Real estate agents can be great advocates (and hand holders) when it comes to electrification
Atlanta real estate broker Christopher Matos-Rogers started adding electric upgrades to his own midcentury modern home and now spreads the gospel of savings and better quality of life to his clients.
Atlanta realtor Christopher Matos-Rogers has seen the advantages of making his 1964 mid-century modern home energy efficient up close.
It started with what he jokingly calls the “gateway drug” of two electric cars.
In 2014 the Coldwell-Banker associate broker and realtor and his partner bought two EVs while they were still renters. They then used state and federal tax credits from those purchases to roll into the down payment on their first home in 2015, a one-level ranch charmer where they raised their two children.
Using tax credits to feed into his next electrification project was, according to Matos-Rogers, “sort of like that snowball [effect]: you have the savings and the rebates from one project, and you're like, ‘What can we do next?’ And, you use that to leverage the next one.”
Matos-Rogers is quick to point out that with electrification, it’s more about taking your time and being strategic about replacing fossil fuel appliances with electric ones.
“The biggest thing for me is helping people realize they can do it over time. It's all of those cliches that we say around: How do you eat an elephant?”
“‘One bite at a time …”
Some electric appliances are a harder sell than others
But if EVs were the gateway to electrification then an induction stove was the final hurdle for Matos-Rogers to overcome.
“I loved the gas range that I had. I loved the look of it,” said Matos-Rogers, who enjoys cooking at home.
But during the Covid-19 pandemic when he and his partner were spending a lot of time indoors, their focus shifted. They were having a whole home dehumidifier installed by their HVAC company but the contractor took one look at their unvented gas stove and told them they had a problem.
The lack of a vent meant toxic fumes from the stove were not being removed from the home. And during Covid-19, indoor air quality was top of mind. When Matos-Rogers tested his indoor air he saw high levels of PM (particulate matter) and carbon dioxide (CO2). Getting rid of his gas stove suddenly made a lot of sense.
Making the switch to induction: It’s a journey
“We literally switched from the gas model to the induction model of the KitchenAid range, so it looks almost identical,” he said. And his induction in many ways just feels more sleek and suited to his mid-century home.
“I actually have grown to like the simplicity and modern look of the KitchenAid induction, because there are no knobs on the front, and it’s just very smooth and modern.”
Matos-Rogers is thrilled with his new induction stove for a number of other reasons: better performance, easier to clean, and more precision, and speed.
He also appreciates how much better his induction stove is for his beloved collection of Le Creuset and All-Clad pans that don’t suffer the dings and the wear and tear that gas stove metal grates can create. He is still able to enjoy cooking as much as he did with his gas stove and has even found a special wok from Williams Sonoma that will work for an induction stove top.
“The challenge that we have is just misinformation.”
Real estate agents can help support energy-efficient appliance adoption — especially when they speak from personal experience
“I view realtors as very, very important to the process,” said Matos-Rogers about how his colleagues are a “powerful leveraging tool” in helping clients understand the benefits of electrification. “Because, you know, whoever has a really good experience with a realtor, they usually stay in touch, right?”
Because their relationships with homeowners often last long past the purchase or sale of a home — real estate agents and brokers can be ideal advocates for how electrification can benefit households.
In fact, says Matos-Rogers “that's how I got into real estate, because when we were starting this whole process, I was not in real estate, and because I could not find somebody to kind of help us down this path, I decided to be that person and offer that for clients looking for it.”
Older homes are often a sweet spot when it comes to electrification
Because he specializes in vintage homes, many of them also mid-century modern, Matos-Rogers sees a homeowner base primed for conversion to electric appliances.
“These are homes that are usually ripe for renovation and updating and heating system upgrades.”
As part of his business model as an unofficial electrification doula, Matos-Rogers has educated his clients about changes they can make in their homes, whether that means buying an induction range or installing an EV charger, and how they can budget for that using federal tax credits and utility and manufacturer credits. He also helps homeowners with “future system replacement based on current age and expected life, and helping them understand their options that they have, that they don't just have to stay with the same thing.”
Education is key
Real estate agents just need to have some basic knowledge of electric appliances says Matos-Rogers. “Just being aware that people have options, so that when they call you, maybe after the sale and say, 'Hey, I'm thinking about switching out my gas range for induction,' that you've at least heard something about it and can share an actually informed decision, rather than a knee jerk reaction that is not informed or outdated.”
Even better, when an agent like Matos-Rogers has direct experience with those appliances and can offer personal insight around brands, contractors who can install these devices, and any learning curve around, say, transitioning from a gas range to induction.
Matos-Rogers is realistic about taking your time and doing the research. “It’s definitely been a journey,” Matos-Rogers laughed.
But having a healthier, most efficient and cost-effective home? Totally worth it.
A real estate agent’s tips for painless electrification
Check out your local utility company page and see what sort of rebates and offers they have.
Start small. Don’t psych yourself out of your electrification journey by telling yourself it will cost six figures.
Go shopping. You might be surprised by the range of options (and advances) in things like induction stoves. You can find high-end induction ranges from brands like Wolf and Gaggena, said Matos-Rogers, but also, “I've seen some wicked cheap options at Home Depot lately,” he said, “in the $300-$400 range.”
Thinking about buying or selling? Consider seeking out an experienced agent with knowledge of modern, safer, cleaner electric appliances and how to leverage tax credits to make them more affordable.
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