Luxury Real Estate

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 Michael Edlund

Being in charge of the technology department within Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate, I am often asked about whether we can build some particular kind of real estate-related Web service or not.

Basically, we have enough competent staff to create pretty much anything. We have a strong web team consisting of a dozen top-of-the-line Graphic Designers, Programmers, Account Managers and more. The team covers everything from our award-winning aesthetic Graphic Designers on one side of the spectrum to the Programmers on the other side of the spectrum that used to program mine-detecting robots for the U.S. Defense Department.

Skills within design, style and technology are crucial. However, there is another skill that is equally important to possess when setting out to create tools and websites that support a particular trade. That is a deep understanding not only of technology but also of the trade in question.

That is why I signed up this week for the Rockwell Institute real-estate license training course.

It is very likely that I will never use my real-estate license as a real-estate agent, but I do want to complete the course in order to better understand the daily work and challenges for agents within the LuxuryRealEstate.com network. I hope that this improved knowledge and understanding will lead to even better Luxury Real Estate products and services online.

I will keep you posted on the progress…


Editor’s Note:
Michael Edlund is the Director of Technology with LuxuryRealEstate.com. He is in charge of all of LuxuryRealEstate.com’s Web projects, including website creation, software updates and implementation, and much more. Michael is absolutely right about the need to not only be an expert at using and creating technology, but also to develop an understanding of the purpose of that technology. I am very impressed by Michael’s ability to seek knowledge that will help him serve luxury real estate agents better in the future. What a great example.