Energy Efficiency & Real Estate in 2013?

This new year has the promise of some bright signs in the housing market.  There are equally bright signs that energy efficiency may becoming more mainstream. And there are certainly some exciting signs that the two could finally come together.

Here are my predictions for trends to watch in 2013!

• Gen Y Buyers - This group thinks real estate is a privileged earned.  They will prep cautiously on the fence, but they will move the market once they jump. To some, green will be critical. But to most it will be the reassurance of a great value, so energy efficiency will be key, but in a very subtle way.  I've created a new category to capture what's happening with Gen Y Green.
• Green MLS 3.0 - I've written quite a bit about v2.0. And we still have work to do on a standard approach to make sure MLS have consistent, quality data about green and energy efficient homes. This is a garbage-in-garbage-out proposition, so it means builders and contractors have to start the process the right way!  But it's not too early to think about what comes next. What about fully automated green disclosure right from the big green building programs?  I'm thinking big!  Stay tuned!
• Home Management Services - I think the way to bridge efficiency into real estate is not to talk about efficiency in the first place! Professionals that can offer services that help homes operate better, with more comfort and less money will win in the rebounding market, and make friends in real estate.  Where is the Jiffy Lube of whole-home management?  Web portals are evolving in this space.  But what about the local professionals that can deliver?
• More "we" Work - The green home transaction just doesn't happen unless professionals from all different industries come together.  There was great progress in 2012 and the momentum will continue in 2013.

Reprinted with permission from NotYetGreen.  Read the original article here.