ZipRealty Names the 10 Best Metros for Home Sellers in 2014

EMERYVILLE, Calif., Feb. 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- ZipRealty, Inc. (http://www.ziprealty.com) (NASDAQ: ZIPR), the nation's most prominent online technology-powered residential real estate brokerage firm and real estate marketing solutions provider, has released a list of the Top 10 Best Cities for Home Sellers in 2014, based on housing market trends in 24 metro areas nationwide.

"The real estate markets in the western region soared compared to the rest of the country in 2013, based on data we compiled over the past year in our Housing Trends Report," said Lanny Baker, CEO of ZipRealty. "While we expect these metros to outperform once again this year, it should be at a more measured pace."

ZipRealty ranked the top 10 metros based on three evenly weighted housing metrics – median sales prices, median days on market and total housing inventory per capita.

The Top 10 Best Cities for Home Sellers in 2014 are:

Nationwide, here's how the housing market performed in 2013 according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR):

• Median home sales prices increased 11.5% on average over 2012.
• Homes stayed on the market for an average of 35 days.
• 6.6 homes on average were available per 1,000 people.

Here's how the top three metros surveyed by ZipRealty compared to the national averages:

San Francisco Bay Area:

• Median home sales prices increased nearly 35% on average over 2012.
• Homes stayed on the market for an average of 19 days.
• 1.1 homes on average were available per 1,000 people.

Sacramento:

• Median home sales prices increased 32% on average over 2012.
• Homes stayed on the market for an average of 15 days.
• 3.3 homes on average were available per 1,000 people.

San Diego:

• Median home prices increased 20% on average in 2013 over 2012.
• Homes stayed on the market for an average of 24 days.
• 1.9 homes on average were available per 1,000 people.

"For home sellers in today's market, finding the right real estate agent to list your home could help you attain the highest possible listing price," said Van Davis, President of Brokerage Operations for ZipRealty. "The Internet is a great place to start informing yourself about agent qualifications and expertise. Many tools are available online, including agent ratings and reviews. It's important to find an agent you are comfortable talking with, who can work with your schedule and is responsive to your needs. Scheduling a few interviews to make your final selection is also an excellent idea," he added.

"Online exposure of your home is critical," added Mr. Davis. "Make certain the agent and their brokerage are able to fully expose your property on the Internet since 93% of home buyers start their search there."

A one-stop solution for home sellers is ZipRealty.com's Seller Center, which provides several home value tools to help price your home, enables you to compare your listing price with other comparable properties and connects you to a qualified local real estate agent.

About ZipRealty, Inc.

ZipRealty is a leading national real estate brokerage and provider of proprietary technology and comprehensive online marketing tools for the residential real estate brokerage industry. For home buyers and sellers who increasingly want control, choice and a seamless, customized service, ZipRealty offers Internet-enabled, state-of-the-art technology and complete access to accurate, timely information via their website and mobile applications, which real estate professionals can combine with their own local knowledge and personal expertise to offer an exceptional start-to-finish client experience. For real estate professionals who seek more productive ways to conduct business, ZipRealty provides technology and online marketing tools to enhance their online sales channel, including lead generation, conversion and service of their clients. ZipRealty's technology and online marketing products serve its full-service, owned-and-operated residential real estate brokerage business in 19 markets nationwide, as well as its Powered by Zip network of leading third-party local brokerages in 20 markets.

Media Contact: Stacey Corso
510.735.2667
[email protected]

SOURCE ZipRealty, Inc.