Expert Insights on Eco-friendly Real Estate

Real estate is a massive part of our lives! 

We live in homes, buy homes, sell them, fix them up, and rent them, and real estate is at the heart of all that!

Much about real estate has been in the news lately, with home prices being turbulent during the pandemic and people moving to different places. 

The side of real estate that has recently been taking hold is one that I love working with most. It’s the side that brings better, healthier, and more sustainable homes to the forefront, and there is a whole group of people out there trained to work with it. They know how to talk to you as a buyer, seller, or renter and can help you find a home that works best for you and everyone living with you!

I’m Marla, the Green Home Coach. Today, I’m excited to have Kari Klaus from Realty Sage, and Ashley Rose Gonzalez from Ashley Rose Sacred Spaces, joining me on the show!

About Ashley Rose Gonzalez

Ashley is a NAR Green-certified realtor located in Boca Raton, Florida, and does surveys on most of South Florida. She has been a green realtor for the last two years. Her green journey began about ten years ago when she had a tumor in her stomach. Fortunately, she caught it before it became cancerous. At the time, she had been living in a toxic environment and was in a toxic relationship. So she had to learn how to take charge of her life and health, and it became her passion! Ashley’s life is now a sacred ritual for herself and the earth. She believes she is here to assist and educate her clients. 

Small steps

Ashley believes it is her dharma to save the earth and help people live in the healthiest way possible! She started with small steps, changing the products she was using. She used to be a fashion stylist in New York, working with eco and hemp designers, and had no idea that her journey would lead her to where she is now! 

Customized service

Ashley learns about her clients and customizes her services to suit their specific needs.

About Kari Klaus

Kari is the Founder of Realty Sage and its sister site, Realty Sage Pros. Realty Sage started as Beaver Green Homes, which was based on Kari's struggle to sell her property after making it as green as possible. Realty Sage is a different kind of real estate market that uses a sage score system based on features like solar systems, energy efficiency, and certifications to help market properties. It gives buyers a better understanding of a home’s features and helps sellers market more accurately. It also gives real estate agents like Ashley a platform to work from and showcase their skills.

Realty Sage Pro 

Realty Sage Pro is a site for green real estate agents to list and market properties. It has more than 120,000 real estate agents across the country on its database. They are preparing to expand into other professionals like architects, interior designers, and landscapers.   

Women in green homes

There is a growing group of women working and collaborating in the green home space. 

Taking care of ourselves

Women are starting to understand that caring for the earth begins with ourselves. That means we must also take care of our physical homes because everything is connected, and they are an extension of who we are. Ashley believes it is our collective and individual duty to care for and preserve our environment.

Economics of green building

Building a green home today makes financial sense because doing so now is way more affordable than before.  

Understanding the difference

It can be hard to understand the difference between different eco-friendly homes. Realty Sage allows real estate agents to help people understand the finer differences, apart from price, like quality and certifications.

Feng shui principles 

Designing a home with feng shui principles makes it feel better! Ashley Rose is delighted to have connected with Kari and loves having a place to showcase her feng shui skills and help people find eco-friendly homes!

Biophilic design

A global expansion of eco-real estate and a global eco-friendly movement is happening. Kari was in Singapore several years ago and got inspired by the biophilic designs she saw there.

Inflation reduction

Healthier homes do NOT have to be more expensive! The Inflation Reduction Act is coming this year. It offers financial assistance to upgrade and help make low-income homes more eco-friendly. 

Staying true to herself

Ashley was inspired to become a NAR Green designee and an eco-real estate agent because it helped her stay true to herself and keep doing what she loved when she had to pivot her business during Covid. So she started incorporating the green journey she had been on in fashion in homes.

Selling homes with heart

Ashley lets her heart guide her in the work she does. Kari created Realty Sage specifically for the real estate agents like Ashley, driven to go the extra mile to understand the environmental aspects of properties and the lifestyle requirements of the people they work with when selling a home. 

Global energy-efficiency

Eco-friendly homes are being promoted all over the world! In Mexico, people are getting pushed to go solar, Singapore is doing amazing things in terms of architecture and biophilic design, and some places in Europe are even more advanced than the US in ensuring that homes getting sold are more energy-efficient. 

Have a great green day!

Links and resources:

Workshop - Sell Value of Green Homes and Features: https://greenhomecoach.com/how-to-sell-the-value-of-green-homes-and-features/

Realty Sage 

Realty Sage Pros 

Ashley Rose Sacred Spaces 

Eco E-book from Ashley Rose 

This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience. That means that if you make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products or services that I believe in and usually use myself.