Atlanta homes for sale exceeds 90,000 

ATLANTA, GA (June 19, 2006) - Every year during the month of June, the number of homes for sale in metro Atlanta begins to spike. The seasonal fluctuation is due to many families wanting to sell and/or purchase homes during the summer before their children start back to school in August. Many parents prefer not to move during the middle of the school year.

   In addition, homebuyers have longer daylight hours to search for homes during the summer. And with more favorable weather, people spend more time outdoors and are out and about in the community, which means homes on the market are often seen by more people.

   Many people suggest that a rise in inventory will cause home prices to crash or the number of days on the market to increase. However, according to Atlanta’s two listing services, the Metro Listing Service (MLS) and the First Multiple Listing Service (FMLS), existing home sales are posting at higher sales rates than in the past and the number of days on the market is lower.

   Atlantans have begun tracking the number of homes for sale with Metro Brokers/GMAC Real Estate’s now-popular billboard campaign, which includes five billboards with an electronic message center that is updated daily with the number of homes for sale in metro Atlanta. 

   The billboard campaign lets everyone know how many homes are for sale in MLS and FMLS. The total number of homes for sale in MLS and FMLS has never been available to the general public before now. 

   Unlike any other billboard in metro Atlanta, all of the copy is produced in neon channel lettering and even includes a dimensional, internally lighted image of the company’s mascot, Metro Mike, on display.

   The billboards are updated on a daily basis by a computer modem and a telephone line wired to the message centers. The billboards include the address of the company’s website - the only website in the world to display every listing from both of Atlanta’s listing services. And in turn, the homepage of Metro Brokers’ website has a photo of the new billboards that is also updated daily with the number of homes for sale.

   “The billboards have become a great conversation piece, especially as the number of homes for sale fluctuated during the course of the year,” said Carver. “And since a home is the largest investment most people will ever make, there is keen interest in what that number is on a daily basis.”

   The billboards already on display are located along I-85 southbound (immediately after the GA-400 merge), on I-75 north in Forest Park, on I-75 southbound in Marietta (just south of exit 265 North Marietta Parkway), on I-285 west at North Peachtree Road, and on I-20 west at Turner Hill Road.

   Metro Brokers/GMAC Real Estate, established in 1979, has 21 metro Atlanta offices and offers a wide range of real estate services including residential and commercial sales; pre- and post-license training; corporate relocation; new home sales and marketing; and insurance, mortgage and title/closing services. 

   The company is the largest GMAC Real Estate franchise in the world and the 38th largest real brokerage company in the country in terms of units sold. The company has more than tripled in size over the last five years with more than 2,500 licensees, making the company the largest license holder in the state of Georgia.

   To contact Metro Brokers, call 404.843.2500 or visit metrobrokers.com to see a photo of the new billboards.