Lessons from America’s Heartland: Working Toward Market Transformation by Forming New Collaborations

America’s Breadbasket sports some real weather: long, frigid, snowy winters and short, hot, humid summers. Over 250,000 third-party high-performing home verifications have been issued to single family homes in Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and Minnesota. Additionally, this area boasts some of the hottest real estate markets in the country. Elevate, a mission-based nonprofit based in Chicago, wanted to understand what home buyers, real estate agents, and appraisers think about energy efficiency, homebuying, and third-party verifications. Based on interviews, focus groups, and surveys, attendees of this session will learn what Elevate discovered real estate agents and homebuyers in the Midwest are thinking (and not thinking) about when it comes to energy efficiency, homebuying, and home selling. 
Attendees will also hear directly from a real estate agent and contractor based in Grand Rapids, about their experiences in the field and what they need from the energy efficiency community to help communicate the benefits of high-performing homes. And most importantly, what they need to help them grow their businesses.