So you want to buy an existing green home but don’t know where to look? Or maybe you’re worried about the greenwashing that some use to differentiate themselves due to a souring market? ListedGreen is your savior.

Founder Dave Syring saw a number of problems with the existing major Multiple Listing Service platforms (those used by real estate agents to post homes for sales); Chief among them, were that only real estate agents could access the listings and none were dedicated to green homes. So last March, Syring took things into his own hands and launched ListedGreen, an MLS exclusively for Green homes and properties. This is a sustainable business from the ground up, from its solar-powered servers to its contributions to Global Green USA.

But the real key is in the site’s accessibility and quality control… While access to traditional MLS platforms are restricted to real estate agents, ListedGreen is openly available to the public for viewing, making it easier to locate that ideal property. To list a property, owners or agents submit their listing for a low fee of $20/month.

But to get listed is not as easy as paying your way through. Syring screens each property’s submission for its green and energy efficiency qualities before listing them on the site. “I look at all components, from the materials to the insulation to the efficiency of the home’s systems. I’ve turned down the type of people that try to pass off a 5,000 sf home with bamboo floors as the only green quality.”

He is careful to mention that while large homes are not considered green by some, he’ll list them if the owner has taken adequate steps to build the home in an efficient manner.

And while third party certification helps, its not a requirement. “I want to recognize the efforts that people have taken,” says Syring, “But certification can be expensive and I don’t want to exclude a home if an owner spent their money on improving the building itself over a certification.” And if a home doesn’t meet his screening requirements? “I politely decline and send them their money back.”

With all there is for a home buyer to know about green homes, ListedGreen’s pre-screened homes are a great place to start looking. Obviously, educating one’s self is the best thing buyers can do to know what to look for. If you have a questions, feel free to post it in a comment or email it to me.

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ListedGreen Website: www.ListedGreen.com

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