New Zealand’s Realestate.co.nz has announced its alliance with Homestar™, the country’s first comprehensive rating system for the environmental sustainability of homes, to promote certified houses for sale through its web site.
Alistair Helm, CEO of Realestate.co.nz said that the partnership is a natural fit for the company as the real estate industry, internationally and locally, is increasingly recognising how energy and performance ratings improve the value of homes.
“Evidence from overseas shows that homes with a proven low environmental impact are more appealing to buyers and will increase in value. With Homestar now well established in the building industry as the benchmark in New Zealand for the design and construction of better, more comfortable and sustainable homes, we want to extend that credibility within the real estate community.”
The alliance will see all homes with a Homestar Certified Assessment for sale through Realestate.co.nz receive a premium listing on the site, with links to information about the environmentally sustainable elements of the home.
Helm says Homestar is already being used widely by consumers to evaluate and improve existing homes, and that the next evolution will be its use in marketing homes at point of sale.
“More and more Kiwi property hunters will be looking for the Homestar symbol to assess a home’s overall impact on the environment and ongoing running costs. This is a clear message for home sellers to think about how a Homestar rating could improve the value of their home and help it sell faster.”
Director for Homestar, Krista Ferguson, says the alliance with Realestate.co.nz is a significant step towards improving the overall quality and performance of New Zealand’s housing stock.
“Houses that are warmer, drier, more energy efficient and kinder to the environment will always be more appealing to buyers. Through this partnership, Homestar has the potential to become the trusted, comprehensive mark of quality for Kiwis buying and selling homes and a great service to support the aims of real estate agents and their clients.”
