EcoBroker® Update June 2009

EcoBroker Certified® agent Laura Shope was interviewed by her local NPR radio station, WEMU 89.1, Eastern Michigan University. The interview aired on June 10, 2009 and can be heard in its entirety online by clicking here.

EcoBroker International was mentioned in a recent New York Times article, "Make Me Greener, Please." The article touched on the field of "personal and eco-consultants." The article states, "The field of personal and home eco-consultants is relatively new. GenGreen, a Colorado company that offers a national directory of businesses marketing themselves as green at gengreenlife.com, says it has just over 3,000 listings under the umbrella term environmental consultants, up from 657 when the database was started in 2007. They include energy auditors, health and wellness experts, interior designers and “EcoBrokers,” real estate agents who specialize in green homes. While real estate agents can get training and certification as “eco” or “green” by trade organizations, and states like New York run energy audit programs with accreditation rules, there are no industry standards for most eco-consultants, who can range from environmental engineers to the self-taught." Read all about it.

The Chattanooga Times Free Press article, “Realtors thinking out of the box to get prospective buyers in the door,” focuses on the innovative strategies adopted by real estate agents in response to the down economy and slow housing market. The article mentions EcoBroker Certified® agent Ryan King stating, "Mr. King has recently acquired certification as an EcoBroker, which required him to complete an energy, environmental, and marketing training program. 'When you have a slow economy, you have to do different things,' he said." Read more.

Inman News published an article on the "burgeoning green trend" that has real estate agents guiding clients to for-sale properties on bicycle, "Real estate pedal pushers wheel and deal." The article highlights Boulder, Colorado's Pedal to Properties real estate company. Matt Kolb, Certified EcoBroker®, and the president of Pedal to Properties, is featured throughout the article. When asked to comment, John K. Stovall, the vice president for business development for EcoBroker International, said 80 percent of consumers would like to have green options available while touring homes. "People are always looking for ways to be more toward the green options. There is a solid group of people, especially the younger consumers entering the home buying arena, that is very much on board with this trend."

- Have you talked to the press and been quoted in an article? Let us know! We love hearing about and sharing all the great things our EcoBrokers® are doing. Please email Kim at kyoung@ecobroker.com if you would like to appear in next month’s EcoBrokers® In the News section.



