ZipRealty has formed a partnership with search engine NeighborhoodScout that allows home builders to identify specific neighborhoods based on criteria such as historical appreciation rates and school district rankings culled from U.S. government sources, the companies announced today.
ZipRealty’s new Neighborhood Guide feature pulls data from sources including the U.S. Census Bureau, FBI, U.S. Justice Department, the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, the National Center for Education Statistics and the U.S. Geological Survey.
Using this feature, ZipRealty visitors can:
- Investigate a neighborhood – Learn historical home-price appreciation rates since 1990, age and style of the houses and school rankings – of any home being considered for purchase.
- Find a new neighborhood – Find a community similar to that of your current residence. Enter your address, and ZipRealty’s Neighborhood Guide will recommend similar neighborhoods in the new area.
- Search for a neighborhood by lifestyle – Identify a specific neighborhood based on certain lifestyle profiles (first-time buyers, luxury, retirement communities) or by detailed criteria (renters vs. owners, school rankings, crime rates, etc.)
Once buyers have narrowed their search to their desired neighborhood, the ZipRealty site highlights listings for homes available for sale there, according to the announcement.
“Whether the real estate market is red-hot or cooling down, one rule has always applied: location, location, location. No matter how amazing a home’s features, the square footage or even price, it’s the surrounding neighborhood that often matters most in a buyer’s mind,” said Patrick Lashinsky, ZipRealty senior vice president of product development, in a statement. “This partnership with NeighborhoodScout provides the next level in service for our customers.”
Andrew Couture, vice president of business development at NeighborhoodScout, stated, “The addition of the NeighborhoodScout search engine to the ZipRealty Web site creates a new level of search flexibility and added value for ZipRealty customers. Whether they are moving locally in search of the best schools – or across the country for a new job – customers can just enter their desired neighborhood criteria and find their ideal home and neighborhood without ever leaving the ZipRealty Web site.”
Founded in 1999, ZipRealty is a full-service residential real estate brokerage firm that has operations in 16 major metropolitan areas.
NeighborhoodScout is a patent-pending neighborhood search engine that uses statistics to build neighborhood profiles that allow individuals and families to find U.S. neighborhoods based on criteria they choose. The company uses a database of neighborhood statistics and characteristics, and converts it into customized neighborhood profile matches. The user can choose exactly what they want in a neighborhood by selecting lifestyle searches and key words linked to the massive database.
***
Send tips or a Letter to the Editor to glenn@inman.com or call (510) 658-9252, ext. 137.
