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TUCSON, Ariz. — House hunting is stressful on its own. Add in looking for something that aligns with an eco-lifestyle ... and the stress doubles.

But wait, don’t get too worked up. There is now a special type of realty professional erasing every eco-worry.

To the rescue are eco-brokers.

Annie Dillon, a registered eco-broker in Tucson, Ariz., for Tierra Antigua Realty, said an eco-broker’s designation allows licensed realtors to expand their knowledge to include energy-efficient technology and environmental issues. They then turn around and provide their expertise to clients looking for more eco-friendly homes.

Nicole Brule Fisher, who worked for Realty Executives was Tucson’s first eco-broker. She started her program in late 2005, and has been a certified eco-broker since February 2006.

The program can be taken as a class in Colorado or online where realtors can work independently.

Dillon decided to get the certification after a death from breast cancer in the family believed to be caused by asbestos and for the safety of her two small children.

The running theme however, seems to be eco-brokers align themselves with a green lifestyle.

“My value system is very much in line with trying to live more harmoniously with the environment,” Brule-Fisher said.

The kind of service eco-brokers offer is to find homes that are already conditioned to be eco-friendly or homes clients can “green up themselves,” Brule-Fisher said.

She said any home can be greener with just a few small changes.

The easiest among them is getting a proper gutter system and to start attempting to harvest rainwater.

One of Brule-Fisher’s clients, Leona Davis, a recent University of Arizona graduate, is looking to remodel a home.

“I think it’s a bigger benefit to the community,” Davis said.

Davis said she believes remodeling a home is like giving a gift to the community because new land is not being broken for a home to be built.

She said she knew she wanted to have a green realtor and found Brule-Fisher after she Googled the topic.

Having an eco home-buying experience is not much different from a traditional realtor-client exchange. All of the clients needs are taken into account beforehand and then the properties are matched.

Nicole said every buyer is different but the market for her services has definitely grown significantly.

The continued success of the eco-broker she attributes to the trendiest of green living.

“We are at risk of abusing the word green,” she said.

She said agents need to be careful how they market a specific property and that it’s all about educating clients properly.

Her best advice is for clients to watch how they live in a home for a couple of months because every family and property demands something different.

The best thing to do for sellers and buyers to do, according to Brule-Fisher is find ways they can live more harmoniously with the desert. Let the eco-house hunt begin.


ECO-PROPERTIES IN ARIZONA FROM GREENHOMESFORSALE.COM