June 2009
EcoBrokers^® In the News... EcoBroker Certified® agent Laura Shope was interviewed by her local NPR radio station, WEMU 89.1, Eastern Michigan University. The interview aired on June 10, 2009 and can be heard in its entirety online by clicking here. EcoBroker International was mentioned in a recent New York Times article, "Make Me Greener, Please." The article touched on the field of "personal and eco-consultants." The article states, "The field of personal and home eco-consultants is relatively new. GenGreen, a Colorado company that offers a national directory of businesses marketing themselves as green at gengreenlife.com, says it has just over 3,000 listings under the umbrella term environmental consultants, up from 657 when the database was started in 2007. They include energy auditors, health and wellness experts, interior designers and “EcoBrokers,” real estate agents who specialize in green homes. While real estate agents can get training and certification as “eco” or “green” by trade organizations, and states like New York run energy audit programs with accreditation rules, there are no industry standards for most eco-consultants, who can range from environmental engineers to the self-taught." Read all about it. The Chattanooga Times Free Press article, “Realtors thinking out of the box to get prospective buyers in the door,” focuses on the innovative strategies adopted by real estate agents in response to the down economy and slow housing market. The article mentions EcoBroker Certified® agent Ryan King stating, "Mr. King has recently acquired certification as an EcoBroker, which required him to complete an energy, environmental, and marketing training program. 'When you have a slow economy, you have to do different things,' he said." Read more. Inman News published an article on the "burgeoning green trend" that has real estate agents guiding clients to for-sale properties on bicycle, "Real estate pedal pushers wheel and deal." The article highlights Boulder, Colorado's Pedal to Properties real estate company. Matt Kolb, Certified EcoBroker®, and the president of Pedal to Properties, is featured throughout the article. When asked to comment, John K. Stovall, the vice president for business development for EcoBroker International, said 80 percent of consumers would like to have green options available while touring homes. "People are always looking for ways to be more toward the green options. There is a solid group of people, especially the younger consumers entering the home buying arena, that is very much on board with this trend." - Have you talked to the press and been quoted in an article? Let us know! We love hearing about and sharing all the great things our EcoBrokers® are doing. Please email Kim at kyoung@ecobroker.com if you would like to appear in next month’s EcoBrokers® In the News section.	EcoBroker Update: In this Issue EcoBrokers^® In the News Environmental & Real Estate Headlines Build Green Business With EcoBroker's Online Tools Geothermal Heating Systems Web Site of the Month Upcoming Green Events EcoBroker Awards & Accolades Contact Us Do you have questions, suggestions or articles for the EcoBroker Update? Please contact us with your comments. Send us an email.
Environmental & Real Estate Headlines... Obama Presses for Passage of Climate Bill President Barack Obama appealed directly to lawmakers who haven't decided whether to back the climate-change bill pending in the House, pitching the measure as a jobs bill that would be paid for by polluters. Read more. 6 Upsides of the Down Economy My father-in-law had a saying: "If you don't have a good time, you usually learn a good lesson." I'm reminded of that a lot these days during the current economic recession. I'm not saying that the economic downturn is a good thing, particularly for people who have lost jobs or their homes. But fortunately that's not most Americans. For the rest of us, some involuntary belt tightening might have some silver linings. Read more. Home Energy Audits As the mercury keeps climbing so are electric bills, but cities like Austin have passed laws requiring homeowners to conduct energy-efficiency audits before selling. It can spell big savings and help the environment. Even in this million dollar neighborhood in Plano people are looking to save money. The new owners of this 1.5 million , six thousand square foot home have called an energy expert. Read more. Green Economy Investments Bring 300 Percent More Jobs, Reports Find Two new reports on the impacts of moving to a low-carbon economy show putting money toward energy efficiency, building retrofits and renewable energy projects can create 1.7 million new jobs, significantly more than the same investment in fossil fuel industries. Read more. More Headlines: Prefab homes sprout green designs, improve affordability Building labels could yield higher returns Are you (or your clients) buying a home in Denver, the Twin Cities, Philly, Atlanta or St. Louis? HGTV's House Hunters may want to cast you!
Build Green Business with EcoBroker's Online Tools... Send Your Buyers & Sellers Links to the Latest "Green" Topics Simply go to the ECOBROKER "Green" Topics page and select a green topic. Once you have the topic page open in your Web browser, copy and paste the Web address into an email and send it to your buyers and sellers. Include the topic's introductory paragraph to pique interest. Below is an example. Just copy the link and initial information below and include it in an email to your buyers and sellers who may be interested. Geothermal Heating Systems Snapshot & Benefits: Geothermal heating systems, also known as geo-exchange, ground source pumps, or earth-coupled pumps, take advantage of the earth's nearly constant temperature (45-75 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on latitude) to heat and cool buildings. They work by pumping water and antifreeze or a refrigerant under the ground to be heated or cooled by the earth and then pumped back through piping in the house. Click here to learn more... Follow EcoBroker on Twitter If you are not already twittering, simply go to Twitter's web site and setup an account, http://www.Twitter.com. "Find People" and type in "EcoBroker Certified" and select "Follow." You can also use the link below to get started.
Web Site of the Month... Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch is a program designed to raise consumer awareness about the importance of buying seafood from sustainable sources. The web site recommends which seafood to buy or avoid, helping consumers to become advocates for "environmentally friendly" seafood. They're also partners of the Seafood Choices Alliance where, along with other seafood awareness campaigns, they provide seafood purveyors with recommendations on seafood choices. You can get the latest information at: http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx.
Upcoming Green Events... Upcoming Events You Won’t Want to Miss! In the interest of ongoing education and networking, we have compiled a list of events across the country that EcoBrokers^® will enjoy attending. Attend a conference or expo and you’ll collect information, meet the experts, bump into like-minded professionals in real estate and other industries, and potentially interact with consumers who’ll become your next buyers or sellers! Here are just a few examples of such events happening around the country. For additional green events, please visit the EcoBroker website at: http://www.ecobroker.com/userdef/eventscalendar.htm The Oregon Green Expo July 3-5, 2009 – Medford, OR The Oregon Green Expo will provide your business the opportunity to match "green" businesses and organizations with the growing number of environmentally-conscious consumers. The Oregon Green Expo is a two and a half day event, held on the peak summer week of the 4th of July at the Medford Armory in beautiful Southern Oregon. http://www.theoregongreenexpo.com/ Natural MarketPlace 2009 July 9-11, 2009 – Las Vegas, NV Natural MarketPlace 2009—the longest-running natural products trade show and official show of the Natural Products Association—is the place to meet your business needs. http://www.naturalmarketplaceshow.com/nm09/public/enter.aspx SolarFest 2009 July 10-12, 2009 – Tinmouth, VT SolarFest 2009 promises to be our best festival ever. Join us for three days of world-class musicians, dancers and performance artists, a stellar line-up of speakers, and over 90 workshops on renewable energy and sustainability topics. All for the price of a weekend festival ticket! You won't want to miss this year's SolarFest! http://www.solarfest.org SolFest XIV August 15-16, 2009 – Hopland, CA SolFest is the place to hear some of the finest visionary speakers, musicians and performers in the world. Over the years, SolFest’s stages have featured giants of knowledge and activism, and legendary entertainers. Speakers, Workshops, Music and more! http://www.solfest.org For additional green events, please visit the EcoBroker web site at: http://www.ecobroker.com/userdef/eventscalendar.htm
EcoBroker Awards & Accolades... 2008 Top Green Building & Business Certifications Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) Journal 25 Trends Driving Today's Market REALTOR Magazine 2006 Education Program of the Year Real Estate Educators Association

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