Lilana Paez
Sales Director
Fortune International
Green features are becoming increasingly important to homebuyers. One of the selling points my clients love is green kitchen appliances, which are extremely energy efficient and manufactured with bio-friendly materials. People are continuously impressed by these sleek European appliances from SMEG and Liebherr because they give the kitchens a modern, streamlined look, yet are environmentally friendly and, ultimately, save the buyer money on energy costs.

Melissa Rubin
Broker/Vice President
Platinum Properties
As consumers have become more environmentally conscious, home builders, retailers, product manufacturers, architects and designers have responded to this need both functionally and esthetically. Most common practices I find today are floors made from sustainable woods such as bamboo and sealed with nontoxic glue, copper roofs (tolerates inclement weather and, therefore, last beyond 100 years versus a tile roof lasting 15 years), water-conserving toilets (can save 30 percent to 50 percent in water bills) and chemical-free lighting. Other practices I’ve noticed are using nontoxic paints that don’t contain Volatile Organic Components and formaldehyde-free insulation, such as Denim.

Tony Cho
President/CEO/Broker
Metro 1 Properties
There are a lot of options when it comes to using green friendly materials. High efficiency fixtures that conserve water, such as waterless urinals and composting toilets are starting to be in higher demand. These fixtures can also reuse storm water when flushing to reduce the amount of municipal water that is literally wasted. More commonly used renewable materials are linoleum flooring and wool carpets. Additionally, we will start seeing wood that is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. This council adheres to high forestry standards ensuring that said woods are being produced in an environmentally and socially responsible manner.

Loretta Hadley Cockrum
Founder/Chairman/CEO
Foram Group, Inc.
Sustainable forest management practices dictate that if you cut a tree, you plant a tree. In keeping with that, Brickell Financial Centre will apply the sustainable principles to commercial development. The trees that originally lined the former 600 Brickell building will be re-planted in our plaza. I have also seen developments using an aquifer to store rainwater runoff, which is re-used for landscape irrigation and environmentally friendly refrigerant in central chillers.