November 11, 2024 – Pearl Certification, a national leader in home performance certification, is excited to announce a new partnership with another national leader in home performance certification, the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET®) to leverage RESNET’s extensive database of homes with HERS® ratings at the time of a property’s resale. By incorporating historical data from RESNET’s database of 4.5 million HERS-rated homes to create a comprehensive home certification, Pearl ensures that key home performance metrics captured when a home is constructed are accurately documented and accessible for use in future real estate transactions. This partnership fills a critical gap in the resale process by capturing and validating performance features that would otherwise go unrecognized during the home sale process.
Home performance elements such as attic insulation, high-efficiency HVAC systems, and other performance features play a significant role in a home’s comfort, cost-efficiency, and value. Yet these features are typically invisible during resale transactions and appraisals. The Pearl Certification report with the HERS rating provides agents and homeowners with investment-grade documentation and marketing tools that highlight these features, offering a trusted resource for buyers, appraisers, and lenders to fully understand how those contribute to the property’s value.
“We’re at the forefront of a long-overdue shift in real estate, where performance is becoming a critical factor in how properties are valued," said Robin LeBaron, president and co-founder of Pearl Certification. "Through our partnership with RESNET, we’re making access to this information easier and equipping agents, buyers, and sellers with the insights they need to make smarter, more informed decisions.”
The partnership between Pearl and RESNET ensures home performance data is captured and valued throughout a property's entire lifecycle. The home’s HERS Index Score, an energy rating typically generated at time of home construction, will be included in the home’s Pearl Home Energy Dashboard. By making the HERS Index Score visible in future resale transactions, this integration helps maintain the visibility and value of energy-efficient features long after the initial build, ensuring they remain a key consideration in every real estate transaction.
“RESNET is excited to collaborate with Pearl Certification, “said Steve Baden, Executive Director of RESNET. “The joining of the nation’s leading home performance certification organizations increases the transparency of a home’s energy performance in the housing market. This will make it easier for consumers to determine the energy efficiency of the homes they are considering buying. It will also make it easier for real estate search platforms such as MLS to include the energy performance of a home in their listing. This is a big step in mainstreaming energy performance in the nation’s housing market.”
This marks Pearl Certification’s third major data integration this year, contributing to a broader transformation within the real estate industry. Pearl continues to partner with companies that provide systems and tools that the real estate industry uses to enable day to day business, creating a nearly frictionless process for agents, brokers, and MLSs. Platforms such as RealReports and Ocusell now effortlessly incorporate Pearl’s performance data, streamlining workflows and making valuable home performance insights more accessible. With RESNET’s expansive database now added to the mix, real estate professionals benefit from a more agile, affordable, and collaborative system that adapts to their needs and enhances data transparency across transactions.
About Pearl Certification
Pearl Certification is the gold standard in high-performing home certifications, bringing visibility to the valuable features that make them healthy, safe, comfortable, and energy- and water-efficient. Pearl is an ENERGY STAR® Home Upgrade service provider and a partner to the National Association of REALTORS® Green REsource Council. Pearl has certified over 230,000 homes in 49 states and Washington, D.C. Pearl Certified homes sell on average for 5% more than comparable homes, according to independent appraiser studies. www.pearlcertification.com
About RESNET
The Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) is the independent, national nonprofit organization that homeowners trust to improve home energy efficiency and realize substantial savings on their utility bills. RESNET’s industry-leading standards are recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, among others. For more information, visit www.resnet.us
