Real Estate Agents Go Green

Finding a certified Realtor can be tricky, as many are located in the West.

And not all green Realtors are the same. "The way the market is now, lots of people go through the certification who are just looking for an edge over the Realtor across the street," says Sandler. "They're not committed to the principals. They're just looking for more buyers."

If working with an environmentally conscious real estate pro interests you, EcoBroker.com has a listing of certified Realtors, but it also pays to do a little investigating.

"Not all of them walk the walk," says Severino, who as a teenager in the 1970s participated in a project that measured pollution on the Hudson River and today has plans to open a series of conference centers where green businesses could offer their wares and services. "The real estate crisis we're dealing with has been a blow, but in a way it's an opportunity. It's also a way to think differently about how we as Realtors deal with clients and it's also a chance for potential homeowners to revisit what they're looking for in a house."