Radon and Residential Real Estate: Working with the Real Estate Community
Dr. Paul Locke is a radon leader who has over 20 years of experience in radon science, policy and law. He is particularly interested in how radon testing and remediation can be made part of residential real estate transactions. Dr. Locke is an Associate Professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
This is Part 3 in a five-part blog on radon and residential real estate. Read previous posts.
What are some effective ways to work with the real estate community?
In my last blog, I argued that agents and brokers are the “absolutely crucial group” for radon professionals to know. Consumers look to agents and brokers for information and advice, and radon professionals need a way to reach out to agents and brokers so that radon risk reduction actions can be conveyed to buyers and sellers. In this blog, I want to focus on what I have found to be the most effective way to engage these real estate professionals – continuing professional education. Commenters on my first blog raised this point very clearly.
Almost all real estate professionals are required to take continuing education to maintain their licenses. That helps make continuing education programs is a win/win. You are imparting radon knowledge to a group that is ready, willing and able to listen; the agents are getting to know the experts who can answer their radon questions going forward; and you are there to provide them with concrete action steps they can convey to their clients and customers. These courses create opportunities to build alliances and gain trust. In short, this is direct, targeted tactic in an environment that encourages learning and exchange.
It is worth taking a minute to point out, at least from my perspective, what does not work well. Booths at trade shows, professional meetings, etc. are not particularly effective teaching opportunities. Nor are mass mailings or blast emails. I know that some of you will disagree, but before you flame on, please read on.
I am not arguing that booths and exhibits have no value; in fact, quite the opposite is true. They do establish your presence, and have the potential to alert professionals about radon, an issue which they might not otherwise consider. They may create interest in learning more. But they do not create an environment for learning and those who visit the booths rarely walk away with the kind of transformative knowledge that they can incorporate into their everyday real estate practices.
Where is the best place to bring up radon in this transaction?
I meant to answer this question in my last blog, but ran out of space and time. Let me offer some thoughts on “radon-in-the-transaction- timing” here.
Whenever I teach real estate licensees about radon, I always start with a simple question. I ask “How many of you have had a problem with radon in a transaction?” Invariably, 5 people raise their hands. Focusing on those five, I then ask “When did radon come up in your transaction?” The answer, as you probably have guessed, is usually “late in the deal, right around closing.” The valuable lesson we can draw from these mini-surveys is that for radon disclosure, as for other health and safety issues, “late in the deal” is too late. Brokers and agents absolutely must discuss radon as soon as possible, early in the transaction.
I always recommend to agents and brokers that they think about radon disclosure the way some people jokingly describe voting in Chicago – do it early, do it often. (I beg forgiveness for this comment from all my friends in the Region 5 area.) I instruct brokers and agents that the absolute best time to begin to talk about radon is when they first meet their new client. At that time, I tell them, have a discussion about health and safety issues that come up in transactions, and put radon high on that list.
There are at least two benefits to this approach. First, it builds a sense of rapport and trust among the real estate professional and her client. It shows that the agent and broker are genuinely concerned about health and safety. Second, it gives clients and customers time to internalize all health and safety issues, so that they won’t be blown all out of proportion. That way, if unacceptable radon levels are discovered, the buyer and seller both understand that radon levels can be brought down to an acceptable level quickly and professionally.
In my next blog, I want to look at ways to measure success or fine-tune your efforts to deliver radon risk reduction through the real estate transaction.
Please share your thoughts below in the comments section.
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