SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- 11/13/08 --
Green Key Real Estate, the nation's first
residential real estate franchise dedicated to environmental responsibility
and social equity, announced today that agents and brokers at their San
Francisco and San Mateo offices -- whether representing sellers, buyers or
both -- will contribute 10% of their gross commissions toward greening the
homes they sell.
"This new policy takes our commitment to greening the homes we sell one
step further," said Chris Bartle, CEO and president of Green Key Real
Estate, which he founded in 2005. "The point of sale is a perfect time for
homeowners to green their existing homes, which account for 21% of the
greenhouse gas emissions in the US. By dedicating 10% of our commissions to
improving the energy efficiency of the homes we sell, we will directly
reduce that impact on our environment."
Green Key also launched their new company web site --
http://www.greenkeyrealestate.com -- which offers the latest news in green
building and real estate, the ability to search and save MLS listings, and
search for green features and ratings as well.
"This is the first site of its kind that allows home buyers to search for
LEED certifications, GreenPoint Ratings, solar panels and radiant floor
heating systems among many others in addition to price, square footage and
other standard criteria for home buying," added Bartle.
Over the past year, Green Key Real Estate has successfully opened its first
3 franchises in Oakland, Burlingame, and Petaluma, California, in addition
to its flagship office in San Francisco. They have over 25 agents in the
Bay Area and they are on track to more than double revenues in 2008. They
plan to grow to 20 locations nationwide within the next 12-15 months.
"We are rolling out this new program in San Francisco and San Mateo counties
and expect our other offices to follow shortly," said Bartle. "We are very
excited to be one of the first Green Key offices to offer this new service
to our clients. This is the kind of market leadership we embrace and is
exactly why we became a Green Key Real Estate franchise," said Thomas
Neece, broker/owner of Green Key Real Estate - Burlingame/San Mateo.
Despite the downturn in residential real estate markets around the country,
green building and remodeling continues to take off, and the need for
trained passionate agents to market and sell those green homes is ever
increasing. "Our unique franchise opportunity is being well received in
states as diverse as Colorado, Minnesota, Utah, South Carolina, Virginia,
Arizona, Iowa, Florida, New York, Washington and Oregon, as well as
throughout California," said Bartle.
Green Key Real Estate
Green Key Real Estate is a San Francisco-based real estate franchise
specializing in green building and remodeling. Green Key's certified
Eco-Brokers® are uniquely qualified to drive environmentally progressive
and socially just principles and practices into the home buying process. A
certified green business, Green Key is leading by example by minimizing its
paper usage, offsetting the energy used in their offices and by their
agents, recycling and composting most office waste, donating a portion of
their profits to green organizations and respecting tenants and home
owners' rights. Most recently they have committed to contribute 10% of
their gross commissions toward greening the homes they sell.
For Media, Investor, Franchise, and Employment Inquiries:
Chris Bartle
CEO and President
(415) 655-4551 Office
(415) 793-0215 Cell
media@greenkeyrealestate.com
investors@greenkeyrealestate.com
franchise@greenkeyrealestate.com
employment@greenkeyrealestate.com
