Valuing Energy Efficiency in Real Estate through Transparency

Disclosing energy costs and efficiency features in real estate listings is critical to ensuring that high performing homes are recognized and properly valued. In a study conducted by the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (MEEA), it was found that the green fields available for inclusion in Multiple Listing Services (MLS) are severely underutilized. Similarly, states and municipalities have been slow to adopt time of sale energy disclosure ordinances, which require the disclosure of utility costs or energy efficiency characteristics when a home is put on the market. This transparency is proven to raise awareness of energy use in homes and motivate retrofit activity. MEEA conducted targeted outreach to real estate associations and the heads of local MLSs to provide recommendations for increasing the usage of green fields. Municipalities were also engaged with information about time of sale energy disclosure ordinances in the hopes that they adopt these policies in their areas.

This presentation will provide an overview of research MEEA has conducted surrounding the usage of MLS green fields and time of sale energy disclosure ordinances in the Midwest, best practices on engaging stakeholders on these initiatives, and a look at the outreach materials created.

Natalia Gardocki is a Program Associate with the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (MEAA), working on residential energy efficiency programs. In this role, she helps manage the Illinois Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® program, leads an initiative focused on educating real estate professionals on energy efficiency, and provides support in the implementation of various other residential programs. Before joining MEEA, Natalia earned her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and Communications from Loyola University.