Last month I had the honor to join nearly 500 leaders in the Multiple Listing Industry (MLS) at the annual Council of MLS conference in Boston. If you envision the MLS world as an outdated IT department and surly call center – think again!
And for businesses interested in energy efficiency this is a very good thing. Because all the leadership, passion and capability present in this technology segment of the real estate sector creates progress for efficient homes.
The MLS and vendors represented are pushing the envelope in new technologies for the MLS database, as well as supporting applications. The tools and data available to Realtors like myself – and ultimately the consumer – are constantly improving.
The quest for better data applies to energy efficient homes too. I joined CMLS as a panelist for the Connecting the Dotssession. The panel was a holistic conversation including the perspective of two MLS CEO’s (Shelley Specchio, Northern Nevada Regional MLS and Lauren Hansen, IRES, LLC), a builder (Matt Beaton, Beaton Kane Construction) and the appraisers (Bill Garber, Appraisal Institute).
Clareity Consulting was spot on in their big takeaway from the session:
In the session on “green MLS”, attendees were encouraged to NOT just add a “Green Home Yes/No” field that would lead to “green washing” in listings. Rather, add fields around auditable elements such as HERS ratings, Energy Star, LEED, NAHB, Solar PV (KwH), Solar Thermal (type) and more. Its crucial that, if sellers claim a certification, that documentation be uploaded to the MLS. More information: GreenTheMLS.org
Lauren Hansen also called for vendors to implement green fields in a way that is already established in the industry’s Real Estate Transaction Standard. She also encouraged vendors to implement a searchable field for HERS score.
The Council of MLS and their members continue to push for effective green fields to make these type of improved homes more accessible to consumers. Keep up the great work!
