By James Hagerty and Anjali Athavaley
From The Wall Street Journal Online

Selling homes has turned into a dog-eat-dog business, so Patrick Logue decided to work with some friendlier canines.

Mr. Logue quit his job as a real-estate agent near Fort Myers, Fla., in December. Then he set up shop as a franchisee of the dog-training chain Bark Busters. So far, he says, “I have zero regrets.”

The long-awaited shakeout among real-estate agents is finally happening — much to the relief of those who are sticking with the business and prefer a bit less competition.

The number of homes listed for sale in 18 major U.S. metropolitan areas at the end of January was up 2.55% from a month earlier, according to data compiled by ZipRealty Inc., a national real-estate brokerage firm based in Emeryville, Calif.

The modest increase comes amid a glut of homes on the market in much of the country. Home prices have been leveling off or declining in recent months in many areas, and they are unlikely to bounce back until inventories come down.

The ZipRealty data cover listings of single-family homes, condominiums and town houses on local multiple-listing services.