Climate change and its potential consequences are in the news now more than ever. With stronger and more frequent severe weather, people are taking stock of the risk factors before they purchase a property. Another way this has impacted real estate is with the rise in sustainable properties.

What Is a Sustainable Property?

A sustainable property incorporates design features or technology intended to help reduce energy use and emissions. The most common and best-known of all sustainability features is the rooftop solar panel system. However, this is just one of many exciting options now becoming widely available.

Sustainability comes in many different forms, and it appeals to an increasing number of buyers. It is no longer limited to buyers with the highest net worth and disposable income. Even first-time buyers are growing more likely to consider sustainability within their purchase plans.

Why Are Sustainable Properties Important For Today's Real Estate Agents?

Sustainability may not be the #1 concern for most buyers, but it will help you appeal to a broader group when you understand how to market these properties. Likewise, some of the most desirable buyers with the most to spend on a new property consider sustainability within their top three requirements.

With that in mind, sustainability is an important part of the toolkit for a modern real estate agent. As an agent who deals with sustainable properties, you can attract the right buyers and make more money when you learn how to weave the right stories around sustainability in your listings and other marketing collateral.

Although this might seem like a tall order if you've never considered sustainable properties before, you can adapt quickly with the right starting point. Let's take a closer look at some of the best ways you can market sustainable properties:

1. Highlight the "Green" Features

As with any other home, the very first step is to evaluate the property and determine what kind of features it has available. You should walk through each room and take notes, considering what might appeal to a buyer who wants to reduce their carbon footprint and leave a positive legacy.

Sellers can often tell you about some of the more obvious features, such as rooftop solar. However, you can also get creative. A tankless, on-demand water heater could be considered a green feature even if it isn't marketed that way. So could a yard using hardscaping or local ground covering plants instead of water-hungry grass.

Once you've got a full list of green features, incorporate them naturally into your listing description. Also, highlight them in other collateral, such as your property videos. While it might not be possible to discuss every single feature in the listing, you should prepare to draw attention to green features in a walkthrough and answer questions.

2. Educate Buyers on the Benefits of Sustainable Properties

The benefits of sustainable properties start with a better future for the planet, but they don't end there. A buyer who purchases a home with plenty of green technology can expect to save money in the long run. For instance, a metal roof is highly sustainable and makes it easier to keep a property cool in the summer.

Many times, different green features work together in ways that enhance the savings available. For instance, a metal roof means the HVAC system works less, and a smart thermostat further enhances it, so it only operates for a few minutes per hour to reach your target temperature. Over a year, the savings can be enormous.

This is another area where partnering with your sellers can be helpful. Working together, you can determine the cost of utilities and the amount a buyer stands to save. Start with energy and water usage, then consider if there are additional savings due to reduced maintenance (for instance, longer life for the HVAC system.)

3. Collaborate With Environmental Organizations or Sponsor Them

If you want to take your work with sustainable properties to the next level, consider reaching out to the environmentally conscious organizations in your area. These may run the gamut from smaller volunteer organizations that beautify your local neighborhood to larger national or international nonprofits.

You already know that working together for a good cause is a terrific way to introduce others to your services as a real estate agent. The effect is even more pronounced when the cause helps you find affinity buyers for all the properties in your portfolio — as it would when you focus on working with environmental organizations.

By sponsoring organizations, you'll have the opportunity to address their donors using low-cost ads, email, and other methods. Build a sound customer pipeline so buyers who reach out to you due to your community involvement are quickly incorporated into your real estate CRM and email marketing campaigns.

4. Showcase Nearby Amenities that Appeal to the Demographic

Concern for the environment is a core personality trait that can help you infer some of a person's other values and interests. While everybody is different, there's no doubt that certain traits tend to occur in clusters. When you use this to your advantage, you can appeal to an environmentally conscious buyer on various levels.

As always, it's crucial to know all the details about your neighborhood so you can share the highlights with buyers. "Green" buyers tend to appreciate amenities like nature trails, bike paths, and local parks. In a more urban setting, a community garden stands out. So does any farmer's market that might occur weekly or monthly.

Don't hesitate to find out more about your buyers so you can make personalized recommendations that can have an even greater impact. If you notice particular amenities that capture lots of attention, contact those businesses and see if you can get special coupons or other bonuses for your customers.

5. Use Testimonials to Share Positive Experiences With Sustainable Properties

Testimonials are among your most powerful tools, no matter what type of buyer or seller you want to appeal to. That's because testimonials act as social proof, evidence that shows customers someone "just like them" had great success using your services. This is accepted as unbiased advice, unlike anything you might say yourself.

Testimonials are valuable no matter whether you share them in the form of text or video. As text, they can appear in many places throughout your real estate website, such as your page footers and on your "About" page or biography. This means people are much more likely to see them.

On the other hand, a video testimonial is more memorable. It's a wonderful complement to your other materials. Remember to record your video testimonials using quality video and audio equipment, as not all phones offer clear video. And don't forget to have customers sign a release so you can use their testimonials.

By making these five tips the foundation of your approach, you'll gain the necessary experience to make sustainable properties a cornerstone of your brand. Demand for sustainable properties is projected to grow in the coming decade, so now is the ideal time to begin!