October 4, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
The City of Saskatoon and the Saskatchewan REALTORS® Association (SRA) are pleased to announce a new partnership to provide energy efficiency training for Saskatchewan real estate professionals, delivered by Saskatchewan-based consulting firm Airtight Engineering.
The Getting Real About Home Energy program will guide agents through best-practice energy efficiency measures and their benefits – while providing insight into current energy codes and available incentive programs in Saskatchewan. According to the 2023 Canadian Home Builders Association (CHBA) Homebuyer Preference Survey, four of the top ten most desired features are energy-related, with “overall energy efficient home” among the top priorities for prospective homebuyers.
“Energy efficiency is something homebuyers are frequently searching for, and we want our members to be confident when discussing this aspect with buyers and sellers. We’re thrilled to partner with the City of Saskatoon and Airtight Engineering to offer additional education to our members through the Getting Real About Home Energy Program,” said SRA CEO, Chris Guérette. “Continuous learning opportunities provide REALTORS® with the knowledge and expertise to meet the needs of their clients, no matter how unique, and this program will add to the robust toolkit that our members possess.”
“Residential home energy greenhouse gas emissions are approximately 42% of our overall community emissions in Saskatoon,” noted Jeanna South, Director of Sustainability with the City of Saskatoon. “This kind of training, using industry expertise from both the SRA and Airtight Engineering, is a smart way to approach energy efficiency and GHG reduction. The Getting Real About Home Energy Program can help real estate professionals identify and evaluate energy-efficiency features alongside other important attributes to consider when buying or selling a property.”
The training program, facilitated by Airtight Engineering, is funded through the Federation of Canadian Municipality’s Green Municipal Fund. The training program will be offered free to participants, with both virtual and in-person options in Saskatoon available.
“We know the Canadian prairies have unique considerations when it comes to temperature extremes. As such, we’ve designed this program to be Saskatchewan-focused to provide local real estate professionals with practical tools and knowledge to serve their clients better,” said Matthew Dipple, Principal Engineer at Airtight Engineering. “There is sometimes a misconception that home energy upgrades are unaffordable or unnecessary – however, the benefits, such as improved air quality and lower utility bills, speak for themselves.”
Getting Real About Home Energy Webpage
For more information:
Cole Zawislak
Director of Public Affairs and Communications
Saskatchewan REALTORS® Association
cole@sra.ca
Media Relations
City of Saskatoon
mediarelations@saskatoon.ca
Matthew Dipple
Principal Engineer
Airtight Engineering
matt@airtightengineering.ca