‘EcoBrokers’ see more green than in dollar bills

Tribune/ Debra Reid - EcoBroker realtor Trudy Brussard of Dickson Realty grows orchids in her passive-solar sunroom with honeycomb blinds for year-round window insulation. Rooftop solar panels heat her water and swimming pool.

Tribune/ Debra Reid - Realtor Patrick Fletcher and listing agent Jan Peck, both of Dickson Realty, showed the passive geothermal furnace and water heater inside a "green" home on the market in southwest Reno. Fletcher said he's in training to be a certified Ecobroker.

With a slumping economy, real estate agents are learning how to tout more than spacious living rooms and elegant kitchens. They're learning how to become more "green-minded."

Acquiring the education to be able to sell homes that are more energy-conscious doesn't make realtors just "real estate agents" anymore. Now they're called EcoBrokers.

Dickson Realty just added its sixth certified EcoBroker to its company through its South Lake Tahoe office, more than any other real estate agency in the state.

"It's actually a pretty comprehensive set of information," said Trudy Brussard, who has the certification at her Dickson Reno office.

Brussard has been with Dickson for 17 years and she's constantly learning new information to help prospective buyers and sellers better prepare for finding that right house.

"(The training) tries to guide you through what the issues are and who to direct people to, solutions for their problems, how to help people find green homes," she said.

Attaining the certification requires completing a curriculum of courses, some more involved than others. It can take up to six months.

Thinking green is the basis for the up-and-coming seekers of the EcoBroker designation. It requires realtors to learn about energy-efficient appliances, solar panels, window protection, everything a developer would add to a new home to make it adhere to green standards. It can involve anything, down the way a house "breathes" with its air filters, Brussard said.

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'EcoBrokers' see more green than in dollar bills