A group of Berkshire REALTORS went to Boston on June 10th, 2015, to meet with our legislators about issues affecting private property rights and home ownership in the Commonwealth and in Berkshire County.

REALTORS® Oppose Mandatory Energy Scoring:
Mandatory energy audits at or prior to the transfer of property can disrupt sales and therefore have a negative impact on the Massachusetts housing economy. Additionally, requiring energy efficiency scoring on homes in Massachusetts will stigmatize older homes causing a substantial decline in value.  This bill seeks to require sellers or their agents to perform a Mass Save energy audit prior to listing a home for sale and disclose to any prospective buyer the information in the energy audit at the time of the listing. Additionally, the bill commissions the design and implementation of an energy scoring and labeling system.

Action: We asked our legislators to oppose this legislation.  We understand the spirit behind the bill and are supportive of incentive ways to promote energy efficiency.  We also shared how Realtors currently educate buyers on the MassSave program and promote energy features of homes for sale in marketing and MLS searches.  While the goal is universal, we cannot support a requirement that a seller must get a score before listing their house for sale.  It’s a punitive measure that could stigmatize properties, slow the home sale process, and tax already burdened MassSave resources.  We offered to work with Senator Ben Downing to find a resolution to the issue that is proactive and positive for ALL homeowners, not a punitive measure against sellers.