“Green” not always a selling tool

While some buyers in eco-friendly buildings are looking for green living, many others end up in green buildings by chance. One resident moved into the Kalahari in Harlem because of the newness, and not the greenness, of the building, and a couple moved to a LEED-certified building on Roosevelt Island because of the views. Another couple needed more space and wanted to be close to Wall Street, and ended up signing a lease for a two-bedroom at the Tribeca Green. “Green construction means delivering a significantly higher-quality building,” said Russell Albanese, president of the Albanese Organization, who built the green buildings Solaire and Visionaire. “All the features are almost too much to tell the buyer at first. But as they live in the building, they become informed.”