Home Energy Score Essentials for REALTORS®

• Explain the Home Energy Score (HES) in simple, accurate terms relevant to real estate clients.
• Describe the role and responsibilities of a certified Home Energy Score Assessor.
• Guide sellers through the correct process of requesting and receiving a Home Energy Score audit.
• Store, upload, and share official HES documentation safely and correctly within a real estate transaction.
• Use approved communication scripts to discuss the Home Energy Score without overstepping agent boundaries.
• Recognize what real estate agents should not do with HES information to remain compliant and avoid misrepresentation.

Home Energy Score Essentials for REALTORS® is a practical micro-course designed to help real estate professionals with the CSC Member Benefits subscription to understand how to correctly handle Home Energy Score (HES) information during a transaction. With more buyers and sellers encountering energy data in listings, inspections, and audits, agents need a clear, compliant process for managing the official HES report without misinterpreting technical results. This course gives real estate agents the confidence to communicate about the Home Energy Score accurately, stay within their professional boundaries, and support clients throughout the documentation workflow.

The Home Energy Score Essentials for REALTORS® is increasingly relevant as states and municipalities move toward greater energy transparency. Although the Score is created exclusively by certified Department of Energy (DOE) assessors, agents are often the ones responsible for storing, sharing, and uploading the report to the MLS. This course explains what the Home Energy Score is, why it matters in a residential real estate transaction, and how agents can discuss the Score in simple, consumer-friendly terms without interpreting performance results or making efficiency claims. You will learn exactly where the agent’s role begins and ends, which is critical for avoiding misrepresentation and ensuring your communication stays fully compliant.

Because the Home Energy Score is a standardized 1–10 rating produced through an official DOE-approved evaluation, understanding its purpose and limits is essential. Real estate professionals do not generate, validate, or interpret the Score—only certified HES Assessors do, but agents do frequently guide clients in requesting an evaluation, locating their report, and using the documentation appropriately during a sale. This course walks you through the full process of helping a seller obtain a Home Energy Score audit, from finding a qualified assessor to receiving the official PDF report and storing it securely.

A major part of this course focuses on HES documentation management. Agents will learn how to safely store the Home Energy Score report, how to upload it to the MLS in the correct format, and how to share it with buyers, inspectors, or cooperating agents. You will also learn what not to do, including modifying documents, summarizing performance results, or making energy efficiency promises based on the Score. Clear boundaries protect both the consumer and the agent, and this course provides simple scripts and explanations to help you communicate those boundaries professionally.

In addition to workflows and documentation steps, this micro-course covers best practices for consumer transparency. Buyers and sellers increasingly expect clarity on home energy features, sustainability upgrades, and projected costs. While the Home Energy Score is not a full energy audit and cannot predict actual utility usage, it is a useful piece of standardized information that agents can help clients access and understand at a high level. This course gives you the language and confidence to discuss the HES appropriately without overstepping into technical territory.

Whether you are helping a seller request a Home Energy Score, preparing a listing that includes energy data, or guiding buyers who have questions about the report, Home Energy Score Essentials for REALTORS® ensures you have a clear, repeatable process for handling every step correctly. With practical scripts, documentation guidance, and compliance-focused instruction, this micro-course gives real estate agents everything they need to work with the Home Energy Score confidently and responsibly.

1. What the Home Energy Score Is, and Isn’t

   A clear overview of the Home Energy Score, including its purpose, how it is created, and what real estate agents can safely say about it. This lesson explains the Score’s design and the boundaries of agent communication.

2. How a Home Energy Score is Created

   A step-by-step explanation of how a certified Home Energy Score Assessor conducts the official DOE-approved evaluation. This lesson clarifies what happens during the assessment and what real estate agents should know about the standardized process.

3. The REALTOR’S Role

   What real estate agents can safely do with official Home Energy Score reports, including storing, sharing, and uploading documentation. This lesson explains the boundaries agents must follow and what they should avoid to stay compliant.

4. Talking About Home Energy Scores Without Overstepping

   Scripts, real-world scenarios, and communication guardrails that help real estate agents discuss the Home Energy Score confidently while staying within professional boundaries.

1. What is Home Energy Score Essentials for REALTORS®?

Home Energy Score Essentials for REALTORS® is a micro-course that teaches real estate agents how to correctly understand, manage, and communicate about the Department of Energy’s Home Energy Score. The training focuses on documentation, boundaries, and practical workflows agents can use in everyday transactions.

2. Who is Home Energy Score Essentials for REALTORS® designed for?

This course is specifically designed for licensed real estate agents and REALTORS® who need a clear, compliant understanding of how to handle Home Energy Score documentation. Whether you’re listing a home, guiding a buyer, or preparing an MLS entry, Home Energy Score Essentials for REALTORS® provides the exact skills you need.

3. What will I learn in Home Energy Score Essentials for REALTORS®?

In Home Energy Score Essentials for REALTORS®, you’ll learn what the Home Energy Score is, how DOE-approved assessors generate it, and how to properly store, share, and upload the official report. You’ll also learn communication scripts, scenarios, and guardrails that help REALTORS® stay compliant and avoid misinterpreting the Score.

Why should REALTORS® understand the Home Energy Score?

Consumers increasingly expect transparency around home energy features. Home Energy Score Essentials for REALTORS® helps agents understand the purpose and limits of the Score so they can guide buyers and sellers responsibly, stay compliant, and avoid misrepresentation.