Home tours give savvy homebuyers a firsthand opportunity to see examples of new home designs, emerging style trends and energy-efficiency features. If you are showing EPSTM homes, consider featuring them on a home tour this year. Your homes’ excellent energy efficiency could be the distinctive attribute that makes them stand out.
Energy efficiency is an increasingly important factor for homebuyers, but it’s not always easy to translate estimated energy use into monthly costs or to compare one home to another in terms of energy consumption. Energy Trust’s EPS is an energy performance scoring system that gives builders, real estate agents and homebuyers an easy way to see and compare how efficiently homes use energy. EPS eliminates the guesswork of comparing the energy consumption of newly constructed houses. EPS can also give homebuyers an immediate idea of a home’s monthly energy costs. It’s also a great tool for understanding a home’s environmental impact, measured by its carbon footprint.
There are plenty of ways you can leverage EPS on home tours. Long before potential buyers arrive, learn the benefits of EPS and be ready to discuss ratings with customers. Energy Trust and Earth Advantage both offer convenient broker classes. Similarly, when you list a home in RMLS, include EPS in the amenities supplement of the listing. In the public remarks section, provide a link to Energy Trust’s web page about EPS to offer additional information for interested buyers.
You can access marketing collateral from Energy Trust—brochures, yard signs, web content and more—to help buyers understand how an EPS-rated home compares to a home built to code. Arrange to have these resources on hand prior to the home tour.
Energy Trust offers resources and trainings to help builders and real estate agents highlight their EPS-rated homes. To request marketing materials or ask about available resources, contact the trade ally coordinator or call 1.877.283.0698, option 1.