Looking forward to 2011 - Snapshot of our business and my thoughts

Ever since November, we've been busier at our company than we have been in years.  November was my best sales/income month since 2007, and it appears as though February will be even better.


I'm hopeful that the market in Austin will continue its upward trend this year (and beyond).  Typically, we don't see this much buying activity in the winter.  Even since I can remember, the market begins to pick up in February.  Instead, I find myself with multiple daily appointments with clients.  I've hired a handful of new agents at Austin Texas Homes, LLC, and I'm looking to expand further this year. 


I guess it just plain feels good to be truly busy again, with buyers and sellers both.  I sense that there's a lot of pent-up demand for housing, as many people waited on the sidelines or chose to rent while waiting for other properties to sell.  Our market took longer to turn south than most areas of the country, and it seems like it's rebounding earlier as well (at least I hope that's the case). 


Having been through a couple of downturns in my career, especially with this particular rough patch, I feel more prepared to handle the good times.  If/when I get back to the income level I had in 2006, I am confident that our family will be able to save (and likely give away) a good deal of money.  At a company level, I am prepared to invest more in our marketing and brand-building going forward. 


After meeting recently with my business partner, we identified three strategies that I think could take our real estate business to an entirely new level.  I can't share any of them here, however, since they're just too darn good and creative.  :)


What's your market like right now?  I've heard anecdotal evidence that other markets are also improving.  What do you see?

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