Contrary to the public perception, residential markets do not differ that dramatically from other markets such as the stock market. Residential markets do not appear as volatile as other markets because sellers and buyers are often misaligned in terms of "market value" or what each party is willing to come to terms on. Thus, we often get a disporportionate number of sellers relative to buyers and categorize this as a"buyer's market".

We attempt to encapsulate market activity by pulling up current data that is relevant to each property. We like to send a market report* to our clients twice a month to show what the current activity is and to keep them abreast of any recent developments such as a pending sale on their street.

We also like to view historical (2-3 years) trends* within submarkets to use as a reference to current activity. General economic trends such as interest rates affect residential purchasing activity. So, it is important to view current market activity not as an independent snapshot, but rather as a point in time on a trendline.

With almost no exceptions, every house, condo/townhouse, or lot can sell in any market within a short period of time. The goal is to find the right price and factor in market influences such as seasonal demand. Accurate pricing results in a short time on the market which maximizes the sales price for the seller.

* Denotes requires Adobe Acrobat Reader (www.adobe.com)