State energy offices, municipalities, and utilities collectively invest billions of taxpayer and ratepayer dollars annually in efficiency rebates, weatherization, electrification, and federal Home Energy Rebate programs. However, evidence of these upgrades has traditionally been buried in rebate files and program records, remaining invisible to the housing market when homes are sold, appraised, or refinanced. Starting today, Pearl addresses this issue by offering its national home performance registry at no cost to these public programs.
Pearl's registry allows every improvement to be independently verified and recorded in the home's profile, reflected in its Pearl SCORE™. This permanent record stays with the home through every sale. Previously, Pearl charged fees for certification services; now, state energy offices, municipalities, and utilities no longer pay for this service. Pearl has been providing certification services to public programs since 2019, most recently assisting state energy offices with the Home Efficiency Rebates (HER) Program, which mandates third-party certification to confirm that publicly funded upgrades are completed and documented.
Homeowners in these programs also benefit: they receive free access to Pearl's homeowner tools to track their home's performance over time, document new improvements, and maintain a record for resale, refinancing, and appraisal. This shift aligns with Pearl's evolving revenue model, which now focuses on products serving home transactions for buyers, sellers, and their agents, rather than certification fees. Pearl had already eliminated fees for homeowners and now extends the same terms to public programs.
“Our $50 trillion housing market has a blind spot,” said Cynthia Adams, CEO of Pearl. “Give someone a car’s VIN, and they can tell you its engine, its fuel type, and its mileage. Give them a home’s address, and they can tell you little more than its size and age. We built Pearl’s registry to give every home the kind of durable record cars have always had, and making it free for public programs puts it in the hands of the agencies and homeowners who stand to benefit most.”
Pearl builds on industry-trusted standards and data. Its energy model uses the physics engine behind the U.S. Department of Energy’s Home Energy Score. Pearl collaborates with organizations such as the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO), the National Association of REALTORS, and the Appraisal Institute.
“It’s a deliberate strategy,” said Robin LeBaron, Co-founder and head of Standards and Research. “We’re building on trusted industry standards. That’s what makes a Pearl SCORE™ hold up with appraisers, lenders, and state programs. The building science isn’t ours alone. What’s new is how we put building science into tools every home in the country can use.”
The implications of this announcement are significant. By making the registry free, Pearl removes a financial barrier for public programs, potentially increasing the number of verified upgrades and improving transparency in the housing market. Homeowners gain a permanent record of improvements that can enhance property value during appraisals and sales. For the industry, this move could standardize how home performance data is tracked and utilized, benefiting appraisers, lenders, and real estate professionals who rely on accurate information. Ultimately, this initiative aims to make home performance data as accessible as a car's VIN, closing a critical information gap in the housing market.
