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Jim,  I've been pretty busy this past month.  Last week we closed two sales and wrote two other contracts.  But I have talked with others in the office who have said it has been dead.  Many of their expected closings fell apart for one reason or another. The recent February numbers for FMLS that just came out don't paint  a very pretty picture.  I hope things pick up for everyone.  It's much more fun. 

Yes, things are better when we close!  A lot more fun for sure.  We are still doing OK.  Our business for whatever reason has always been from April - October,  This year the business has started earlier, but has slowed.  In the right price ranges they are selling.  Clean, good price are going under contract, everything else is sitting.  Price Rules!  Sorry I got to go, taking another listing!  LOL!

Jim, Cedar Rapids, Iowa real estate is good and is up from last year.   We are cautiously optimistic that the subprime lender tightening of the belts will not affect our relationships with our clients in need that much. 

Hello Jim,  I personally have been pretty busy here in Pensacola, although, I could be busier.  Other agents are saying they are really slow.  I say this is the time to implement your marketing skills. 

Jim things are booming. I wrote three contracts just yesterday and I have a closing tomorrow.

Hi Jim, Business in MN is slow but the phone is starting to ring with buyers...I am working with 3-4 that are fairly active. I have avoided overpriced listings as well. If sellers get the price right the home sells. Lots of foreclosures are out there and homes needing TLC.

Slow in Las Vegas up until a few weeks ago.  It seems to be picking up a bit (judging from my calls and those of my peers).  Just like you, I have had to pass on some listings lately. 

Hi Jim!

I have to say life here in Kentucky is good. I think we live in a bubble. In the past 24 hours I have gotten 4 new clients from 4 different avenues. I've stopped doing floor time and open houses because it is not bringing in the clients I want. Now into my 4th year the referrals are good.  

Busy on both ends...listings and buyers.   I would say I am ahead of myself from last year this time and if I am right I feel another "big" wave coming in the next 45 days.

Best wishes to you

Business in Illinois is pretty good! I tend to be a really positive person (just call me Mary Poppins!) and am generally tired of the gloom and doom and refuse to focus on it. Our office has some really heavy hitters and is #1 in our market, as well as being focused on training & business building. It really motivates me to be my best. My last two listings went under contract in 30 days....so I'm happy! I usually end up with the most closings in the 4th quarter...so the seeds I'm planting today will bloom in the Fall. Looking forward to it! Make it a great year!

Wow, a lo t of comments!  Good, that is very optimistic!  We are picking up here in the Atlanta real estate market, others are telling me it is slow, but we are generating leads.  This could be a year of waiting for taxes to get out of the way, and home prices are adjusting and selling at the correct price.  The markets move when they are ready to move!  I do not see anyone giving anything away in my market, if it appears so... they were overpriced to begin with!

Jim,

I was nice to hear that I'm not the only one that is not overly excited about taking listings now.  Don't get me wrong, they have to be priced correctly.  But in Northwest Ohio, we are struggling with auto related downsizing.  Sellers most recently are becoming more in tune with the new market realities so, I am banging my head  a lot less than 6 months ago.   That is why I'm here at Active Rain, looking to establish a new business model so Ican get to more closings!

I agree....It is reinvent the whell time!

Jim this is funny becuase we are in the same market.  With so many buyers coming in off the website, taking these overpriced listings is pointless.  Sometimes I think everyone in North Metro Atlanta thinks there home is worth 10% more than it really is.  Buyers are so much easier.

Stable in Hawaii...little slower with amount of sales...but picking up in the last month....prices for condos/townhouses are up just a smidgen...single family have leveled but not taken a dive.

Jim, I can always tell if our website isn't working correctly.  I recently hired another agent to monitor the website and follow up on the leads.  The RE/MAX website has been the best selling tool I've had in years.  The market is still sluggish, however, I think it's coming back. 

Thanks for the comments  I still think I am in a buyers market without a lot of buyers.  We certainly have a lot of listings here in Atlanta.  Business is like a see saw!  An interesting thing is that our personal business is off, but we are earning as much via referrals!  More buyers leads but not in my area.  So when the market hands you lemons, make lemonade!  It pays the bills.

Hey Jim,

In Seattle, we have a very strong market if you are within 20 minutes to downtown. It is definitely a seller's market with inventory levels at approximately 2 months worth in desirable price ranges. We are saying multiple offers, pre-inspections, and very few, if any contingencies. It can get very frustrating, submitting offers 5%-10% over list price, no contingencies, and still not getting the home.....

Jay, you'll have every agent in the US and Canada moving there by this evening!  I Don't think there are a lot of sellers markets left even according to national stats.  Some niche markets inner city etc are bucking the trend also.

It's not as great as it sounds, unless you're a listing agent.  Even listing agents are getting frustrated because we've had more deals fall apart than ever.  Buyers are being pressured into making quick decisions and then get cold feet.  Buyers agents are making 4-6 offers on behalf of their clients before they ever get into a home due to mulitple offers and low inventory levels.  It's very stressful and newer agents are dropping like flies, which isn't such a bad thing for experienced agents like myself.     ;-)

Jim,

We are just about in the same boat as Jay, here in Portland. Multiple offers on the well priced homes close in. I have a buyer that we have written 3 offers in the last two weeks and not even been close even though we wrote over full price all 3 times.

Some years ago a friend of mine was working in a extremely poor market. He and He alone seemed to be doing well. Many of the other agents in his area were leaping out of buildings so to speak.

When asked what was he doing that was different over the rest, his answer was simple. " I just look at how many deals I want to do each year. If I want to be on 50 or 100 sides then I plan for it and make sure that I do it. The only time that I ever had a problem was one time when I worked in a small community and the total number of deals done did not measure up to what I wanted to do. So I moved. "

Mind set and Planning = achieved production goals

 

Thanks Herb!  Mindset is everything.  I know some agents that in a really hot market they would say they are swept off their feet.  They do about4 or 5 deals a year.  In a bad market, if you ask them how everything is going, they will tell you they are so busy they are swept off their feet.  They still only do the 4 or 5 deals.

Jim,

Well there you go. We must be setting our goals to high. If we were to lower them and achieved them each year out attitudes would probably have a more positive outlook. ( HE HE HE HE )

LOL!  Sometimes, I acheive without effort.  It is quite different than when we entered the business.  It seems to work effortlessly because there are systems in place that generate the leads.  Years ago a lot of it was hit an miss.  So today even though it may be slower in our markets, we are still doing about the same business.