When Zip Realty, a national real estate brokerage company, opened a Visalia office four years ago, the Valley looked like a strong market to sell and market homes.

But the opposite happened when the recession hit. Home sales fell and home prices across the Valley plunged.

Zip Realty, announced this week, that it would close its Visalia office along with offices in 10 other markets across the country. The company plans to focus on its strengths which include technology, online marketing and its most attractive real estate markets.

"A lot of things happened in the Central Valley and home pricing is amongst a lot of those things," said John Oldham, director of marketing. "It's been a difficult market."

The company had 65 independent agents who will have to find a new broker to work for while three management staff employed by the company were laid off, Oldham said.