New breed of real estate agents to lead the charge

New breed of real estate agents to lead the charge for better performing kiwi homes

A new breed of estate agents who understand what eco-improvements can add value to homes and increase the 'saleability' of a property, is coming thanks to a decision, announced today, to make ground-breaking eco-savvy estate agent training officially available for the first time in New Zealand. New Zealand’s homes are generally cold, damp, and energy-inefficient and this training in home sustainability performance could help transform the market to value warmer more comfortable homes,

The Home Sustainability Training Programme was developed by the independent charity The Hikurangi Foundation who partnered in the project with and Sustainable Design, REINZ Industry Training Organisation, Open Polytechnic, Bayleys Real Estate, and New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development. A pilot in July 2010 saw eight Bayleys Nelson agents learn about home performance in areas like heating, water use, materials, and insulation.

Bruce Farquhar, Bayleys Nelson, was one of the first eight agents to complete the training. "It was a smart thing to do - it was business decision," says Bruce Farquhar. "There's a very genuine groundswell of demand for us to up skill in this area." An Industry needs analysis completed as part of the project showed that 95% of salespeople see that having more knowledge of sustainability issues will make it easier to market a home.

The training, eventually for both existing and new real estate agents has been accepted by REINZ Industry Training Organisation who has integrated it as a CPD module and into their 'Introduction to Property' training for delivery in high schools across the country. This will be available in 2011. The Open Polytechnic is the first educational institution in New Zealand to integrate the upcoming module into their national certificate in real estate training. The National Certificate is a Unit Standards based qualification.

Open Polytechnic tutor Keith Harris says it is important for the Polytechnic to show concern for the environment and current trends. "Especially in Christchurch at the moment - there's a huge opportunity for Christchurch to ensure that the rebuilding of houses takes into account sustainability aspects," Mr Harris said. "People are saying 'I hope they don't build quick-fix, ugly buildings'."

Hikurangi Foundation Executive Director Liana Stupples hopes that soon valuing the sustainability of a home - whether selling or buying one - will become a "no-brainer”. “This is not just about selling a few more super eco-houses. It's about making many more bog-standard NZ homes perform better and sell better. And it'll help create smarter estate agents, not just greener estate agents," says Ms Stupples.

ENDS

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