Sustainable Connections and the Whatcom County Association of Realtors will host a Green Agent Essentials program from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. June 2 at the Squalicum Boathouse at 2600 Harbor Loop Drive.

Participants must RSVP by emailing Sandra Mulhern at sandramulhern@windermere.com. The cost is $45.

The course is designed for real estate agents, appraisers, home inspectors, investors and homeowners considering buying or selling a green home, and will be taught by market leaders who have shaped the green building industry.

This four-hour course introduces participants to green building and the new Green Multiple Listing Service checkboxes, which identify green and eco-friendly properties.

“Environmentally certified new homes in Seattle make up 33 percent of the market, sell for 8.6 percent more per square foot, and sell in 25 percent less time,” Ben Kaufman of GreenWorks Realty said in a press release. “We want Whatcom County agents to understand the market potential of healthy and efficient homes.”

Participants will have a chance to explore the green real estate sector through discussions that will define the different shades of green building practices and examine the primary environmental certification programs.

They will also learn how to navigate this expanding market, about the features and benefits of green homes and details about certification programs such as Built Green, Energy Star and Leadership in Energy Efficiency Design (LEED), and how to market green homes.

The full Green Agent Essentials course offers 14 accredited hours for agents. The final courses will be held June 22-23.

For more information, visit www.greenagentessentials.com.