Profile: Taylor Watkins, Watkins & Associates / Greensight Value
How to green the real estate appraisal industry
How does an English major set out to green the real estate appraisal industry?
a) He falls into it.
b) His family and friends inspire him.
c) A series of lights go on.
d) Right things happen and right people appear at the right time.
e) He wants to live sustainably, do what he does best, and earn a living doing it.
The correct answer: All of the above. Taylor Watkins, founder of Watkins & Associates, reached the next juncture of his career after almost two decades of exploration in pedagogy, real estate, and sustainability.
As Semiosis Communications, I’m honored to be helping Taylor develop a brand and strategy for his new venture, Greensight Value. Following the pilot stage, Greensight Value will offer appraisers and other real estate professionals nationwide continuing education, certification, and resources in green appraisal.
It all started in the family. For six years after finishing his graduate studies in English, Taylor taught the language and worked in his father’s appraisal firm. During that time, appraising gained an edge over teaching, until it prevailed completely. Taylor has been doing appraisal full time for almost 12 years.
At about the same time five years ago, appraising started to lose its luster for Taylor, and a perfect storm of events and connections put him on the world map of the green building industry.
His in-laws wanted to move to Portland and needed a place to live; half of his half-acre Northeast Portland lot stood vacant; and his friends in architectural design, energy efficiency, and construction were looking for their next opportunity. Conversations led to other conversations, connections to more connections, until at the end of 2004, a net zero accessory dwelling unit (granny flat) stood on Taylor’s property.
Since then, people from all over the green building industry and the world have toured the home; it’s a demonstration house for SERA Architects, Oregon Institute of Technology, and other organizations; and it’s an incubator for building science ideas, including the design that’s available for anyone to use. Taylor said, “It’s the only building to be featured in the Green Tour of Homes twice.”
Most importantly, the project motivated Taylor to transition into green appraisal. In his words, green appraisal “allowed me to marry my business interest in appraisal with the personal one in sustainability”. The study and mastering of the appraisal of green homes reinvigorated his work. He is the first, and remains the only, residential green appraiser in the Portland metropolitan area and in Oregon.
After some time, Taylor decided to share what he knew with other appraisers to enable them to quantify the value of green homes. He also wanted to return to the one aspect of teaching he’d enjoyed: the sharing of ideas in a classroom. A new venture was born: Greensight Value is a platform for teaching appraisers across the nation to value green buildings.
Semiosis Communications is working with Taylor and his business partners to brand the new venture, including the name and tagline – Greensight Value: Rethink appraisal. We’re also developing a marketing strategy for Greensight Value, which outlines ways to achieve its business goals and objectives.
The Greensight Value website will offer an interactive online learning experience, certification, and resources in green appraisal. Live classes will be offered as well. In the pilot phase, Taylor is conducting the green appraisal course at Earth Advantage; the next series starts in January 2010.
(November 2009)
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Nice job capturing the essence of Taylor. He is such an inspiring person. Thanks for sharing his story.