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Frequently Asked Questions

General

1. Why should I use ZipRealty?

Buyer

As a buyer with ZipRealty, you get:

  • Search and access to over 1.3 million listings updated throughout the day
  • See up to 10,000 photos of homes
  • Receive up to 20% of our commission*
  • Save up to 25% when you sell a house
  • Search for New Construction, Fixer Uppers, Priced Reductions and Foreclosures
  • Save the homes in a personalized "My Homes" list for viewing later
  • Get email updates on the listings that you are interested in

Seller

As a seller listed with ZipRealty, you automatically get:

  • Your house listed on the MLS with multiple photos
  • Your home posted on top real estate websites such as Google, Realtor.com, and Craigslist
  • A "For Sale" sign in your yard
  • Professional color flyers showcasing your home
  • Open house advertised in local papers and hosted by your agent
  • A 360-degree virtual tour and web page on ZipRealty.com
  • Featured posting and marketing on ZipRealty's website, with metrics information such as:
    • Page views for your listing
    • How many buyers have added your listing to their My Homes list
    • How many buyers have scheduled a visit
    • Popularity of your property against similar listings
  • Access your Comparative Market Analysis(CMA)
  • Save up to 25% when you sell a house

Your local experienced full-service ZipRealty agent will:

  • Prepare a CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) for you.
  • Review prices of current, pending and recently sold properties in your area and help you set the best price.
  • Discuss market conditions, pricing and strategies with you and advise you on how to prepare your home for sale.
  • Educate you on financing options, disclosure, inspection and purchase contract forms.
  • Update you on interested buyers and marketing results.
  • Negotiate with buyer's agent, advise you on purchase offers, and coordinate closing details.

2. Does your website have rental properties?

No, but we do have a large selection of homes that are perfect for first-time buyers. Our easy-to-use search tools will help you find homes in your price range and area - and don't forget that ZipRealty buyers receive up to 20% of ZipRealty's commission*, making your home purchase even more affordable. You can also sign up to receive email notifications of any new listing that meet your search criteria.

3. Does your website have commercial properties?

No, ZipRealty has not yet expanded into commercial properties.

4. I would like to provide feedback on my agent. How do I do that?

The feedback you provide on your experience working with your ZipAgent is greatly appreciated, and always taken to heart. To do this, you can either:

  1. Contact your agent's District Director by emailing them from the link provided on the Home Detail page, below the agent contact information. The District Director will handle all your compliments, concerns or provide you with general assistance.
  2. Click on the feedback link in the footer area at the bottom of the page, and send your comments to our Client Care team.
  3. Click on the feedback icon at the top of the page and your comments will be sent to our Client Care team.

5. Do I have to select an agent?

Nope - we'll automatically assign a local and professional ZipAgent to your account to help you with buying or selling a home. However, if you'd like to select your own agent, that's fine, too. Here's how.

6. What if I want a different agent?

Selecting another agent only takes a moment. Simply:

1. Login into your Account by signing in via the Sign In link located at the top right corner of the website.
2. Click on the My Account link located on the top right corner of the website.

3. Once in My Account page, select "Agent Contact Info" from the left navigation on the left. The Agent Contact info page will list your metros and the agent you are working with in each metro.

4. Click on the link "Request a different ZipAgent for this area" associated with the metro and agent you would like to switch out.

7. What does it mean when a listing is "inactive?"

A listing is changed to the status of inactive on the ZipRealty.com site when it is no longer "For Sale" in the MLS. Some properties that are pending sale might accept backup offers, and some sales are not completed, so the property goes back on the market. So if you are interested in or have a question about an inactive property, contact your agent.

8. What do you do with my information after I register?

Please refer to our privacy policy for the details of how your information is managed.

Registration

1. Why is registration required for me to view MLS listed homes?

MLS regulations prevent us from showing complete MLS information without registration. Some sites show a subset of available listings in a market, but ZipRealty is committed to ensuring that our clients are as well-informed as possible. Registering with us is free, only takes a few minutes, and is well worth your time - you'll have a much easier time searching online than on foot!

2. I didn't get my confirmation code, how do I get it resent to me?

Your confirmation email may have gotten stuck in your spam filter, so check your email "spam" or "bulk" folders first. If it is there, you'll want to mark it as NOT SPAM, so any subsequent emails from ZipRealty won't get sent to your junk mail. If it's not there, please let us know by emailing team@ziprealty.com or calling Client Care at 1.800 CALL ZIP (1.800.225.5947).

3. When I try to access MLS listed homes on your website, it says somebody already has the same e-mail address.

This means that your email address has been used for registration on our site. Use the forgot password feature to have the login and password sent to you. If you continue to have problems, please contact Client Care at 1.800 CALL ZIP (1.800.225.5947).

Login/Account

1. I am having trouble logging in with my username and password. What can I do?

Please try using the Login ID Retrieval or the Password Retrieval feature to obtain your login and password. If you continue to have problems, please send us feedback or call Client Care at 1.800 CALL ZIP (1.800.225.5947).

2. I am no longer looking for a home. How do I inactivate my account?

You can inactivate your account from My Account > Account Status. If you want to stop receiving emails but keep your account active, click here.

1. Login into your Account
2. Click on the My Account link located on the top right corner of the website.

3. Once in My Account page, select "Account Status" from the left navigation on the left.

4. Check the checkbox "I understand that this will make me ineligible for the rebate and will turn off my email notification" and click the "Inactivate My Account" button.


