Selling clients on the environmental benefits—rather than the added value—of green homes is akin to asking them to write a check for charity. That wake-up call was delivered in a Greenbuild education session by Kathy Spence, LEED AP and marketing and sustainability director for Charlotte, N.C.-based Banister Homes. In the session, Spence discussed how to show clients that a sustainable home can save them money and improve their lives.
The highest-priority green feature for most clients is energy efficiency, Spence said, followed by indoor air quality, water efficiency, and materials. She provided advice on marketing each of these green features.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY. For most customers, the most pivotal benefit of a green, efficient home is reduced cost of ownership. “People want to be insulated from future expenses,” Spence said. “No one knows what energy will cost. We provide information on what might happen [to energy costs] in the future.”
