A House Tour With Two-Wheeled Appeal

For some real estate agents, the idea of biking with clients is just too casual.

"Anything client-involved should exclude a bicycle," said Charles Turner, a Portland real estate agent. "If you're meeting someone on location, you're not exactly business-presentable when you show up dripping with sweat."

But Rojas said his clients have learned to accept it.

"If they don't want a sweaty Realtor, then maybe they want someone else," he said.

"Most people don't care -- the last clients I took out bought an $800,000 house -- they aren't exactly poor people living off the earth."

John Putcher, a Rutgers urban planning professor, said that as the real estate market continues to slump, more agents will turn to niche markets, but that bike agents have tapped into a potentially booming business.

Kaufman said that as the popularity of bike commuting continues to rise, she's eager to see how far the wheels of her dark green Trek will take her.

"Ultimately, I want to help people find a home that's going to work for them," she said. "This isn't about trying to green-wash real estate or profit from a niche market -- it's about helping people make smart decisions, both for themselves and for the planet."