25 Sep Green City Realty: Leading the Green Wave in Realty Services

Earlier this week, I sat down with Chris Beer, owner of Green City Realty, to capture and share the wonderful things he’s doing with his green realty business. Below is the business profile that came out of our conversation:

Company Overview: Chris is the owner and real estate broker for Green City Realty. Chris has over 15 years of experience in buying and selling real estate and started the brokerage just over a year ago. He is a certified Ecobroker specializing in green home sales and currently has one real estate agent working with him.

Type of customers: Green City serves home buyers/sellers in the greater Austin area ranging from Round Rock over to Westlake and down to Kyle. Green City works with customers looking to buy or sell single family and small multi-family houses (duplexes, four-plexes, etc.). Customers have a variety of reasons to work with Green City including transactions for single-family homes, rental properties and investment properties. About 90% of their business comes from client referrals. Many customers are not necessarily looking for a green property. However, Green City Realty strives to educate potential buyers on the value of making green upgrades and reducing operating costs of homes.

Unique Features of This Business: As an Ecobroker, Chris focuses on finding the right-sized home and right location to fit his clients’ lifestyles. Green City will not push customers to get the biggest house for their money. A large house can often have a big operating price tag, especially if not designed well for energy efficiency. Chris knows how to analyze a property for the value of energy efficiency, water efficiency and good design. When listing a property for sale, he also strives to educate and explain the benefits of a green home. (See Meadowbrook Drive house video.) After a property purchase, Chris serves as a resource to consult clients on green modifications that have the greatest payback and value add.

Trends and Goals: Green City Realty is poised to ride the growing green wave in building. Austin is an especially good place to be an Ecobroker right now. With Code Next pulling us toward a compact, connected and green city, the green real estate business looks like it will definitely continue to grow. It is important that we move toward much more efficient use of our natural resources in order to continue our thriving economy here in Central Texas. Green City Realty plans to be a key player in this effort.

Favorite Environmental Factoids:

• Minimized transportation impacts – Green City reduces the need for excessive driving to see potential properties for purchase by holding an initial in-depth consultation with clients to determine their needs. They develop a very targeted list of properties to visit. During the buying or selling process, clients and agents often have online meetings, utilizing screen sharing to discuss strategies and contracts. In addition to this, Chris drives a hybrid car or a fuel-efficient scooter to local appointments.
• Paperless office – Green City uses electronic signatures on all the documents it possibly can. They have laminated example documents to show clients the kind of papers they will need to sign, but actual approval of documents occurs with e-signing.

Community Involvement:

• Member of the Austin Green Business Leader program with the City
• Volunteers for Austin Parks Foundation and Austin Involved.
• Contributes to AISD school programs and projects.

Interesting Bits: The strangest thing Chris has seen in his years as a real estate agent would have to be a house with a tree growing through the kitchen and out the roof. Fortunately, it wasn’t his to sell, because the mold in the house was a nightmare. Chris does not recommend this type of green upgrade!  

Austin Energy 5-Star rated home on Meadowbrook Drive.