Buyers Want Home Energy Data — Agents Aren't Sharing It
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- Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative, National Association of Realtors, and 257 conducted research showing over 80% of recent homebuyers consider energy efficiency very or moderately important in their decision-making.
- Real estate agents underestimate buyer interest: only 34% believe energy efficiency matters to clients, despite 80% of buyers saying it does, leading to widespread omission of efficiency details in home tours and listings.
- 257's analysis of 143 million real estate listings found that while roughly one in four U.S. homes has an energy-efficient or clean energy feature, only 8.3% of 2024 listings mentioned energy efficiency at all.
- Heat pumps and solar installations are significantly under-disclosed: heat pumps are noted in just 8% of listings when present, and rooftop solar is unmentioned a third of the time despite its visibility and value impact.
- Listings mentioning solar sell for 2% more (+$10,000 on a $557K median home), and those citing heat pumps sell for 0.6–1% more (+$2,300–$3,900 on a $399K median), proving buyers reward disclosed energy features financially.
- Utilities can bridge the information gap by providing real estate agents with tools like fact sheets, bill-estimation models, and training, leveraging existing consumer education infrastructure to support better homebuyer decisions.
Why it matters: Because homebuyers are willing to pay thousands more for homes with documented energy features—but most aren’t told they exist—missed disclosures cost sellers value, leave buyers exposed to high bills, and slow utility decarbonization goals. With 33% of new owners installing efficiency upgrades post-move-in anyway, early utility engagement could capture optimal timing for grid-friendly adoption.
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