Luxury Real Estate

By Perry & Co.

You’ve gotten the call and it goes something like this: “We’re thinking about putting our house on the market to see what will happen. We’re not sure if we really want to sell right now because of the market, but we want to know what it could sell for.” As a real estate agent, this is a call you love to get – an opportunity to work with new or former clients and show them your expertise at pricing, reviewing their home versus the competition, showing them your marketing savvy and implementation and your follow-up – and that’s all before you really go to work: negotiating that sales contract. But if they are sitting on the fence: “We’ll sell if we can get our price,” they might not really be ready to sell. And, you could take a listing that may linger.

Every real estate agent I know has their own determining factors on whether or not they want to take a listing. One such factor you may not have thought of is a Feng Shui analysis with the homeowner. Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese practice of object placement in an environment to change the energy of the space and ultimately of the people using the space; in this case, a Feng Shui analysis’ purpose is to create positive energy which leads to a home sale.

The first step in this kind of analysis is for the Feng Shui practitioner to ask the sellers some questions about their goals for selling their home. Are they looking for a quick sale so they can move before the start of the school year? Will one person have to move first and settle somewhere else while other members of the family stay put until the house sells? Are they downsizing or upsizing due to family circumstances? All of the answers will help the Feng Shui practitioner make recommendations that will help the sellers to reach their specific goals.

A most important aspect of a Feng Shui analysis with a seller is to ascertain their connectedness to their space and their willingness to say good-bye to the house as a whole, and/or to each room specifically. This process – whether formal and vocal or informal and silent – is very personal and can be deeply moving for owners but it helps them to begin to see themselves in a new way: as sellers of the home instead of its owners. New owners will be invited and welcomed in as the space is cleared; the process begins with this good-bye. It can be a very powerful experience for all family members.

A Feng Shui practitioner can give agents and sellers some guidelines for detaching from a home, but there aren’t any right ways of saying good-bye. The process should feel natural and comfortable. Some ideas include:

• having each family member write a poem, sing a song or make a drawing about an experience of being in the home and sharing that with other family members
• lighting candles and saying a blessing
• inviting friends over for a farewell party, announcing your intention of leaving the space but maintaining your circle of friends.

Once the owners have said their good-byes, there are space-clearing measures and Feng Shui practices that will help potential buyers to feel welcomed into the space.

By Noelani Wong of MacArthur and Company Sotheby's International Realty

KAMUELA, HAWAII – DECEMBER 30, 2008 – Megan MacArthur of MacArthur and Company Sotheby’s International Realty in Waimea has earned the EcoBroker Certified^® designation, having successfully completed a unique and informative training program on the energy and environmental issues that affect real estate transactions. Megan MacArthur joins the movement of professionals pushing the real estate market toward energy-efficient, sustainable, and healthier design/features in homes and buildings. The “performance home” movement is getting a boost thanks to this type of high quality real estate professional earning the EcoBroker designation. EcoBrokers^®, like Megan MacArthur, throughout the country are forging this market and creating competitive advantages for their customers. With national surveys indicating that 80% of consumers consider themselves “green-minded,” real estate professionals with the EcoBroker designation are in a better position to serve the real estate consumer. “I’m always looking for the best ways to offer my clients the best value. My EcoBroker training helps me ensure customer satisfaction, my number one priority,” Megan explains. “From windows to moisture control to energy savings, I now have more resources at my disposal to help my buyers and sellers make better real estate decisions. The EcoBroker designation doesn’t make me an energy and environmental expert, but it allows me to better understand the issues and to convey this understanding to my buyers and sellers.”

EcoBroker International’s education and designation program is designed exclusively for real estate professionals who care about the environment and want to help their clients benefit from the energy-efficiency, “green,” and healthier features of homes and buildings. EcoBroker provides a complete curriculum of energy and environmental training to licensed real estate agents. Real estate professionals must complete the extensive EcoBroker curriculum and training and fulfill additional program requirements to become Certified EcoBrokers^®. Megan MacArthur is an example of the quality real estate professional the EcoBroker designation continues to attract,” explains EcoBroker International’s CEO, Dr. John Beldock. “These real estate professionals are not only distinguishing themselves in a competitive market place, but they are really giving back to the community in very constructive and meaningful ways. The Big Island needs more contributors like Megan MacArthur. The planet and our grandchildren need them too,” Dr. Beldock said.

From her Waimea office, Megan explains, “With EcoBroker^Ò training, I have broadened the range of real estate opportunities I offer my clients. Whether the transaction involves environmental assessment and mitigation (mold, building materials, etc.) or the opportunity to reduce utility bills, I’m in a position to help. The real estate industry is changing, and to best serve my clients I need to understand the newest designs, technologies, and environmental issues. My EcoBroker designation helps me stay ahead of the game and encourage others to do the same.”

Megan MacArthur earned her EcoBroker Certified^® designation in December and is wasting no time in putting the tools and additional expertise to work. Megan has already found that being a Certified EcoBroker^® creates added value and customer satisfaction that sets her apart from other agents. For example, at a recent listing presentation, Megan was able to show the prospective sellers how she can highlight the benefits of their dual glazed windows, day-lighting paint, solar water heater, drought resistant landscaping, Energy Star appliances, and other added comforts in the home now given the opportunity to be highlighted in a way buyers can better understand the benefits. She also suggested an inexpensive Energy Star Rating Consultation for potential added savings on the seller’s mortgage or Buyer’s loan. Her innovative energy and environmental perspective gave her an edge in winning the listing. Megan says she is looking forward to continuing to positively impacting the quality, durability, comfort, safety, and cost-effectiveness of homes and commercial buildings while raising the awareness of “green” options for Hawaii’s communities.

By Simon Turner
From his blog: How Google Maps can be used to make solar power decisions for your home

As energy prices continue to climb, the idea of utilizing solar energy is common sense. The process of getting solar panels installed, however, is quite the opposite.

RoofRay, a new Californian business, aims to give homeowners better information to enable them to make more-informed environmental decisions for their luxury home. Using the site’s modeling tools, consumers can estimate how much solar energy a home could capture and how that would affect their monthly bills.

The data provided is based upon historical weather conditions, current power usage charges, the gradient of the property, and the maximum amount of solar paneling the roof can hold. One tool uses Google Maps to let users calculate the size of their roof and build virtual panels. RoofRay then estimates the output potential of the solar panels as well as financial considerations like costs of installation, upkeep and return on investment.

Whilst not yet available in Australia, such a tool would be a welcome addition to our growing eco-conscience and our excessive reliance on fossil fuels. Furthermore, it would be useful for would-be real-estate buyers in making purchase decisions, something that the Marquette Turner team is increasingly finding is a factor in how and where buyers buy.

To find out the latest information available in Australia, a good start is the federal government’s portal www.climatechange.gov.au and Marquette Turner’s Clear the Air site


Editor’s Note:
Simon Turner is the co-Founder and Director of Marquette Turner Luxury Homes, a member of Luxury Real Estate in East Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Founded on Australia Day 2007 by Turner and Michael Marquette, Marquette Turner is a property consultancy company covering the Australian states of New South Wales and Victoria. Born in England, Turner traveled much as a child, finally settling in Australia. He joined the Australian Defence Force Academy and graduated with a degree in Politics and History as an Intelligence Officer in the Royal Australian Air Force. This is a very fascinating topic. Jean-Yves Piton actually wrote a blog entry on “green” luxury real estate a little while ago, too. I just finished writing an article on “green” luxury properties for the winter 2009 issue of LuxuryRealEstate.com Magazine.