unfortunately, these extremely sad stories of violence are just two of many in our industry. We must learn from them.

STAYING SAFE

Real estate is a high-risk profession. Every day, agents are placed in unfamiliar locations or unoccupied properties, often alone with clients. But by honing their instincts, watching for warning signs and understanding how to avoid or disarm potentially harmful situations, agents can greatly improve their odds of staying safe.

In 2003, my network developed the RE/MAX Safety Awareness for Every Realtor® (S.A.F.E.R.) program in the hopes of helping them do that. We conducted seminars, created print and online tools, and added safety programming to our satellite TV network. Our agents embraced the concept, and the material remains as relevant as ever. A sampling of tips:

• Have new clients meet you at the
office. In your initial conversations,
explain that safety, both yours and
theirs, is a major consideration during
the process.

• Photocopy their driver’s licenses
and write down vehicle information. Add
this to their client file. And introduce
them to others in the office so that you’re
not the only one who’s met them.

• Give someone your client files and
schedule for the day, outlining where you
will be at what time. Check in regularly.

• Develop code words that would let
someone at the office know you’re in
trouble.

• Drive yourself to showings — don’t
ride in your clients’ car. Have them follow
you if they can’t ride in yours.

• At showings, find out where the
exits are. And unless you know the clients
well, don’t go into bedrooms or
the basement with them. It’s much better
to stand at the stairs or in the hallway.

• If possible, put the home’s garagedoor
opener in your pocket. If you feel
threatened or in danger, discreetly open
the garage and say the owners must be
returning.

• Note the location of phones throughout
the house. If something goes wrong,
use a house phone — rather than your
cell phone — to call 911. But have 911
programmed in your cell phone’s speed
dial, just in case.

• At open houses, put kitchen knives
and other potential weapons away before
allowing people inside. Ask guests to
sign in, and watch for any reluctance to
do so. If possible, work open houses
with an assistant or another agent.

FRONT-LINE ADVICE

Here are a few more tips shared by agents themselves via RE/MAX Mainstreet, our members-only extranet:

• “Your car keys might be your best
protection when confronted with a dangerous
situation. Keep them in your hand
at all times while showing properties. If
you feel like you’re in danger, push the
panic button, setting off your car alarm.”

• “Leave your list of showings with
your front desk, another colleague and
at home with your family.”

• “I never park my car in the driveway,
because that allows the client to park
behind me, blocking a quick escape.”

• “I hold open houses almost every weekend.
My boyfriend goes with me every time and
stands around or plays on his laptop.
Safety never becomes an issue, because as
soon as someone walks in the door, I point
over and say, ‘Please don’t mind him, he’s
just my security guard!’”

BE AWARE

There’s a wealth of safety material out there. Agents can find all sorts of articles, tips and advice at the realtor.org Web site. The National Association of Realtors®’ Field Guide to Realtor®Safety, for example, is worthy reading for any practitioner. A common theme flows through almost everything I’ve seen: Be aware of your surroundings and situation at all times, and work in a way that keeps you in control.

Thus, when you’re showing a home, let your clients enter rooms ahead of you. When you’re previewing a vacant property, go with someone and be prepared for the possibility that an intruder or vagrant might be inside. When you encounter a person who somehow alarms or frightens you, trust your gut and walk away. We’re all looking for ways to maximize our business, and when we find someone seemingly interested in buying, it’s difficult to make demands of them (“Come to my office and we’ll talk
there first”).

But as a friend in law enforcement once told me, being too nice can get you hurt or killed. It’s fine to accommodate your clients and provide the service they expect, but do so on terms that let you return home safely once the job is done.

REBAC To Sponsor Exciting Sessions At NAR Convention

As I have written about over the course of the past year, meeting the challenges of today’s market requires mapping out a solid plan for success— spotting opportunities, avoiding setbacks, and laying a foundation that builds a business for life. I have challenged you to think about your business practices, review what you are doing, and try different approaches. I also have posed many questions to get your creative and business mind thinking. But, as one reader told me, I have not always offered solutions or answers to these questions. It is time that I try.

