The future for Liveability Real Estate

The Banksia Award winning Centre for Liveability Real Estate (CLRE) has begun a quiet revolution in the way sustainable residential property is valued, and marketed, in Australia. Through its ‘features based’ approach, and the list of “The 17 Things”, it is changing the way real estate agents see houses, how they appraise them, and how they communicate to  buyers the potential for a more sustainable lifestyle the property offers.

We note with a not altogether detached interest that Cecille Weldon has announced her departure from the Liveability organisation. We look forward to seeing how it moves forward now.

Until Cecille Weldon started the Liveability program, there was no link between any investment made in sustainability design or building materials and components, and any subsequent sales process – and thus no way to justify the investment with a complete business case. In short – the value proposition was hampered.  Initially under the LJ Hooker umbrella, CLRE has now trained over 450 agents around Australia, and these agents are now reporting a changed – read much improved – relationship with their customers, and a changed business model which not only reduces their eco-footprint but also improves their bottom line. Part of the program is a “3 Ps” regime for the agent’s own office, focussing on reduced consumption of power, paper and petrol. As Cecille is fond of saying, “What’s not to like?!” Of course Cecille was not alone in its creation and development – it was a team effort, with the late Dr Chris Reardon teaming up with the Cooperative Research Centre for Low Carbon Living, various luminaries from Bond University and the CSIRO, the Clean Energy Council, the Alternative Technology Association, amongst many others.

Our interest in Cecille’s replacement is not so much that we at Envirotecture have partnered with her to deliver the training to agents (following Dr Reardon’s untimely death), it has more to do with our enthusiasm for the program, and strong belief that whoever runs it, it must continue with the same vigour with which Ms Weldon drove it.

Whoever takes the helm is going to have some very big shoes to fill, and we hope that the brand owners recognise the value, and critical importance of maintaining and building the momentum already in place. As we have said many times, Liveability Real Estate is a game changer, finally providing the missing link in the way we designers communicate and demonstrate value of sustainability investment to clients.

We thank Cecille, on behalf of the whole industry – and the planet! – and look forward to a positive outcome in the search for her replacement, and the progression of the Liveability program.