Local governments must now take the lead to move ahead on energy efficiency. One city that shows how it’s done is Menlo Park, California. A nonprofit community organization called Menlo Spark paves the way to better buildings and transportation and resiliency in the face of an uncertain climate future.

Energy efficiency pays for itself. If you design well, build smart and finance correctly, energy savings will take you all the way to a zero energy home.

High-performance homes have many cool features that are not always obvious to buyers. As a builder, you want the effort and expense you’ve invested in the home to be effectively represented to potential buyers. That means engaging real estate brokers and appraisers who have the training, knowledge and experience to recognize these features and communicate the benefits effectively.

Marketing terms can be confusing for those looking to buy a home. Beware of exaggeration. Look for third-party certifications. Partner with a real estate broker that understands what’s under the hood of a high-performance home.

The term “green” is often used to describe homes that are energy efficient, non-toxic or sustainable. Realtors need to understand the features and benefits of these homes in order to properly communicate them to potential buyers.

A zero energy home doesn’t have to be new construction. Zero energy principles can be applied to existing buildings, too. By applying the scale and efficiency of industrial methods to housing, housing agencies in Europe are taking energy retrofits in giant leaps.

Consumers say they want to buy high-performance buildings, choosing these words will help make the sale.

This Realtor accepts a professional responsibility to improve the energy efficiency of housing and fight climate change.

There are four reasons that energy-efficient commercial buildings are worth more. Working with appraisers to accurately document this value will help ensure the financial success and appropriate sales price for high-performance buildings. While this post refers to commercial buildings, the idea applies to homes, too.