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Augment Your Texas Real Estate License with EcoBroker Certification
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by: Tina.Walker
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In 2007, MSN named Austin, Texas, as
one of the Top 10 Greenest Cities in America. Austin Energy has the
greenest power grid in the country, the city leads the nation in wind
and bio-diesel production, and is a hotbed for start-up companies
developing green technologies. Among other city initiatives, they aim
to increase energy efficiency in any new construction by 75%, and
have all new single-family homes be energy neutral (meaning they
produce as much energy as they use) by 2015. Now it is more important
than ever for real estate professionals to have the skills and
resources to support their eco-conscious clients. One way to augment
your Texas real estate license is to become EcoBroker Certified®.
What
is it?
Founded in 2002,
EcoBroker is the first and largest provider of green designation
training. The program is overseen by the Association of Energy and
Environmental Real Estate Professionals and provides education on
energy and environmental issues, and strategies for capitalizing on
the growing green market.
What
are the benefits?
There are
several reasons to obtain this designation. First and foremost, as
there are no other national programs that offer this kind of
training, the EcoBroker Certification is an excellent way to
distinguish yourself from thousands of other real estate agents in
Texas. Continuing education is essential to the real estate profile,
and its important to focus on topics that are relevant. Environment
issues like mold, radon, water quality, and others create liabilities
for both yourself and your client. Educating yourself about these
potential challenges, and other topics that are pertinent in today’s
green market, will give you a competitive advantage.
Help sellers
understand that green features increase the value of their home and
learn how to best market them. Help buyer’s find those homes that
satisfy their growing desire for an energy efficient and
environmentally friendly home. EcoBroker also provides tools like
energy efficient mortgages that help buyers create more purchasing
power.
With both the
buyer and seller, you will be bale to work through environmental
issues and improve on the efficiency and cost of a home. In short,
you will improve customer satisfaction by enhancing each transaction
with training and tools from EcoBroker.
Finally, you can
increase your business by identifying new buyers and sellers, and
will expand your network of professional resources and referrals.
How
do I do it?
You do not have
to be a broker to get certified, the designation is available to all
real estate professionals. To obtain the EcoBroker Certification, you
must complete the required amount of coursework. These courses are
Texas Real Estate Commission approved for 18 hours of Mandatory
Continuing Education elective credit or can be used toward obtaining
your broker’s license. The three six-hour courses are:
EcoBroker Environmental Advantage™,
EcoBroker Energy Advantage™,
and EcoBroker Green Market Advantage™.
The Austin Institute of Real Estate offers these courses via live
sessions or online. The initial cost varies slightly, but the yearly
EcoBroker membership fee is $129 and includes a four-hour continuing
education course each year.
Environmental and energy issues drive
the current real estate market in Austin, Texas. Consider the
EcoBroker Certification a valuable supplement to your Texas real
estate license allowing you to provide additional benefits to your
clients.
About the Author
Helen Walker. Get your EcoBroker Certification at The Austin Institute of Real Estate. They provide online real estate classes, correspondence real estate classes, and live real estate classes for credit towards a Texas real estate license.
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