If you’ve ever been on the hunt for a new home, there’s a good chance you may have had this experience: You scan the listings and find a sounds-too-good-to-be-true place with 360-degree views and three large bedrooms; but, once you get there, you find out the 360-degree views include a window looking straight into a neighbor’s bathroom and the second and third bedrooms are simply closets. Since green building has hit the scene and gained popularity, there’s a good chance you’re likely to find these tricks related to eco-friendly features, too—also known as greenwashing. [For more information about greenwashing, turn to our feature article on page 14.] The greater-Asheville area’s green home professionals want to make sure that you don’t get fooled.

“Right now, the way the Multiple Listing Service, or MLS (searchable homes for sale database), system is set up, people can’t help but greenwash when advertising a green home,” says ECO Consultant Certified agent and planner Michael Figura, referencing the lack of a detail in the system to search for green features.

So, since December of last year, a group of green home professionals—from real estate agents to builders and solar experts to landscape architects—headed up by members of the Asheville Board of REALTORS® ECO Consultants Division have been meeting to take on the difficult task of making the vague concept of “green building” one that’s tangible for both the public and real estate and home professionals, even if they don’t have much experience with all things green. At each meeting, the group has worked to create green building guidelines that will make it easier for agents and the public to search and list homes in our WNC’s MLS.

“We want to better help sellers, builders and developers market their homes with sustainable features and to help purchasers search for specific sustainable features that are important to them,” says Peter Pollay, also an ECO Consultant. In other words, the group is working to make the marketing and promotion of homes with eco aspects tied to the home’s specific eco features, rather than allowing for the labeling of any home with a feature or features (which could simply be an Energy Star® appliance) as “green.” This will not only allow sellers to share and buyers to find exactly what is of importance and/or necessity to them in a new home—whether it’s a home with solar panels or no-VOC paint—but will also serve as a policing body for potential greenwashing. For example, if an agent or seller were to check that a home has a feature like energy efficiency, they would be required to include further information, such as the results of a blower door test or the home’s HERS (Home Energy Rating System) score.

There will also be an educational component of the new MLS, which will allow those not yet tuned in to sustainable homes to see the benefits. Checkable categories like landscape management and passive solar design will also be clickable, taking readers to a definition and more information about the feature. Agents will also be able to utilize the definitions to ensure accurate marketing of the home for sale, even if they weren’t previously knowledgeable about the features.

WNC’s MLS will be the first in the nation, that this group is aware of, to incorporate such detailed green features into its list and search functions. And it’s no surprise that this pioneering step is taking place in Asheville, a hub of all things sustainable. After all, Asheville’s green-building scene wouldn’t be where it is today without eco-minded individuals asking for and demanding homes built with the Earth in mind. The group hopes that the new MLS will help individuals continue to push for and find the sustainable homes they desire.

Once completed and up and running, which is expected to happen later this year, the group feels confident it will be a win-win situation for all: clear definitions for the green building industry will be created, greenwashing will become more preventable, and further education will be provided about the benefit and necessity of creating eco-friendly homes and buildings in order to move toward a sustainable future.

What Green Features are Important to You?
Area Green Home Professionals Need Your Help

The greening of WNC’s MLS is in the beginning stages. Professionals from a variety of green home sectors have given their input, and now they want to hear from you! What green features are important to you when looking for a home? What aspects of green building would you like to see clearly defined?

Email greenelements@abr-nc.com with your input and ideas.

Be on the lookout for a future article in New Life Journal when the MLS greening process is complete. Until then, see the above to learn how you can be involved.

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