Mnet :: Tips to Get Your Home Sold -- Besides Slashing Your Price

EMERYVILLE, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 06/30/08 -- In light of a nationwide rise in housing inventory and a shrinking pool of qualified buyers, ZipRealty President and Chief Executive Officer Patrick Lashinsky today shared his 10 tips to getting your home sold in today's market -- other than slashing the price.

10. Don't automatically choose the agent who suggests the highest

price. Interview at least three agents before listing your

home. Get several opinions on the market value of your home

and how they arrived at their recommended price. Don't

necessarily go with the highest estimate unless the agent has

exceptional justification and you are prepared to wait longer

for your home to sell.

9. Don't count on open houses to sell your home. According to

the California Association of Realtors, less than 5 percent

of buyers find their home at an open house. An open house

should never be the center of a prospective agent's

marketing plan.

8. Target your marketing. Know what buyers in your area are

looking for and emphasize your home's appeal accordingly.

This includes everything from the description (whether you

highlight transportation and parks or restaurants and

nightlife) and how you stage the home (whether the third

bedroom becomes an office), to where you advertise the

listing (a newspaper in addition to online).

7. Tour similar homes in the area. Make sure your agent takes

you through several current, comparable listings so that you

can better understand the competition -- what a home sold for

12 months ago, or even six months ago, may not be a good

estimate for today.

6. Consider staging your home. Although not always necessary,

staging can make a difference in how your house is viewed and

compared to others.

5. Offer prospective buyers a neighbor "reference" list. Make a

list of your best, most reliable neighbors, so that buyers

can reach out to get a better feel for the area, the locals,

and what makes the neighborhood a truly unique place to live.

4. Take lots of photos on a sunny day with a wide-angle lens.

Approximately one-third of buyers who responded to ZipRealty's

recent survey "What's Hot and What's Not with Today's

Homebuyers," said they would eliminate homes with too few or

poor quality photos. Ask your agent how many photos he or she

typically posts, and to which Web sites. Check out prospective

agents' current listings and ask yourself whether you would

buy the homes as presented.

3. Consider a pre-inspection. Pre-inspections are especially

powerful if you've done any repair work since you bought the

home. If you can't market your improvements, you won't get

as much return for them.

2. Once your house is on the market, get feedback and make

tweaks. Find out if and how your agent collects home

evaluations, as well as how he or she will communicate these

to you so you can react accordingly.

1. Don't necessarily hire the agent with the most signs in your

neighborhood. An agent overloaded with listings may not have

as many buyer clients, and he or she has to divide their time

and marketing budget among all of their listings. Worse, if a

buyer approaches the agent with many similar homes, he or she

may end up stuck in a conflict of interest, having to decide

which of their listings to promote.

About ZipRealty

ZipRealty is a full-service residential real estate brokerage firm using the Internet and proprietary technology to provide home buyers and sellers with information, service and savings. Founded in 1999, ZipRealty is now the second most trafficked real estate brand on the Internet according to a recent report by Hitwise and currently operates in 34 major metropolitan areas in 19 states and the District of Columbia. The Company's client-centric business model utilizes a feature-rich Web site that enables home buyers and sellers to view, search and sort through comprehensive local Multiple Listing Services home listings and other relevant neighborhood and housing data. Buyers working with ZipRealty receive a rebate worth 20 percent of the Company's commission after closing, and sellers save up to 25 percent of the typical market commission. For more information on ZipRealty, visit www.ziprealty.com or call 1-800-CALL-ZIP (1-800-225-5947).

Cautionary Language

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the federal securities laws, including, without limitation, that our full-service, non-traditional business model helps to reduce costs and pass on significant savings to consumers, that current housing market trends of increased inventory and tightening credit continue. The forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events to differ materially from those projected, including the risk factors set forth in our Form 10-K filed with the SEC for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007 and other filings with the SEC including our quarterly Form 10-Qs and periodic Form 8-Ks. The forward-looking statements included in this release are made as of today's date and, except as otherwise required by law, we do not intend to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.

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