"You gave me both motivation and knowledge to successfully accomplish implementation of "green" data fields in our MLS."

Barbara Madaras, CRS, GREEN

Don't Say Something Your Grandma Wouldn't Understand
MLSs Welcome Green Fields
Tugging At Heartstrings
Friend Green Prospects
This Month's Tips

Don't Say Something Your Grandma Wouldn't Understand

Everyone has seen the guy at Whole Foods who's scrutinizing food labels and searching for all the right buzzwords, such as organic, probiotic, and local.

Then the disconnect comes.

He loads his haul into a Hummer.

Similar behavior shows up in research conducted by Shelton Group, a Knoxville, Tenn.-based advertising agency focused on motivating consumers to make green choices. Its research examines consumer attitudes and behaviors to see what makes them tick.

Its findings offer green real estate practitioners insight into how to more accurately read prospects. Here are solutions to five common challenges.

Challenge:  When presented with a big obstacle, such as owning an energy inefficient house, people don't know what to do and where to begin upgrades.

Solution: Guide prospects to professionals, such as HERS specialists, who can help them audit the house, identify the root of the problem, and prioritize projects.

Challenge: The solution and the number of steps to greater efficiency are simply overwhelming.

Solution: Shelton has a concept called "inch pebbles." It entails making goals more attainable and less daunting. For instance, reducing consumption by megawatts is a daunting goal and it's not an inviting, engaging message, points out Lee Ann Head, Shelton's research vice president. Instead, consider spoon feeding small steps to prospects.  Illustrate the value of making small changes, such as eliminating vampire energy, and the benefit of, say, fully loading the dishwasher before running it.

Challenge: The Whole Foods guy may feel a sense of moral superiority because he's taken steps to reduce his carbon footprint.  Yet his other behaviors may be ratcheting up his impact.  Shelton refers to this as moral licensing, and Head says it's akin to dieters' behavior. "People have a limited amount of self control. They stay on a diet for four days and then reward themselves for it," she comments. The person driving a Prius or someone who has installed energy efficient windows may feel justified cranking up the heat a few degrees.

Solution: Find ways to applaud people for the steps they have taken, but gently remind them that it's not only important to purchase efficient appliances, but to operate them properly.  Wash clothes in cold water, run dishwashers fully loaded at off-peak times, and kick the heat down a couple degrees in the winter. That way, their investments best work for them.

Challenge: Middle and upper-income prospects may not find a slight reduction in their utility bill terribly motivating. "A save-money-on-your-utility bill message may not be that compelling because they may feel that it's not that large a percentage of their take-home pay," comments Head. 

Solution: Understand that they do want to feel fiscally wise, so tweak your message and make it more about 'not wasting,' suggests Head. "Telling someone they're being irresponsible or leaving money on the table every month is a different slant.  [Saying] that makes people feel they're not being good stewards of financial resources," she says.

In addition, she notes the cultural shift toward thrift because of the recession. "Even if I've not been personally hurt, there's still the fear that it could happen any day and there's a sense that I ought to be doing something to prepare."

Challenge: Green product information often baffles John Q. Public, who doesn't really know what terms mean. 

Solution: Language matters.  Indoor air quality and energy efficiency are big consumer drivers, according to Shelton research. But it also found that the term "energy efficient home" was more compelling to consumers than the term "green home."  Healthy air is easier to grasp than the term low VOC. "When talking to the mass market, explain the concepts in terms that people understand," says Head. One rule of thumb: Don't say something that your grandma wouldn't understand.

For more insight from the Shelton Group, see the September 2010 story, "Five Ways To Engage with Gen Y" and "Targeting the Right Prospects, Framing the Green Message," a story that recaps a GRC and Shelton Group webinar in the August 2010 issue.

 MLSs Welcome Green Fields

A green MLS is a critical next step in moving the green housing agenda forward. It's why the GRC and its partners developed and launched the Green MLS Toolkit earlier this year. The aim is to boost awareness and to get green fields into MLS systems across the country, as well as to put a system in place that prevents greenwashing in the real estate industry.

