DOGGIE TREATS

Niche or affinity marketing is common in the real estate industry. And with the pet population in the United States rising sharply yearly, Realtors are finding it pays to become pet friendly. Experts say the real estate market needs to respond to the importance that owners place on their pets. One Realtor told “The Chicago Tribune” that pet-friendliness sometimes trumps parking when it comes to issues of importance in home buying. Because of the new prominence of pets, some Realtors are launching Web sites that describe themselves as pet friendly. Linda Lamb, a Chicago Realtor, started an online site for Realtors that specialize in pet friendly properties. Pet product manufacturing groups estimate that 63 percent of all U.S. households have pets, translating to 69 million homes, up from 51 million in 1988, the Tribune said.

Copyright 2007 by United Press International

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