Abstract Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) are expected to be a useful instrument for stakeholders (including final users), enabling to compare building energy performances within a purchasing/renting decision process. Thereby, EPCs should have a direct impact on the value of the properties, affecting the market attractiveness, as well as driving the investors in the energy renovations process. Nevertheless, a survey to real estate agents reveals a perceived low reliability of EPCs, representing one of the main barriers in their full implementation. The paper presents the EPCs impact in the building market and an analysis on energy efficient buildings in eight European countries.