And to measure the progress that MLSs are making in that effort, the GRC conducted a survey this fall.

The survey asked an array of questions to assess how many MLSs had started or completed greening their systems and how long the process took.

Green MLSs are making inroads. Several key statistics that emerged from the survey include:

-  About 230 MLSs either have implemented, are in the process of, or intend to introduce green fields in their systems

-  About 150 have already implemented or are in the  process of greening their MLSs

-  Approximately 80 MLSs feature some type of searchable green field

Yet there's still work to do, and one of the GRC's goals is to increase the adoption of green fields in MLSs across the country and share strategies to help MLSs protect the integrity of its green data.  

"To have a successful campaign, all stakeholders need to be educated and involved," comments Al Medina, director of NAR's Green Designation.

There are several constructive things you, as an NAR Green Designee, can do to promote a greener MLS.

You could be the first to propose green changes to your MLS, if there's been no movement toward that in your market, for example.  The MLS Toolkit provides the necessary information, background and tools to make a strong case for making such changes.

The GRC survey showed that the process is less arduous than it would seem to be. For instance, 34 percent of respondents reported that it took only one to four months from the introduction of the concept to going live with initial green searchable fields.  

And if your MLS already is in the early stages of greening, the toolkit can help you and your board members map out the next steps and learn from the successes and pitfalls of others that have done it.

Your initiative could also help in refining your system, identifying where tweaks can be made and taking the system to the next level. For instance, implementing a self-monitoring system can combat the growing problem of greenwashing.

As an example, the Phoenix MLS polices itself by requiring practitioners to upload green certification documentation within four days of placing a listing. If they don't prove the greenness of a property with such documentation, the listing is deactivated. 

In January, the GRC will offer detailed case studies to illustrate how the process is going by profiling MLS boards that are at different states of implementation. The case studies will look in detail at the challenges facing those in the very early stages of greening their MLSs, for example, and at the successes of others that have completed the initial adoption of MLS green fields. In addition, the case studies will illustrate ways to ensure that properties aren't erroneously being labeled as green.

 Tugging At Heartstrings

Imagine a photo of a scruffy looking guy with icicles caked on his eyebrows and mustache.

It's sure a departure from the usual business head shots featuring suited up gents with coiffed hair.

Yet that icicle image is what Curtis Hall relies on for marketing purposes. 

It's one inkling that Hall ABR®, GREEN, GRI, CRS, of RE/MAX Achievers in Chandler, Ariz., operates a little differently than most practitioners. He's one of four recipients of the GRC's 2010 EverGreen awards. Hall teaches NAR's Green Designation and he was inducted into REBAC's Hall of Fame in 2000.

His green approach is to teach real estate practitioners the basics. Rather than offering a "them's-the-facts" delivery of the material, Hall crisscrosses the country and woos, cajoles, and implores students to do something--even just one thing--to make the planet better and healthier. 

Most leave his courses feeling that it's imperative to make sustainability a priority. 

Believe, feel and change

Hall relies on what he calls a starfish approach. It stems from the story of a man expressing skepticism about a little boy on the beach who is tossing stranded and dying starfish back into the ocean.

The man's point is that it's hopeless and the effort makes little difference in saving the creature. The persistent boy points out that it makes a difference for the ones he is saving.

"That starfish idea is the entire premise for my green class.  I've come to realize that I cannot save the world, but I can save a small part of it," he says.

Hall delivers starfish moments by using an array of strategies that move and motivate students.

He regularly trots out videos, for instance, from a stash of about 40 to illustrate concepts, such as indoor air quality, window efficiency, and water quality. Some make regular appearances.

One illustrates the starfish message, another features a 1992 speech by Severen Suzuki as a 12-year-old pleading for world leaders to take the environmental crisis seriously.

"My philosophy is that I can't get you to change until I get you to believe. And I can't get you to believe until I get you to feel," comments Hall. 

