At the last Beyond 2020 Sustainability Unconference, realtor David Todd explored in his session ways  to engage independent contractors in sustainability. David’s challenge: Finding ways a large number of uncoordinated sole proprietors can make a meaningful impact. It got me thinking: How can real estate professionals, solo or part of a small shop, walk the sustainability path (and market their businesses accordingly)?
Whether you’re an architect, engineer, developer, builder, construction subcontractor, landscaper, mortgage broker, realtor, appraiser, or other service provider in the building industry, there’s a plethora of ways to get started (or expand) in sustainability.*
Of course, the most obvious way to do this is to make green buildings — residential or commercial structures — the object of your work. Setting that aside, let me sketch areas that have more to do with how you do business.
Operations
The journey starts with you. Applying sustainable business practices in your operations is the first basic step. Consider the following areas:
- Office. Consider green building certification, sustainable building features, landscaping, walkability, alternative transportation options, neighborhood…
- Inputs. Energy, water, supplies and other materials – consider what you use, how much, and where it comes from. Use the Reduce – Reuse – Recycle rule.
- Transportation. How do you get to and from meetings or events?
- Waste. Build on the three Rs from the Inputs stage and include Compost.
Read The Business Guide to Sustainability: Practical Strategies and Tools for Organizations for exhaustive, in-depth guidance on making your business more sustainable, especially from an environmental standpoint (though the book targets larger organizations, sole proprietors and small companies will find plenty of relevant content there).
You can leverage everything you do to make your operations more sustainable in your marketing. The same goes for what vendors you use, what customers you have, and what causes you support (see below). In fact, these socially sustainable practices are even more important as environmentally sustainable ones become normal. Real estate, as any other business, is all about relationships. Cultivate your relationships and see your vendors and your community do your marketing for you, often making referrals without asking. Check out the sustainable marketing tag for more resources or email me to continue the conversation off-blog.
Vendors
Who do you do business with? Where do your inputs and other services come from? Not only does like attract like, your likes create an impression. Make relationship potential, not price, your main criterion for selecting your vendors or suppliers. You can always find what you need for less elsewhere, but you can’t buy a relationship.
You can learn a lot from your vendors in terms of sustainable practices. You can also share your successes and accomplishments with them, in turn helping their businesses become more sustainable. I rode by a church marquee today that said, “We’re all in this together”. Supporting businesses that share your values helps spread and enrich those values.
Causes
Cause marketing is a world unto itself. Consider altering the mission of your business to one that propels you benefit humanity or nature. Resolve to do well by doing good. Make your cause(s) central and strategic to your business.
Your cause(s) can be related to the nature of your business or they can be more personal. For example, David is so passionate about protecting and restoring local watersheds, he named his website The River PDX. Whatever you decide, remember that, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”
The easier ways of incorporating causes into your business include donating a fixed amount or percentage from your fee; serving on a community organization board of directors; or volunteering your time in support of organizations that work your cause. More involved ways include centering your entire business around a social or environmental issue. Working only with green buildings would fall into this category, for example, as would designing affordable (and sustainable) housing.
Are you a real estate professional? What steps have you taken on your sustainability journey? Please share in Comments.
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Image credit: Wonderlane
* The question can be extended to business-to-business professional service providers like accountants, bookkeepers, attorneys, business consultants, coaches, copywriters, copy-editors, translators, marketing and public relations professionals, recruiters, graphic/web designers, and others.
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I have argued for years that the entire business model for Real Estate Brokerages and Real Estate Brokers is bound for change. Virtual offices are so much more practical, efficient, economical and green. The only disadvantage being the occasional isolation.
@Janeese: As a virtual office business myself, I agree about the benefits. You’re only as isolated as you let yourself be. Keep advocating for the change in the real estate professionals’ business model!