Showcasing Energy Efficiency Is a Growing Priority in Selling Homes

Article from REALTOR® Magazine Media

By: Melissa Dittmann Tracey

Find out the top-rated “green” features and more insights from the 2025 REALTORS® Residential Sustainability Report.

More than half—58%—of real estate pros say highlighting energy-efficient home features in a listing can add value, according to the newly released 2025 REALTORS® Residential Sustainability Report. Green features—such as upgraded windows, doors and insulation—could help lower the rising costs of maintaining a home. Still, buyers don’t always think to ask about them.

About three-fourths of Americans say they’re concerned about rising electric and gas utility bills this year, and 63% report those costs are adding to their financial stress, according to a 2025 poll by PowerLines, a consumer education nonprofit. Yet, 42% of real estate pros say their clients “rarely” ask questions about a home’s energy efficiency. The reason may be that buyers have bigger worries on their mind.

“Housing affordability continues to challenge home buyers, so sustainability can sometimes be pushed to the back burner as buyers search for the ideal home,” says Jessica Lautz, NAR’s deputy chief economist. “However, many still seek sustainable home features to reduce their environmental impact as well as heating, cooling and commuting costs.”

The Top-Rated Green Home Features

Lautz says the aging housing stock may drive sustainability upgrades as future buyers aim to manage rising operating costs. “Some homeowners may need to turn to remodeling upgrades to embrace sustainability, particularly as the age of America’s housing stock increases due to persistent underbuilding,” Lautz notes.

The Residential Sustainability Report is based on a nationwide survey of real estate professionals who are REALTORS®, members of the National Association of REALTORS®. When it comes to green-home features, REALTORS® say their clients are most interested in windows, doors and siding, followed by utility cost and other operating expenses.

The NAR report finds that demand for sustainable homes likely would grow if there were more financial incentives for homeowners—such as tax credits or rebates, followed by evidence of higher resale value for sustainable homes, greater consumer awareness of energy costs and greater consumer awareness of the health and lifestyle benefits of sustainable upgrades.

Home Operating Costs a Growing Concern

About 72% of real estate pros said a home’s utility bills and operating costs are a top priority for their clients, according to the Residential Sustainability Report.

In the Northeast, rising utility costs are a pressing issue for both homeowners and buyers, Ryan Hvizda, owner at Hvizda Realty Group at Keller Williams Metro in Concord, N.H., recently told Real Estate Today. “We have very high costs of AC in the summer,” she says, “and then in the winter there are high costs of fuel. We make sure our buyers understand how much it’s going to cost to own that home … because sometimes buyers forget about that element. Then, all of a sudden, they find out it’s going to cost another $600 a month or so to run this house—an extra cost they weren’t planning for.”

Hvizda reminds her clients to look beyond just a home’s cosmetics and focus on big-ticket features that can deliver long-term savings, such as insulation, windows and heating systems.

REALTORS® also report that transportation and commuting factors are weighing more heavily in buyer decisions. About 80% of REALTORS® said proximity to frequently visited places—like grocery stores, schools and highways—is a priority. In addition, 72% rated commute times as an important consideration for today’s buyers, according to NAR’s report.

Top Challenges With ‘Green’ Real Estate

About 42% of agents report having worked with a property featuring green features over the past year. But that prevalence has also introduced challenges. The NAR survey found ongoing confusion around how certain features—like solar panels—affect property values, as well as questions about lending options for energy upgrades or solar installations.

REALTORS® surveyed say these are the top challenges and considerations when it comes to “green” home features in real estate:

• Understanding how solar panels impact a transaction: 58%
• Valuation of solar panels on homes: 52%
• Understanding lending options for energy upgrades or solar installations: 42%
• Lack of information and materials provided to real estate professionals: 38%
• Valuation of green certified homes: 36%
• Improving the energy efficiency of existing housing stock: 31%
• Lack of MLS data about home performance and/or solar installations: 29%
• Liability of misrepresenting a property with green features: 27%
• Lack of information and materials provided to other professions: 24%
• Inability to search for green properties: 19%
• Understanding of tiny homes: 19%
• Climate change events’ impact on the transaction: 18%

Learn More

NAR’s GREEN designation helps real estate professionals grow a deeper understanding about energy efficiency and sustainability in real estate as well as access marketing tools to help make their “green” listings stand out.