Stay GREEN as a Real Estate Professional, Minimize the Paper and Impress!

If you are working in the real estate industry, then you know how real estate professionals are always on the cutting-edge of technology.  From the fax machine to cell phone, real estate professionals were among the first in line to purchase these items and this trend has continued.

Apple first launched the iPad in 2010, and many real estate professionals jumped on the tablet bandwagon and soon were utilizing this device everyday for business. They may begin to utilize a brand new tool – a program that may forever change the way people sign and share documents including real estate contracts.

It’s called Docusign.
Docusign is a company that is changing the way people sign documents. In real estate especially, loads of paperwork are the norm, not only for the real estate professional, but for buyers and sellers too! Many of us and even you may dread this increased amount of paperwork, especially when you have to carry it around everywhere.

The good news is – those days may be numbered, soon! Continue reading

Can “Green” Labels Sell Homes?

We’re at the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) conference this weekend, which is taking place in New Orleans this year and one of the “HOT” topics in this conference is “green” or eco-friendly.  Earlier this morning an education session titled Green Labels Sell Homes with speaker Sara Lamia from Home Buying Coach Inc., spoke about green certification programs, how agents must prepare to explain the “green” value to buyers as well as the strengths of “green” in a competitive market.  The title of that session begs the question of whether “green” labels do in fact sell homes.

The Green Pavilion at NAR

In a previous post of ours, Home Buyers “Buy Into” the “Going Green” Trend, we researched the answer to that very question. According to the key findings from a new study by PRD Nationwide, 30% of participants stated many would certainly fork out up to $10,000 extra to build or buy a “green” property; which is excellent news for agents marketing a “green” home.
Continue reading

More Tips to Help Your Homebuyers Go Green – Before They Move In

green

Last week, in celebrating the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, we discussed simple green practices that homebuyers can do in their new home. This week, let’s discuss tips for helping homebuyers become more environmentally friendly in their new home, before they even move in.

Green practices are a lifestyle choice and there’s no better way to get started with these practices, than to be prepared before even moving into a home. Here are a few simple steps homebuyers can take to make their home more environmentally friendly:

Celebrate Earth Day Year Round: Go Green!

recycle

Many of you may already know that the holiday that we refer to as "Earth Day" celebrated its 40th anniversary yesterday. Earth Day was first held on April 22, 1970 as an environmental-teach and was founded by former U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin.

Today, most communities across the country use the holiday as a week long extravaganza of activities completely focused on improving our everyday effects on the environment. We know that everyone is aware of the importance of recycling, but there are many, simple things we can do around the house to benefit our environment. Continue reading

Make Your Business Green

green Going green is a great way to give your business a positive image in the eyes of homebuyers and reduce your impact on the planet. It’s not enough to recycle. The standards for being green have raised, and businesses are taking responsibility for their impact more and more. I would like to share with business owners the benefits of going green and how they can get a head start on making a difference. Continue reading