Craig Schriber, a Realtor with Dickson Realty, says his certification as an eco broker through EcoBroker International translates into real world worth.
"When developers of 8 on Center heard I was an eco broker, they called me to list that project," he says.
The Center Street live-work condo development incorporates such 'green' amenities as bamboo floors and commercial-grade glass windows, he adds. Plus, it's an in-fill project, close to jobs and bus lines. Those all translate into points when people determine the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) status of a building.
Ecobroker certification, says Schriber, brings him a baseline knowledge of green buildings. In older homes he looks for negatives such as asbestos, radon or mold. In newer houses, he looks for positives such as insulation, high-efficiency furnace and sustainable materials such as bamboo floors or straw bale construction. And he's aware of Reno's zones of geothermal heating, which paint a swatch roughly from Lakeside to Skyline.
"People haven't had the choice in the past to look for green product," says Schriber. But they're starting to come onto the market, albeit as small projects like the planned Cedar Dwellings near the university and Arterra, a downtown condo project which, he says, intends to be a LEED silver building.
Colorado-based EcoBroker International's certificate program is designed to help communities encourage energy efficiency and sustainable design in real estate properties. Certified EcoBrokers assist clients seeking property with green features and marketing property with green features.
