I’m happy to announce that I’ve earned the NAR (National Association of Realtors) Green Designation. I now have access to the research and information from the Green Resource Council to share with you, like this essay on Why Go Green?

There is a variety of reasons to go green, but most come back to supply and demand. We have a limited amount of resources available and more and more people using them up. If we want our future generations to enjoy the same standard of living we’ve experienced, we need to take action.

Green building is a great place to start, as buildings consume 14% of potable water, 40% of raw materials, and 39% of energy in the United States alone (according to the US Green Building Council). That’s 15 trillion gallons of water and 3 billion tons of raw materials each year! If that’s not enough to convince you, here are some other reasons to go green:

FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

Want to make the world a better place? Implementing green practices into your home or office can help reduce waste, conserve natural resources, improve both air and water quality, and protect ecosystems and biodiversity.

FOR THE SAVINGS

Want to make your dollar go further? Green systems and materials reduce energy consumption, which in turn reduce your energy bills. They also increase asset value and profits and decrease marketing time; making your dollar go further for longer.

FOR YOUR HEALTH

Want to live healthier? Green building isn’t just good for the environment; it’s also good for YOU. Sustainable design and technology enhance a resident’s overall quality of life by improving air and water quality and reducing noise pollution. According to a 2006 study by the Center of the Built Environment, University of California, green office buildings improve productivity and employee satisfaction in the workplace.

In my 22 years practicing the profession of real estate, I have never left one company to go to another. I have worked in companies that were merged or sold, but I have never left by my own decision. Until now. What’s important to know is that I didn’t leave Coldwell Banker because I didn’t like it or was unhappy. CB is a great company and offers many opportunities to its agents to grow and prosper. It’s also safe to belong to a large national corporation. If you work at Coldwell Banker, its long history and good reputation cloak you in respectability. If you work for such a well-known and respected company there is a certain level of professionalism that is automatically conferred upon you in many consumers’ minds. To leave all that was a big step.

Real estate is a schizophrenic business: it’s very competitive and yet we have to cooperate with each other. A client naturally wants to work with the best professional they can, but how do they determine who that is? That’s why many of us have focused on being number one in our marketplace, working for a company that has the most market share, winning the most awards, etc., so we can assure our clients that we are good enough to earn their business. But there is much more to doing a good job than working in a big company, winning awards and doing a lot of deals.

I have worked with agents from other companies and seen what they do. I’ve gone to many professional training events with excellent teachers. I’ve networked with other Realtors all over the country as part of our various professional organizations. In the last several years, I’ve coached and trained with a group that has attained the level of a virtual office although we are scattered all over Southern California. We’ve often commented how great it would be to work with each other in a physical office—to work in an office of like-minded professionals. For me, Teles Properties offered the potential for this, plus it’s a small boutique company that is focused on what I care about: providing its agents with research, technology, and marketing. It’s small enough (so far) that I know all the owners, and they know me, but that’s just a nice extra.

What’s in this for my clients? A fresh approach. A simple, elegant look. A chance to work with a company that focuses on a deep understanding of the market, on the art and practice of real estate, and on where to position the client’s needs and desires to obtain the best result. A company that puts agents in a room together every week to learn more, to share ideas on how to price and market a property for sale and how to obtain and negotiate the best possible deal for the client. This is a company that shares its knowledge and encourages its agents to share theirs so we all get better—a truly cooperative and collegial environment. These are tumultuous times in the real estate world. Making a successful business in the shadow of one of the biggest economic downturns in US history is a real challenge. Teles Properties began in 2007 and has grown from 1 to 4 offices through these chaotic years. I think that’s quite an accomplishment. This company chose to strike out in a fresh, new direction and it is working. That’s what attracted me to it.