THE ANSWERS ARE HERE

Every year, the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council (REBAC) sponsors a full day of sessions at the Annual Conference and Expo of the National Association of Realtors®. This year is no exception, and on November 7, 2008 you will have the opportunity to learn from three phenomenal speakers who will fill your mind with information that should increase your business, broaden your horizons, and leave you energized and excited about working with buyer-clients.

Additionally, attending NAR’s Annual Conference and Expo gives you the opportunity to choose from nearly 200 more sessions devoted to providing you with solutions and ideas for success as a real estate professional. The annual conference also allows you to preview and test drive technology tools created specifically for our industry and for you to stay ahead of your competition. What excites me most about NAR’s Annual Conference and Expo is that over the course of four days, there are opportunities to interact and network with 25,000 other real estate professionals, all looking to increase their referral network.

REBAC-SPONSORED SESSIONS

The first session that REBAC is sponsoring focuses solely on International Buyers. This session, led by David Wyant, ABR®—an international executive and real estate practitioner based in the Daytona Beach area of Florida — will provide key insights on building your business with international buyers. With the changing value of the U.S. dollar, international buyers are actively purchasing U.S. real estate. And these opportunities may be closer than you think—in fact, international buyers may be right outside your back door.

The key is knowing how to connect with them and how to work with them. David will spend two hours helping you determine how best to gain and represent clients in what is probably one of the most important areas of opportunity for today’s buyer’s representatives.

FREDDIE MAC ON “FRAUD”

I am very excited about the second session which will take place on November 7 at 11am. REBAC is working with Freddie Mac to create a session focusing on mortgage fraud that you absolutely shouldn’t miss. According to the FBI, mortgage fraud is pervasive and growing. It typically involves the collusion of “industry insiders” and can run the gamut from one or two accomplices to dozens of participants.

Come hear Jenny Brawley, a fraud investigator for Freddie Mac, discuss current schemes and red flags that might help you identify questionable activity and prevent you from being an unwitting participant to one of these arrangements. Learn how to ask the right questions and contact appropriate authorities if you suspect some aspect of a transaction is not legitimate. This is the first time that REBAC and Freddie Mac have worked together to educate real estate professionals, and specifically those that work with buyer clients, and I could think of no better time for this session.

Our final session should leave you feeling energized and ready to take on the world as Zan Monroe, ABR®, leads a session entitled “Building a Business for Life.” Zan is an inspirational and entertaining speaker who will keep you laughing while sharing business-building tips from the most successful agents in the country. Zan will guide you on a journey to build a real estate business for the rest of your life by basing your decisions on the latest research and best practices available today.

He will examine and share current successful real estate business tips for getting and staying focused. At the end of this session, you’ll be ready to tackle your business challenges with fresh ideas and renewed enthusiasm!

AWARDS RECEPTION

The last event of this very full day is REBAC’s very own Networking & Awards Reception, which takes place from 6:15–8:15 in the evening. Over cocktails and appetizers, you have the opportunity to socialize and network in an informal environment with REBAC members and others interested in buyer representation. Additionally, we will induct the newest members of the Hall of Fame and celebrate their successes. I promise to be at this fabulous event and will make you a deal —if you introduce yourself to me and mention this Column, I will buy you a drink! I hope that you will choose to attend NAR’s Annual Conference and Expo and the REBAC Day events. After being a part of this conference you will leave Orlando with new tools and greater knowledge that will further your success as a real estate professional.

You will also leave with new friends and contacts to help your referral business and network. I look forward to seeing you in Orlando this November. To register for the National Association of Realtors® Annual Conference and Expo visit www.realtor.org/convention. If you are a REBAC member, be sure to indicate that on your registration form. See you in Orlando!