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Certified Sustainability Agent (CSA) Certification Course

Welcome to the Creating Sustainable Communities, One Home at a Time, Certified Sustainability Agent (CSA) Designation course. The learning materials in this class are organized in 10 modules. This material includes in-depth readings, video lectures, key terminology glossaries, interactive forum discussion assignments, and module assessments. The certification exam (to earn the CSA designation) is the last activity you must complete and receive a grade of 80% or higher.

Course Description

NAR surveys consistently demonstrate that homeowners and homebuyers prefer to work with Real Estate Agents who are committed to the Environment and Sustainability. Your Certified Sustainability Agent (CSA) Certification equips you with knowledge, expertise, and the power to increase your competitive edge by acting as a trusted advisor to your clients and offering them valuable services that will save them time, money, and stress! Upon completing and passing the quizzes and final exam for the CSC Sustainability Course, Agents will be eligible to receive their Certified Sustainability Agent Certification. (CSA).

Sign up to subscribe to CSC by going to csacertification.com.  Click on the subscribe button. Review the subscription terms, conditions and benefits.  Fill it out electronically, sign, pay the $25 monthly fee using our on line platform and submit!   You will then be directed to the 10 module FREE Sustainability course.  After passing the course, you will receive your Certified Sustainability Agent (CSA) certificate!  This will get you listed on CSC’s website with your name, contact information, and Brokerage so homeowners and homebuyers will know you prioritize sustainability and have incorporated it into your business!

Here are some of the ways your Certification will set you apart from the competition:

  • Facilitate VALUABLE ECO-FRIENDLY CLEANOUT SERVICES for Homeowners WHETHER THEY PLAN TO MOVE OR NOT through our exclusive, trademarked service “Cleanouts with a Conscience”, only available to CSC members through CSC’s contractual partnership with The Junkluggers! Being in a position to offer this service will give you an excellent opportunity to meet potential seller clients. (See details under Our Services and how you can receive credit as a CSC member for offering this service under Awards and Promotional Opportunities).
  • Facilitate ENERGY EFFICIENCY SERVICES AND HOME ENERGY AUDITS -Connect homeowners or new homebuyers to licensed energy conservation companies to receive home energy audits to save them money on their utility bills and reduce their carbon emissions. (See details under Our Services and how you can receive credit as a CSC member for offering this service under Awards and Promotional Opportunities).
  • The EXPERTISE AND KNOWLEDGE you gain from CSC’s sustainability course will help you educate your clients to make good real estate decisions and provide them with advice on how they can take advantage of rebates and tax advantages for the energy-saving measures they take to make their homes more energy efficient.
  • Become a Sustainability Influencer: Use your knowledge and expertise gained through CSC’s Sustainability Course to become a sustainability influencer in your community through engagement and collaboration with sustainability stakeholders, lobbying for sustainable land use practices, researching favorable financing for sustainable housing projects, engaging with other Real Estate Agents to improve sustainable infrastructure and planning, creating marketing plans for homes with sustainability features and helping homeowners and homebuyers obtain eco-friendly financing and incentives.
  • Sponsor Green Workforce Development and Affordable Housing Initiatives: As a CSC subscriber with a CSA Certification, you can tell your clients or potential clients that CSC Real Estate Agent subscribers  sponsor organizations that are committed to building sustainable communities by promoting green workforce development and affordable housing initiatives.

Learning Objectives

  • Sustainable Property Evaluation
  • Green Building Certification Expertise
  • Market Trend Analysis
  • Energy Efficiency Assessment
  • Sustainable Neighborhood Identification
  • Eco-Friendly Construction Knowledge
  • Renewable Energy Insights
  • Financial Planning for Sustainability
  • Long-Term Sustainability Planning
  • Resilient Infrastructure Understanding:
  • Transportation and Infrastructure Insights
  • Policy and Governance Knowledge
  • Resource Management Expertise
  • Client Education
  • Financial Analysis
  • Innovative Technology Integration
  • Community Engagement
  • Communication Skills
  • Problem Solving
  • Future Trend Anticipation

Learning Modules

  1. Introduction to CSC Services

    An overview of the services that Creating Sustainable Communities, One Home at a Time, makes available to real estate agents who subscribe to the organization. A brief overview of how CSC serves the larger real estate community is explained as well.

  2. Module 1: Introduction to Sustainable Communities and Real Estate

    An overview of the foundational factors that affect the real estate market, the community, and the world. Agents will gain the underlying knowledge about sustainability that will be needed as the course progresses.

  3. Module 2: Sustainable Housing Options

    Students will learn about the multiple facets of sustainable housing options. This includes their identification, management, utilization, purchase, and sales. Real estate agents will learn skills that are directly applicable to their business.

  4. Module 3: Sustainable Land Use and Development

    A macro view of sustainable land use and development for real estate agents. Agents will learn about the underlying principles of land use, development, and eventual sale.

  5. Module 4: Environmental Regulations and Compliance

    An in-depth explanation for real estate agents about environmental regulations and their clients. Provides both a macro and micro explanation about how real estate agents can navigate these factors in their business to maximize compliance and client satisfaction.

  6. Module 5: Eco-Friendly Financing and Incentives

    Provides an introduction to eco-friendly financing and the related incentives that real estate agents can utilize in their business. Demonstrates these principles using high-level explanations and real-world examples exemplifying these topics.

  7. Module 6: Community Engagement and Collaboration

    An overview of the different ways that real estate agents can engage and collaborate with the larger communities where they practice as agents. This module teaches skillsets that are designed for immediate use.

  8. Module 7: Marketing Sustainable Properties

    Real estate agents will learn how utilizing a property's sustainability and environmental features can be harnessed to command higher sale prices, quicker sale, and explains innovative ways to market these properties.

  9. Module 8: Recycling & Sustainable Real Estate

    An overview of recycling principles, the provision of environmentally-friendly property cleanouts, and explains the different sustainable and eco-driven ways of disposing of unwanted items while keeping them out of the landfill.

  10. Module 9: Long-Term Sustainability Planning

    In this final module, real estate agents will learn about the future direction of sustainability in real estate and will provide them with insights pertaining to how they can use these insights as a means of maximizing their business and long-term success.

  11. CSA Certification Entrance Exam

    The final certification exam. Students must earn a grade of no lower than 80% to earn the certification and utilize it for marketing purposes.