Buying & Selling Homes with Solar Systems -"F"

Description

Brought to you by the Maryland Clean Energy Center. This course provides real estate professionals with the essential knowledge and practical tools needed to confidently navigate transactions involving solar-equipped properties. As solar energy adoption continues to grow, agents must understand how these systems impact property value, financing, marketing, and contracts to ensure smooth transactions and better client outcomes. Participants will begin with a foundational overview of energy production, utility systems, and the role of renewable resources, with a focus on how solar integrates into the electrical grid and affects household energy costs. The course then introduces key solar concepts and components—including panels, inverters, net metering, and system performance—helping agents build fluency in industry terminology and functionality. The core of the course focuses on the practical aspects of buying and selling real estate with solar systems. Attendees will learn how to position solar as a value-added feature, address common concerns such as roof condition and system maintenance, and navigate the complexities of system ownership structures, including cash purchases, loans, and leases or power purchase agreements (PPAs). Special attention is given to transaction documentation, including Maryland-specific addenda and agreements, ensuring compliance and clarity throughout the sales process. Finally, the course introduces appraisal considerations and industry guidelines, including the role of appraisers and secondary market influences such as Fannie Mae, equipping agents to better support valuation discussions. By the end of this course, participants will be able to effectively advise buyers and sellers, mitigate common transaction challenges, and leverage solar properties as a competitive advantage in today’s real estate market—ultimately helping ensure that no sale is lost due to uncertainty about solar systems.