And feel they do. Students sometimes cry, especially after the Suzuki video.

Making the green message local

Whether he's teaching in Hawaii, North Carolina, or Arizona, Hall tweaks the material to make classes pertinent to locals. For instance, he researches the local green scene and shares the information with students so they can start building a network of green professionals and vendors.

In addition, he invites local green experts--whether they're HERS specialists or green lenders--to make cameo appearances in class.

He also shares some personal inspiration and what he's done to green his life. In 2005 he hiked the Appalachian Trail, an experience that changed his life. For one, Hall was horrified by trails teeming with trash.  So he gets down to recycling basics.

He also talks of one simple step he's taken to lower his impact. By shifting major household energy activities to off-peak times, Hall has seen his energy bill plummet by about 30 percent.

Homework hits home

Homework includes students counting the glowing LED lights in their house so they see the vampire loads they're carrying. They also have to research the Great Pacific Garbage Patch to understand where plastic ends up.

A little drama helps too.

During the second day of class, Hall dumps on a table all the garbage students generated during the class to illustrate both the quantity of trash and how few recyclables land in the proper recycling bins.

And his approach works.

One woman wrote to tell Hall how moved she was by the class and the tremendous changes she made as a result. Another wrote that recycling slashed her garbage output by 75 percent. She said, "My five-year-old son will bring me something and ask 'is this trash or recycling?.'  So many starfish."

Indeed, so many starfish. 

 Friend Green Prospects

Doug Devitre spends the bulk of his time educating real estate professionals about ways to leverage technology and social media to market themselves and save time, trees, and money.

Devitre, CEO of Doug Devitre International in St. Louis, offers five tips for making your Facebook presence more effective.

1. Names matter: People searching for green housing information are more likely to search for a concept than a person's name, Devitre points out. So create a business page with a catchy name, such as Chicago Green Houses or Beaumont Low-impact Living. Also, know what drives your audience and choose a name that will resonate with them. For example, are they taken with the prestige of owning a green house? Something like EcoChic might work. If they're worried about toxins, a name that includes "health" might be right.

2. Brag wisely: Rather than promoting your green business or the fact that you're a top seller, boast about green successes in a way that there's takeaway for fans and friends. Brag, for instance, about slashing your electricity bill by 30 percent. And explain exactly how you did it. Answer key questions, such as what it cost, how long it took, and what equipment is needed. And provide informational links to help others do it.

3. Robust content: Offer creative links, videos, photos, PDFs, slideshows, and so forth, that will engage and educate people about green housing.

4. Check in frequently: It's not enough to have a Facebook presence, according to Devitre. You also have to be engaged, updating your page, purging dated photos, and being responsive. "If someone posts something on your wall, commenting back shows that you care," Devitre says.

5. Some don'ts:

-  Don't spend too much time on what others perceive as time-wasters. If sellers, whose house has been on the market for 120 days, see you spending time racking up points on Mafia Wars instead of marketing their property, what, asks Devitre, will they think? 

-  Don't be artificial and salesy. Facebook isn't the place for a hard-sell and to hawk your sales numbers.

-  Don't turn your page into a giant billboard for listings. "No one wants to look at a Facebook page with nothing but listings," says Devitre.

-  Don't post confidential information. "You'd be surprised by what people post," comments Devitre, who recalls one incident in which an agent excitedly posted on Facebook that she'd gotten an offer for $100,000 over the asking price on a house. It was before the deal closed. And the prospective buyers saw the post. Imagine.

 This Month's Tips

Give green: As you tick down your holiday and hostess gift lists, take a few minutes to figure out how you can  choose sustainable gifts.

2011 Resolutions: Pick one or two green New Year's resolutions and stick to them. They can be as  big as installing solar panels or as small as increasing the amount of local produce you eat or vowing slash energy consumption.

Tax cut: If you need last-minute tax breaks before you pony up with Uncle Sam in April, consider making a donation to your favorite environmental organization. 

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All articles written by Elyse Umlauf-Garneau