The National Association of Realtors (NAR) released its 2022 Realtors & Sustainability Report for the residential sector earlier this year, which surveyed thousands of NAR members across the country on sustainability issues facing the industry. Half of the agents and brokers surveyed said they helped a client buy or sell a property with green features during the past 12 months—a notable jump compared to 32% in 2021. Green features encompass sustainable updates made to the house's interior and exterior, including roofing, siding, windows and more.
The home features that survey respondents believed to be most important to clients include:
- Windows, doors and siding (36%)
- Proximity to frequently visited places (38%),
- A comfortable living space (35%),
- A home’s utility bills and operating costs (20%)
Roughly three out of four realtors said properties with rooftop solar panels were available in their market, and 36% said homes with solar panels increased the perceived property value (compared to 30% that said they had no effect).
Other findings particularly relevant for roofing and exterior contractors include:
- 63% of respondents said energy efficiency promotion in listings was very or somewhat valuable
- 51% of respondents found clients were at least somewhat interested in sustainability
- 45% of homes with green certifications spent neither more nor less time on the market
