Realtors are concerned about the effects of climate change and are working to promote sustainability, both in the housing market and otherwise, according to a new Environment, Social, Governance and Resilience (ESG+R) Report by the National Association of Realtors (NAR).
The annual report provides a comprehensive look at the notable achievements from the NAR over the past 12 months.
“NAR is actively working to implement our 10-year sustainability plan, recognizing the numerous benefits that can be gained by integrating and emphasizing sustainability throughout our organization,” NAR CEO Bob Goldberg said.
Per the report, 34% of Realtors are anxious about the environmental impacts of climate change and extreme weather on their businesses, and about half of all Realtors assisted homebuyers with buying or selling an environmentally sustainable home within the past year.
Another 63% said that the promotion of energy efficiency in listings is valuable.
The report highlights also numerous sustainability actions taken by the NAR, including the progress related to the NAR’s Food Recovery Network.
According to the report, 3,019 pounds of surplus food was donated by the NAR from meetings in 2022 — the equivalent of 2,516 meals donated to local hunger-fighting nonprofit organizations in 12 cities around the country.
In addition, 7,498 pounds of surplus food have been recovered by the NAR and affiliate members from nationwide conferences and events since 2019, according to the report — the equivalent of about 6,248 meals.
The report also highlights data related to the NAR Sustainability Grant, which had its inaugural year in 2022. The grant supports sustainability initiatives by providing funding of up to $5,000 per association to tackle a variety of initiatives, like implementing a sustainability program, event or plan, and encourages ongoing awareness of sustainability in real estate.
According to the report, 52 Realtor associations applied for the grant in 2022, representing approximately $240,000 in requests and 600,000 members.
The NAR also notes in the report that it has partnered with the National Forest Foundation to plant a tree per member. The partnership resulted in 400,000 trees being planted by the end of 2022. The trees were planted in eight national forests across six states and 1,689 acres of land. It plans to plant 1.5 million trees by 2025.