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Greening real estate sales: "texters" instead of flyers
Real estate transactions consume a horrendous amount of paper nationwide. Consider the following factoid, courtesy of Stewart Morris, Jr of Stewart Title Co.:
In a typical real estate transaction, the amount of paper and other resources used is staggering. Across the industry, depending upon the type of transaction, approximately 460 pieces of paper are generated in a single closing. Multiply that by all the industry's closings each year and the implications are clear. With an estimated 5 million residential sales forecast in 2008, combined with 2.8 million refinance transactions, a total of 7.2 million reams of paper will be used. The industry-standard calculation of 16 reams of paper being produced by one tree translates to more than 450,000 trees consumed.
Real estate contracts get longer every year, a consequence of our litigious society. It's difficult to see where one brokerage could hope to reduce the mountains of paper since a good majority of it is produced by the lenders, closing attorneys, title companies, insurance companies, etc.
But everybody can do something, right?
Consider the listing flyer box. Using Stewart's calculation of 16 reams = one tree, means 35 full flyer boxes = one tree consumed. And how many times are the owners calling the agent to come fill up an empty box? How much gasoline is burned each day just driving around stuffing flyer boxes with expensive four-color paper? I can't tell you how many times I've had a whole flyer box full of paper destroyed by a hard rain or flyers removed and scattered around the neighborhood by someone with a vandalic bent and too much time on their hands. Not to mention the times the house is sold quickly leaving 50+ flyers that are no longer needed. Each month, hundreds of thousands of sheets of paper are wasted, just in the Atlanta market.
How can we use technology to deliver the same information the Buyer wants without using all the paper? Through text messaging, of course! Everybody, it seems, carries a cell phone these days, and texting has become common place. Fortunately some enterprising ecopreneurs have automated the process for Buyers to get "texters" on the property for sale with photos and within seconds.
So no more flyer boxes at my listings. Just a sign rider with texting instructions.
Our goal at Green Nest Realty Services is to be authentic and solution-oriented in our business practices as we pursue and calculate our triple bottom line. Sustainability will continue to be our priority as we constantly strive to seek new ways to reduce, re-use, and recycle.
Burke Sisco
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