Melisa Camp is a Phoenix-based REALTOR® with HomeSmart. She’s also an enthusiastic educator, and often leads NAR’s Green Designation course and other continuing education classes for realtors, appraisers, architects, and LEED professionals.
And she doesn't stop there. Camp’s also done remodeling and occasionally consults on projects, such as certifying gut-rehabbed homes to achieve national green building standards.
And of course, last but far from least, she’s an active and successful Pearl Real Estate Network Member who has been utilizing Pearl in her real estate business for several years. “I specialize in energy-efficient and green-certified homes, so Pearl just fits right in,” she says. “In my office, I literally have a green hard hat. I like to be the change that I want to see in the world,” Camp adds. Through her HomeSmart group, Camp partners with Pearl to help her clients’ homes perform better and increase in value.
"In today’s market, with home prices climbing rapidly, I use Pearl as a marketing differentiator and can confidently tell sellers it is only going to help me sell their home for more money,"
To differentiate herself in the market, Camp promotes a few key aspects of the Pearl partnership to her potential clients. One is that her services come with a third-party energy audit from AZ Energy Efficient Homes, an ENERGY STAR® Contractor of the Year. She also communicates that the Pearl Certification Report will highlight the positive features of a home—such as a homeowner’s investments to improve efficiency, comfort, and health—and that it will likely sell for more and faster as a result.
High-performing homes are Camp’s specialty, and she’s seeing more and more demand for them lately. “There are several different draws for energy-efficient homes — including energy savings, comfort, and health,” Camp says. “Now more than ever, people are paying attention to the environment they are living in, and homeowners and buyers are starting to demand more from their homes.”
Another huge benefit Pearl provides is that it introduces a third-party verification into the equation. “When we have a third party involved like Pearl Certification, it’s not about green real estate, it’s about a trained professional using scientific calculations to tell us how efficient the home is. Pearl gives the energy-efficient home so much credibility — and value,” Camp says. Pearl’s Certification Reports help make that value visible for homeowners and others. “I’m not always there to talk about upgraded insulation and energy-efficient windows and appliances, but if people can read the report and take their time with it, it’s a great way to highlight features that they would otherwise not always recognize,” Camp says.
“On the other end, Pearl is helping buyers get information through its Certification Package, which includes a wealth of important documentation and data on the home’s high-performing assets—as well as the completed Appraisal Institute’s Green and Energy Efficiency Addendum,” she says. “Pearl streamlines the whole process and makes it easy for everyone involved in the home sale."
Camp also recognizes Pearl’s role to help support forward momentum toward the demand for healthy and efficient homes, especially when it comes to the home’s sale price. “You have to sell high-performing homes for more. If it’s the right floor plan and location, but one home has a $700 electric bill and one has a $300 bill, people will choose the greener product every time,” Camp says, adding, “I would love to see this continue to drive the market forward.”
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