Expert Q&As

We caught up with Susan Singer to talk about what it means to be an EcoBroker.

What is an EcoBroker? How does a person become certified?
It's an association based in Denver. If you google them, you'll be able to see more about the entire group. I had heard about them two years ago and decided that it would be a good thing for me to take their course. I took their course in the fall of 2006 and became certified as the first EcoBroker in New York City. Most people who do it actually work in a suburban environment and deal more with individual, private homes. What we do, is we learn everything about how to build green, sustainable property. We learn about the best windows to use, heating, low-VOC products, electric, and anything else that's related to healthy living.

Do you only work with home buyers?
I work with builders and developers who have green property or have built green property. This way, when (potential buyers) call me, I know what's available in their area. Or, if somebody has a small building or a townhouse that they would like to make energy-efficient upgrades to, I can advise them on how to do that.

What prompted you to become an EcoBroker?
I actually had a green store in Kingston, New York before I became an EcoBroker. I sold green products for the home and garden. Some time around 1989, I started doing research on the green movement and I thought that it was very interesting. All of the developers in the city are now building green for the future, but there's not that much product out there. Quite truthfully, people aren't coming to me in droves asking for green places to live.

So the demand from home buyers isn't that high?
Not necessarily, no. If it's green they're happy, but not everyone is demanding it. On the other hand, it is on the rise. The more I blog and the more information I get out there, the more people are telling me that they want to live in a green property. I got an email from somebody last week saying that they want to live in Queens, and that they want to know about any new developments coming up.

What are the challenges of being an EcoBroker?
Only that there isn't more green property to sell. Also, many people have the perception that if they buy green it's going to be more expensive. That isn't always the case. We also need to educate people so that they understand what "green" really means. Ripping out a perfectly good floor to put in a bamboo floor isn't green.

• Real Estate, Green Building | 2 comments • Email Article