winners for 2021: Ali Al-Asady and Christopher Matos-Rogers. But what does it take to earn the EverGreen Award? According to the Green REsource Council, award recipients share the following traits: • Dedication to the green lifestyle and workstyle • Green industry skills based on training, competency and experience • Active participation in the Green REsource Council, other professional associations and community organizations
Becoming a Champion of Green and HighPerformance Homes INTRODUCING THE 2021 EVERGREEN AWARD WINNERS By Caysey Welton
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s most real estate professionals know, the business extends beyond transactional relationships with buyers and sellers. Professionals working in the industry need to immerse themselves in their communities and be mindful of shifts in the market as well as consumer tastes and preferences. Further, they should strive to serve clients by being knowledgeable about emerging technologies in green housing and high-performance homes. From breakthroughs in solar power to recycled and upcycled insulation materials, there’s a seemingly endless amount of information real estate professionals should empower themselves with. To that end, the tool chest of knowledge that the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR’s) Green Designation provides plays a significant role in helping agents develop better listings that attract buyers while shining a light on the benefits of high-performance homes. This is why many look toward NAR’s Green Designation, which can increase a real estate professional’s 62 October 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE
earning potential and save homeowners considerable sums of money. It’s also a pledge that they care about the quality of life for their community and its future generations. Every year, the Green REsource Council (which confers NAR’s Green Designation) presents the EverGreen Awards. This award honors elite real estate professionals who have taken extraordinary measures to advance green building, develop their skills and technological knowledge, and apply that to bolstering their professional offerings and reputation. The organization recognized two deserving
• Commitment to the advancement of the green building industry and its practice • Creative implementation of green events, practices or habits in the office or community Connecting Health to Home For Al-Asady, a REALTOR® with HomeSmart Elite in Phoenix, Arizona, his commitment to resource efficiency began during his youth. Growing up in a lush region of Iraq, he still reflects on his realization of how planting a seed not only feeds the ecosystem, but also serves as a strong metaphor for productivity—a sentiment that motivates him to educate real estate professionals in regard to the importance of promoting green housing. In 2008, Al-Asady began to think about how to incorporate his appreciation of nature and high-performance homes into his profession. “You probably remember how the market was,” he says. “So many agents exited real estate, so I thought about how to stay sharp. NAR offered the Green Designation, and I was one of eight in Arizona who earned it [in 2009], and was one of two who really leaned into it afterwards.” Earning the designation was among the educational highlights of Al-Asady’s career at the time. It was also the beginning of what has become a laser-focused commitment to educating professionals on the upsides of
