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Frequently Asked Questions
What is EcoBroker?
EcoBroker is a designation program
for licensed real estate professionals providing education on
energy and environmental issues and strategies for capitalizing
on the growing green market. Certified EcoBrokers® meet buyer
and seller demand for real estate professionals with a real
understanding of the issues that drive current market decisions.
Who is
eligible to complete the designation?
All licensed real estate
professionals.
Do I have to be a Broker to earn this designation?
No. If you are a licensed real estate
professional, you are eligible for EcoBroker designation.
Can non-real estate professionals take the EcoBroker courses?
In most cases, the answer is no.
However, we do offer training to builders' sales teams. Please
contact us directly at 1-800-706-4321 or by email at
sales@ecobroker.com to
inquire about sales force training.
Why would I
want to do this?
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Differentiate
yourself: The EcoBroker
designation differentiates you from the other 2.6 million
real estate professionals in the U.S.
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Use unique and
relevant continuing education to your competitive advantage:
Keep current on the topics that
are changing the way your next buyers and sellers
view homes. Learn how to reduce your liabilities and
those of your clients. EcoBroker
provides three 6-hour state-approved continuing education
courses to licensed real estate professionals in states
throughout the U.S. Please contact us at 800-706-4321 to
inquire about continuing education credit hours in your
state.
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Create more deals:
Identify new buyers and sellers.
Help sellers market and illustrate the increased value of
homes with energy efficiency and environmental features.
EcoBroker gives you the tools that help buyers create more
purchasing power through energy-efficient mortgages and
other programs.
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Enhance customer
satisfaction: Enhance each
transaction with EcoBroker training, tools, and resources.
Help your buyers and sellers work through environmental
issues and improve upon efficiency, comfort, durability, and
cost of their home.
-
Build green market
resources and referrals: Expand
your professional referral network and consistently generate
new business.
How do I earn
the EcoBroker Designation?
The designation consists of three
6-hour online classes that earn a total of 18 hours of continuing
education in selected states. The first two classes, EcoBroker
Environmental Advantage™ and EcoBroker Energy Advantage™ can be
taken in any order; however, you must complete both courses
prior to starting the third course, EcoBroker Green Market
Advantage™. EcoBrokers® maintain their designation by
successfully completing the EcoBroker Annual Advantage course
each year.
What is involved in keeping my EcoBroker designation current?
Simply maintain annual membership
($129) and complete the 4-hour update course each year.
If I sign-up for Membership, how long do I have to complete the
classes?
You have 1 year to complete
coursework. However, the sooner you complete your coursework,
the sooner you can market your EcoBroker designation!
What is the renewal
cost?
The cost for continuing years of designation is $129/yr. This
includes all of the benefits of membership that you enjoy in
year one, plus the 4-hour EcoBroker Annual Advantage
course. This required course is designed to keep you informed of
progress in the energy and environmental fields, and to keep you
abreast of innovative EcoBroker marketing ideas and success
stories.
How long has
EcoBroker been around?
EcoBroker was founded in 2002. The
company has been actively providing training and designation
since 2003. Our founders have been active in energy and
environmental industries for several decades.
Is anyone else providing this type of education/designation?
There are no other national designations providing a similar curriculum and training.
When you earn the EcoBroker designation, you join top real
estate professionals who know more about energy-efficiency,
green building programs, indoor air quality, sustainable
development, and environmental issues.
If it takes me six months (for example) to complete the
curriculum and sign the license agreement, do I only have six
months left of my first year membership?
No, your first year membership begins
once you have completed all three classes and signed the license
agreement with EcoBroker. You will have one full year from that
date to use your EcoBroker designation.
What are you going to tell me about environmental issues that I
don't already know?
Real estate professionals frequently
come face-to-face with environmental issues, like radon,
asbestos, water quality, mold, and other environmental
challenges. The EcoBroker training provides a level of deeper
understanding of the liabilities these issues create, how to
reduce these liabilities for yourself and your clients, and how
to keep the deal together whenever possible. EcoBroker training
helps you provide solutions to environmental issues that may
occur in real estate transactions.
Why do my clients need to know about energy issues that affect
real estate?
Energy benefits may take the form of
improved financing, utility bill savings, occupant comfort,
and/or appliance reliability. EcoBrokers understand energy
benefits and costs and how they will affect their buyers and
sellers.
Is EcoBroker designation certified by the National Association
of Realtors (NAR)?
No. NAR does not recognize or endorse
any third party designation programs regardless of their level
of quality.
I'm an architect and I'm currently working on a green design
project. Can my project be listed on www.ecobroker.com?
Yes. There are two ways that you can
do this. One option is to have a licensed real estate
professional in your structure earn the EcoBroker designation so
that he or she can post the listings on www.ecobroker.com for
you. The second option is to work with an existing EcoBroker and
ask them to "co-advertise" the listings with you. This means the
EcoBroker would post the listings for you on the
www.ecobroker.com under his or her name. The result is that
buyers are attracted to the property and the agent, so both
parties benefit. In the end, posting listings on the website is
a privilege of EcoBroker licensure so this privilege is not
extended to non-EcoBroker Certified agents or other parties.
Listing your properties with an EcoBroker can be a real
advantage for you because the EcoBroker will be able to
articulate the green features of the property better than the
average agent anyway.
Links:
What is EcoBroker?
Why
EcoBroker?
EcoBroker Curriculum
Requirements
Benefits and Pricing
Frequently Asked Questions
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