3. My account was inactivated and I now want to re-activate it. How do I re-activate my account?

Please contact Client Care. Client Care can be reached by email at team@ziprealty.com, or you can call them at 1-800-225-5947.

4. How do I update information (email, login, password, or phone number) associated with my account?

Email

Under My Account > My Login/Contact Info, there is a link "Change Email" next to the email field. Click on "Change Email" and enter in your new email address.

1. Login into your Account
2. Click on the My Account link located on the top right corner of the website.

3. Once in My Account page, select "My Login/Contact Info" from the left navigation on the left.
4. Click on the link "Change Email" next to the Email field and enter your new email address.

Login

1. Login into your Account
2. Click on the My Account link located on the top right corner of the website.

3. Once in My Account page, select "My Login/Contact Info" from the left navigation on the left.
4. Click on the link "Change Login" next to the Login ID field and enter your new login.

Password

1. Login into your Account
2. Click on the My Account link located on the top right corner of the website.

3. Once in My Account page, select "My Login/Contact Info" from the left navigation on the left.
4. Click on the link "Change Password" next to the Password field and enter your new password.

Phone

1. Login into your Account
2. Click on the My Account link located on the top right corner of the website.

3. Once in My Account page, select "My Login/Contact Info" from the left navigation on the left.
4. Click on the link "Change Phone" next to the Phone field and enter your new phone.

Search

1. How do I change the metros that I search in?

You can search for up to 3 metro areas. You can change the search areas from My ZipRealty page.

You can access My ZipRealty by clicking on the link at the top right corner of the website after you've logged in.


Under the tab for Buying/Selling, you can add new areas of search.

2. Why am I only able to view three metropolitan areas? Can I add more than 3?

Due to MLS regulations and security issues you can only search in 3 different metros at one time. However, while you may only have 3 search areas at one given time, you can choose to remove areas and add a new one.

To remove an area, go to My Account > Search Areas:


Remove the metro by clicking on the "Remove" link next to it:


3. I specified my search criteria, but the search results pages include listings that don't match. How come this happens?

Your search results may also include partial match search results.

4. My search produced more than 200 results but I am only able to see the first 200. How do I get the other listings?

To ensure compliance with the rules of various Multiple Listing Services from which we obtain listing information client searches will provide a maximum of 200 results per search. Please try refining your search criteria.

5. How does the keyword search work?

Our keyword search feature can help you find homes with specific features that are not listed in other sections of our search form. Every local area has different search features available. For example, where ocean front lots may be available in San Diego, CA, it is not an available feature for Austin, TX.

The keyword search treats the words inside double quotes as one term. For example, when you search for 'huge yard' without double quotes, it will search for the term huge OR yard; when you search for "huge yard" with the double quotes around the words, search will look for that exact phrase. You can also use modifiers like AND, OR, and NOT in keyword search.

While the keyword search looks at all the information we have about a property, it is possible that certain features were not described by the listing agent and the results will only be a subset of the actual properties with the feature you are looking for.

Email

1. I don't want to receive emails anymore, how can I unsubscribe?

You can configure your email preferences in My Account > Email Preferences and check or uncheck based on what you want or don't want to receive via email.

Go to My Account > Email Preferences:


Check or uncheck your email preferences:


Click on "Save Changes" to save your email preferences.

2. I would like to choose what kind of emails I get. How to do I change my email notification preferences?

You can configure your email preferences in My Account > Email Preferences and check or uncheck based on what you want or don't want to receive via email.


Check or uncheck your email preferences:


Click on "Save Changes" to save your email preferences.

Call toll free: 1.800 CALL ZIP (1.800.225.5947)

Copyright 1999-2009 and Patent Pending, ZipRealty, Inc. All rights reserved.

* Rebate is available only to buyers who close escrow/proceed to final settlement with ZipRealty acting as their sole and exclusive agent in the purchase of real estate. For homes with a final sales price of $100,000.00 or more, the rebate is twenty percent (20%), or five percent (5%) as applicable, of the cooperating broker commission actually received by ZipRealty at the close of escrow/settlement for representing the buyer net of any allowances or other deductions by ZipRealty related to the transaction. The amount of the cooperating broker commission received will vary on individual properties. Occasionally, the seller and/or listing broker in a transaction will offer the broker representing the buyer a bonus or other additional incentive over and above the cooperating brokerage commission. Any such bonuses or other additional incentives are separate and apart from the cooperating brokerage commission actually received by ZipRealty and buyer is not entitled to a rebate on any bonus or other additional incentive monies paid to ZipRealty over and above the cooperative broker commission. For homes with a final sales price of $99,999.99 or less, ZipRealty will not pay a rebate. If a rebate is paid, the rebate will be paid or credited to the party or parties named as the "buyer(s)" or "borrower(s)" on the HUD-1 Closing Statement or equivalent official closing statement. In the case of an IRC §1031 Tax Deferred Exchange ("Exchange"), the party named as the "buyer or borrower" is the Qualified Intermediary (the "Exchange Company") and the rebate will be paid or credited to the Exchange Company for the benefit of the party conducting the exchange (the "Exchanger"). All buyers, or in the case of any Exchange, the Exchanger must sign this Rebate Agreement before any rebate will be issued. This rebate program is only available where offered by ZipRealty permitted under state and federal law and when not otherwise prohibited by the buyer's lender(s). There may be tax consequences to the rebate. If you need legal or tax advice, you should consult with the appropriate professional. Offer subject to conditions, limitations, exclusions, modifications, and/or discontinuation without notice.