Lead Co Adding 350 Jobs

HouseValues Inc. will branch out from its western Washington headquarters in Kirkland with the opening of its new satellite contact center in Yakima. The facility may provide room enough to more than double the company’s current staff of 500 housed at its base location, spokeswoman Kristen Treat told MortgageDaily.com in an e-mailed statement.

“HouseValues continues to grow at a phenomenal rate, and focused on selecting a second location that allows us to deliver world-class, cost-effective services to our real estate professional customers,” said HouseValues President Clayton Lewis in an announcement.

HouseValues, founded in 1999 and named the ninth fastest-growing technology company in 2004, provides real estate and mortgage professionals with access to interested home buyers and sellers, as well as a comprehensive lead management and marketing system, according to the announcement.

The Yakima facility will be built to house 350 employees, but could be expanded to a capacity of 650, Treat indicated.

“Phase II will be evaluated in Q2/Q3 of 2006 which includes the additional 300 employees,” she said.

For the moment, HouseValues announced it “plans to hire more than 100 employees for its Yakima facility during the next two quarters; with the initial positions focused on management and sales.” The remainder of the planned 350 employees will be hired throughout 2006, Treat said.

A “fully ramped account executive can earn in the high 30s in Yakima,” the spokeswoman said.

In the national search HouseValues said it conducted for the location of its first satellite operation, the company “evaluated locations in New York, Arkansas, Oregon, Washington, and California,” Treat said.

In addition to the “talent and availability of the work force, as well as available space and existing infrastructure in Yakima,” the governor and local officials “made a very compelling case on why Yakima is the clear choice for our new satellite operation,” HouseValues said in the announcement.