(Nags Head, NC) April 14, 2010 – Resort Realty, one of the Outer Banks most innovative and fastest growing real estate sales and vacation rental management companies, has recently partnered with BlueGreen Outer Banks – Tomorrow Matters, Inc., a 501 3c non-profit entity located in Dare County, NC. The initiative was recently founded by Outer Banks resident Willo Kelly with a mission statement to “coordinate, support and enhance sustainable community initiatives through educational outreach, marketing and community collaboration.”
The Outer Banks is a nearly 200-mile long string of narrow barrier islands that are comprised of intricate eco-systems ranging from salt marshes and estuaries to desert-like areas. Although local communities are already doing a lot environmentally, the islands attract nearly 5 million tourists each year and the delicate eco-system feels the strain. The BlueGreen Outer Banks initiative will promote environmental stewardship to residents and visitors and ultimately make the Outer Banks a model environmentally friendly coastal community.
In recognition of the need to preserve the delicate environment in which we operate and serve our guests, Resort Realty has partnered with BlueGreen to lessen our and our guests’ footprints on the Outer Banks and the world. Resort Realty has over 450 Outer Banks rentals in its property management program, many of which are over 10 years old and will be in need of standard remodeling soon. Seeing this as a perfect time to introduce “Green” standards for rental homes, Resort Realty teamed up with BlueGreen to be the pilot company for its “BlueGreen Community Standards” that will certify local businesses, restaurants and rental homes as “BlueGreen” through qualifications established by energy audits and annual reviews.
To conduct research and help establish qualifications for rental home certification, BlueGreen partnered with East Carolina University’s Center for Sustainable Tourism. During the second week in April, Resort Realty provided housing and case study properties for ECU graduate students who came to the Outer Banks for hands-on exploration. Under the direction of Green Building and Energy Specialist Hunt McKinnon, an architect and ECU Department of Interior Design Professor, the students visited several Resort Realty vacation rental homes and condominiums. Energy efficiency, lighting efficiency, water conservation, landscaping, air quality and home maintenance are among the key areas being assessed.
The program will allow for the differentiation of homes that are more energy efficient and environmentally friendly than their counterparts, ultimately reducing the carbon footprint of vacation rental homes on the Outer Banks. Resort Realty’s CEO, Michael Harrington, states, “Resort Realty is extremely excited to be on the ground floor of this initiative moving forward. Willo Kelly and the BlueGreen Team have the vision and persistence to see a project of this caliber through. We are honored to be part of the start of this historic program that will have long lasting effects on the Outer Banks for years to come”.
With the study being completed within the next month and certification checklist criteria determined, Resort Realty hopes to introduce the program to its homeowners this summer and establish a “Green” program introducing its BlueGreen certified rental homes and incentives for environmentally conscience guests within the next year.
