In design and home life, going “green” continues to gain momentum, and it can be a lucrative niche for real estate agents. Here’s a look at what’s new and what’s improving in the way of green living.

Smart Homes
Smart homes are becoming the norm both in home renovations and new construction. Voice-activated and app-directed commands allow you to schedule indoor and outdoor lighting as well as heating, cooling, watering and washing—allowing you to take advantage of non-peak hours and control electrical usage while out of town.

Deconstructed Design
Not to be confused with Deconstructivism, deconstruction is a concept that utilizes recycled raw materials (such as exposed wood, metal and brick), but with a more refined and green edge to it through its emphasis on reuse, salvaged and donated materials. By mixing in more green materials, such as quick-growing bamboo, you can even add “newer” natural materials to the mix.

Better Energy Generation and Storage
Smart tech is making life easier, cleaner and cheaper. More efficient batteries are making electrical storage more effective while microgrids allow you to use and buy electricity from off-grid sources, making it easier to take advantage of more clean energy than ever before. Additionally, solar technology and the selling benefits they provide make electricity increasingly cheaper.

Prefab Home Designs
The focus on prefab, modular-style homes continues, providing many benefits. Prefab homes are produced in closed settings, away from the elements that keep production times reliable and materials from getting damaged by weather. Increased focus on computerized cutting and standardized sizing allows for maximum usage of materials, resulting in less waste. Since the designs are made to ship, there is special attention placed in durable construction, and with an increased focus on shipping cargo containers in design, there is less container waste in the environment, along with the added durability these containers provide.

Tiny Home Additions
These homes have benefits such as fewer materials, less energy and less waste than traditional homes, making it easy for you to create zero environmental impact. They function in ways beyond daily living, working great as vacation cabins, guest quarters, pool houses and home offices. One of the attractions of tiny homes is their ability to avoid permanent footings that allow them to retain a portability designation for financial savings.

Yazir Phelps is the chief marketing officer at Real Estate Express, a national leader in online learning for pre-licensing, continuing education and professional development. Phelps has over 18 years of experience in marketing fueling growth at Fortune 500 organizations and over five years of experience working directly with real estate professionals. Her extensive background in generating demand for products and services encompasses crucial strategies to a successful career in the field. To learn more, please visit www.colibrirealestate.com.