The Green Designation

Become a green real estate leader in your community

NAR's Green Designation is the only NAR conferred real estate designation designed for agents looking to learn about issues of energy efficiency and sustainability in the various facets of real estate. As consumer demand for knowledge on these issues increases, so will your awareness of green issues. When you earn NAR’s Green Designation, you’ll gain:

  • Access to customizable members-only marketing tools to help you build your business and gain a competitive edge
  • A comprehensive understanding of what it means to go green and the concerns of consumers seeking green knowledge about real estate
  • Valuable real estate education that differentiates your market focus and broadens your abilities in the eyes of your clients, prospective clients, and associates
  • Enhanced ability to participate in the green real estate market
  • Ongoing specialized training and exclusive designation benefits and resources that help you stay on top of green real estate issues and trends

 As a mindset and practice, “green” is transforming the business of real estate—from the way we consider a triple-bottom-line approach to sustainability to the specific manner in which we renovate existing homes and build new ones. Stand out with NAR’s Green Designation and gain knowledge of green real estate concepts, principles, practices, and benefits from the ground up in a way that will make sense to you and your clients. 

The Courses+

New Green Designation Format, starting 2016

  • NAR Green Day 1: The Resource-Effcient Home - Retrofits, Remodels, Renovations, and New Home Construction

Resource-Efficient Home: Retrofits, Remodels, Renovations, and New Home Construction covers the distinguishing characteristics that make a home resource thrifty. The course looks at why consumer demand for these homes is increasing and how both the homes and consumer expectations impact the market. The course prepares real estate professionals to provide advice and sources of information to help homeowners improve the resource efficiency of their homes from low-cost fixes and DIY projects to retrofitting and replacing systems to big -budget remodeling projects. The course also looks at constructing a new, resource-efficient home and the value that real estate professionals can bring to the design and build team.

  • NAR Green Day 2: Representing Buyers and Sellers of Resource-Effcient Homes

Why All Clients Are Green and How to Represent Them, the second course in the designation program sequence, focuses on applying your knowledge of resource-efficient, smart, and certified homes and adapting your core real estate skills to build business success in the niche market for resource-efficient homes.

  

100, 200, 300 Modules - Ended 2015

The first day of curriculum for NAR's Green Designation serves as the foundation for this designation program. This course will help you understand the role of real estate in finding the balance between people, planet, and prosperity. This course also educates you on the wide array of nationally recognized certifications and ratings programs that evaluate homes, products, energy efficiency, and professionals.
 
The second day of curriculum will help you comprehend green home design and basic construction principles for new and existing homes – from the outside to the inside. The overall goals of the Green 200: The Science of Green Building course is to:
  • Familiarize you with green principles and choices in home design and construction,
  • Raise awareness of innovative materials, systems, and construction methods,
  • Learn about energy-efficient systems including onsite power generation, and
  • Distinguish levels and cost-benefits of retrofitting, remodeling, or renovating existing homes.
     
Now more than ever, home buyers and sellers are motivated to understand cost savings and health benefits of green homes. This course gives you, the professional, the training you need to represent today’s sellers and buyers. Green 300: Greening Your Real Estate Business is the third day of curriculum for NAR's Green Designation and will teach you the application skills you need to utilize your new knowledge. 

How to earn the Green Designation+

To obtain and use NAR’s Green Designation, you must complete the three requirements below:

  1. Complete course modules and pass each exam with a score of 80% or higher.
  2. Submit the member application for NAR’s Green Designation with proof of completion of all three courses and proof of your REALTOR® membership. 
  3. Maintain active and good membership status with the Green RESource Council and the National Association of REALTORS®. 

Your Green REsource Council membership begins upon completion of any two (2) of the three required courses, providing you with editions of The REsource – our monthly eNewsletter. If you are an active member in NAR or an International member, your first year of membership is free. Your second year (starting one year after your membership starts) will reflect a pro-rated amount. Your third year and thereafter will require an annual renewal of $99 and an active membership with NAR to maintain and use the designation. For more information, see the frequently asked questions.

NAR Green Designee Benefits +

  • Use of the designation and logo 
  • Customizable marketing materials 
  • Monthly industry webinars 
  • Placement in 4 directories: 
    • Realtor.org 
    • Realtor.com 
    • GreenREsourceCouncil.org 
    • GreenHomeGuide.com 
  • Customizable press releases 
  • Certificate
  • NAR’s Green Designation also counts as credit towards earning the following designations and certifications:
    • Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) designation
    • Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) designation
    • Resort and Second Home Property Specialist (RSPS) certification
    • Oregon Graduate REALTOR® Institute (GRI) designation – 6 elective hours, per module (18 total elective hours)

Are you interested? +

Contact OAR and request the Green Designation course to be held in your area or take the course online.