• Article Submission
  • Feature Nomination
  • News Submission
Real Estate Agent Magazine
  • Features
  • Marketing
  • Career
  • Trends
  • News
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
Real Estate Agent Magazine
  • Features
  • Marketing
  • Career
  • Trends
  • News
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
Real Estate Agent Magazine
No Result
View All Result
Home From NAR

How Much Do Buyers Want Green Home Features Vs. Non-Green?

Melissa Dittmann Tracey by Melissa Dittmann Tracey
July 9, 2019
Reading Time: 6 mins read
A A
0
green home features

green home features

Share on LinkedinShare on FacebookShare on Twitter

The way you market green home features has an effect on how house hunters perceive them and whether they’ll pay more for an eco-friendly property, according to new research by the National Association of Home Builders released last week during the 2019 International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas. “A green home marketed by its energy savings and as having good air quality are the two things that seem to resonate the most with home buyers,” said Rose Quint, the NAHB’s assistant vice president for survey research.

Quint detailed findings on green home features from the NAHB’s 2019 edition of “What Home Buyers Really Want,” based on a nationwide survey of 4,000 recent home buyers or those aspiring to own within the next three years. The findings show that buyers favor green over non-green options when given the choice, Quint said. The survey provided the following breakdown of consumer responses.

GREEN CHOICE % IN FAVOR NON-GREEN CHOICE % IN FAVOR 
Features and finishes made of more expensive materials that last longer.  74  Features and finishes made of materials that cost less but need to be replaced more often.  26 
Low-maintenance landscaping, with plants that grow in the local climate with minimal watering, weeding, or mowing.  65  Conventional landscaping, with a traditional lawn, tree shrubs, etc.  35 
Home oriented to make efficient use of the sun’s energy for heating and cooling.  63  Home oriented to optimize the attractiveness of the home as viewed from the street.  37 
A heating and cooling system designed to meet your current needs efficiently.  63  A heating and cooling system larger than currently needed with some excess capacity for possible future needs.  37 
Narrower sidewalks and streets with more green space.  54  Wider sidewalks and streets.  46 
Home on a continuous, interconnected street with more efficient traffic flow.  33  Home on a cul de sac or other street design with limited traffic flow.  67 

HOW MUCH MORE WILL THEY PAY?

While green features appear appealing, the question remains whether home shoppers would be willing to pay a premium for them. Sixty-eight percent of buyers say they want an environmentally friendly home, but they admit they aren’t willing to pay more for it, according to the survey. “Home buyers aren’t as willing to open up their pocket books to help save the environment, but when you rephrase the question and talk about the savings that owning such a home would bring to them, then you get different responses,” Quint said.

Case in point: When asked if they’d be willing to pay more if they could save more on annual utility costs, buyers overwhelmingly say yes. For example, if they could save $1,000 per year on utilities, 46 percent of home buyers say they’d then be willing to pay an extra $1,000 to $9,999 on a home with green features; 37 percent would pay $10,000 or more for that type of savings. That said, buyers purchasing homes in lower price brackets (less than $150,000) were the least willing to make an investment in green home features, the study shows.

Quint urged those in the housing industry to change their tone when promoting green homes. Most consumers are unfamiliar with green certification programs, such as LEED or HERS (24 percent and 22 percent, respectively). “That doesn’t seem to resonate or turn as many hearts on to going green,” Quint said. Instead, promote the money savings in utility bills that owners can gain from owning such a home, Quint said.

MOST DESIRABLE GREEN FEATURES  % WHO WANT LEAST DESIRABLE GREEN FEATURES % WHO WANT 
Energy Star-rated windows  89  Reduced flow shower heads  49 
Energy Star-rated appliances  86  Geothermal heating and cooling  49 
Energy Star rating for the entire home  81  Components built from sustainable harvested lumber  46 
Efficient lighting (less energy than traditional light bulbs)  77  Components made from locally produced materials  45 
Triple-pane insulating glass windows  77  Gas-filled (argon or krypton) insulating glass  43 
Insulation higher than required by code  73  Home components made of recycled materials  42 
Water-conserving toilets  63  Barrels or cisterns collecting rainwater for irrigation, toilets, etc.  40 
Low-e insulating glass windows  62  Roof-mounted, electricity-generating wind turbine  36 

Reprinted with permission from NAR. 

Melissa Dittmann Tracey

Melissa Dittmann Tracey

Melissa Dittmann Tracey is a contributing editor for REALTOR Magazine. She can be reached at mtracey@realtors.org. Reprinted with permission from NAR.

Latest Posts

Heather Blais
Real Estate Interviews

Heather Blais: Building an Empire

January 28, 2022
real estate mistakes
Marketing Articles

10 Real Estate Listing Mistakes to Avoid

January 27, 2022
covid burnout
Real Estate Career

Avoiding The Real Estate Agent COVID Burnout

January 26, 2022
increase sales conversion
Real Estate Career

How to Elevate the Consumer Journey and Increase Sales Conversion

November 29, 2021
internet real estate
Marketing Articles

12 Real Estate Social Media Marketing Ideas for Realtors

October 27, 2021
housing market
Real Estate Trends

Cooling or Collapsing? Key Factors To Consider About the Housing Market

October 27, 2021
Load More
Next Post
SalesMaker

Connecting is the Most Important Real Estate SalesMaker Skill

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube

Real Estate Agent Magazine

Real Estate Agent Magazine is a national trade publication for and about real estate agents. The magazine brings information and news to the real estate community as well as providing a platform to spotlight the people, events and happenings of the industry.

This website is brought to you by Target Market Media.

Phone: (480) 219-9716
Fax: (480) 219-9716
Email: info@realestateagentmagazine.com

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

  • Features
  • Marketing
  • Career
  • Trends
  • News
  • Contact

© Copyright 2022 | Real Estate Agent Magazine

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Feature Stories
  • Marketing
  • Career
  • Trends
  • News
  • Contact
  • Article Submission
  • Feature Nomination
  • News Submission

© Copyright 2022 | Real Estate Agent Magazine