Realtor leaders are hearing from the nation’s foremost experts on environmental risk management during the National Association of Realtors first environmental summit. The slate of distinguished speakers includes Dan Glickman, who served as the Secretary of Agriculture under President Clinton, and former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge, who was America’s first Secretary of Homeland Security.
“Dramatic changes in our environment will have an impact on how and where people want to live, which will inevitably transform local real estate markets. This summit is an opportunity for Realtors to assess and prioritize the wide variety of environmental risks that could affect the way people buy and sell property,” said NAR President Steve Brown, co-owner of Irongate Inc. Realtors in Dayton, Ohio.
Home buyers are already showing sensitivity to the larger environment. Consumer preferences for walkable communities and energy-efficient homes are on the rise, according to NAR research, which also shows a considerable and growing market for green buildings.
NAR created the Green REsource Council in 2008 to educate Realtors about green industry standards and developing their own green business practices. The council’s main function is administering NAR’s GREEN Designation program. Since the program’s inception, nearly 9,000 Realtors have received the designation.
“As scientists speculate that extreme weather events like Superstorm Sandy, the decade-long drought in the Southwest, and natural disasters like the mega-wildfires in Arizona, are going to occur with greater frequency, it is even more important that we begin to think about what this means for existing homes and businesses as well as new construction. This summit is just the beginning of the conversations that Realtors will continue to have about the environment and its impact on our industry,” said Brown.
