NEW YORK CITY—The Real Estate Board of New York is not a climate change denier. The professional association is teaming up with the Mayor's Office of Sustainability, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, Environmental Defense Fund, the Institute for Market Transformation and the US Department of Energy's Better Buildings Initiative. They are launching an energy efficiency and sustainability continuing education program called “Creating & Capturing the Value of Real Estate Sustainability in NYC.” The day-long class is geared towards real estate agents and salespeople.

REBNY will host the course on Tuesday, May 14 from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm at its Midtown headquarters, in the Mendik Education Center, 570 Lexington Ave.

Instructors from the Institute for Market Transformation and other experts will provide information on the market demand for sustainability and on ways to advise clients on energy efficiency. The course will also teach about the financial benefits of energy-efficient buildings for landlords, tenants, building owners and brokers, and ways to assess how energy efficiency impacts a building's economic performance. It will review commonly used resources that are available to real estate industry professionals. Brokers and salespeople will gain a greater understanding of how environmental policies impact commercial transactions. Plus, participants can earn 7.5 hours of continuing education credit

NY Green Bank, a New York State-sponsored, specialized financial entity is working with the private sector to increase investments into New York's clean energy markets. They will present an overview of their commercial tenant energy efficiency financing products.

This initiative supports Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's goal of reaching a 100% carbon neutral economy by 2040 and Mayor Bill de Blasio's OneNYC program to reduce citywide greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050.

REBNY notes that high-performance standards in sustainability are crossing the office, retail and industrial sectors. The course will show real estate professionals how to leverage the trends and engage in best practices.

Many of the major companies in the industry such as Cushman & Wakefield, Vornado, CBRE, The Durst Organization, JLL and FirstService will be participating.

“This course is a great way to raise awareness among real estate professionals and in turn, teach the public how to make buildings more energy efficient and reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” says John H. Banks, president of REBNY.

“With nearly 70% of carbon emissions in New York City coming from buildings, taking energy efficiency and sustainability into account at the earliest stage in transactions is critical,” says Marc Rauch, senior specialist, New York Clean Energy Real Estate at Environmental Defense Fund. “This unprecedented initiative by the Real Estate Board of New York gives brokers the tools to increase their own competitiveness by showcasing the environmental and economic benefits of high performing buildings and helping customers save energy, cut pollution and ultimately contribute to a better quality of life for all New Yorkers.”

Click on the link go.rebny.com/SustainableBroker to register for “Creating & Capturing the Value of Real Estate Sustainability in NYC.”

Instant Insights /

REBNY Offers Continuing Ed Program on Energy Efficiency

Related Stories

Recommended For You