Sorry I am posting this a little late….

Happy New Year everyone! We are emerging from a very interesting year economically that has continued to have an effect on the Real Estate industry as a whole.

The Brown Property Group is entering 2012 with a lot of optimism and a tremendous amount of enthusiasm.

• A very strong 1^st Quarter 2011 was met with a tough closing climate in 2^nd and 3^rd Quarters, but we ended 2011 very strong and have five closings happening next week to get 2012 started right.
• We are embarking on a series of new marketing campaigns that will essentially be used as our 2012 branding efforts. These efforts will pay benefits today and three years from now… it is our version of being “able to see past next week” in a spending climate in the Real Estate business that is admittedly still iffy.

The Real Estate business, much like the financial markets, has found itself at the mercy of exceptionally short term statistical forecasting. The Real Estate outlook seems to be shaped by snapshots in time… today it is Housing Starts, tomorrow New Home Sales, the week after Existing Home Sales… well, you get the drift, much like the swaying sentiment on Wall Street and our economy with the release of the next headline.

Speaking of headlines… let’s face it, they draw our attention. However, the truth of the article is generally found in paragraph three, so if we never allow ourselves to get to paragraph three, we are held hostage by the power of a few words at the top of the page. In 2012, you will see more information from us, but we will work on giving the news and statistics in a broader time frame.

• For example, in the 3^rd Qtr of 2011, housing inventory in the Atlanta market was just under 7 months of supply. That is as close to a balanced market as we have seen in quarter after quarter of stats.
• Cumulative sales in 3Q 2011 were above that of the same quarter in 2010, and were also above the same period compared to 2009.

That is the equivalent of reading the third paragraph rather than concentrating only on the headline. The news is not all bad, folks!

So, as we move into the New Year, we want to extend to you the very best wishes for 2012.

• At the core of our business, we want to represent buyers and sellers in their quest to make the best possible decisions in their Real Estate transactions. If you or someone you know is looking for a quality Real Estate team, send them to The Brown Property Group.
• We are also looking to build our team of agents. If you are looking to be a part of a true entrepreneurial environment, and work with people who truly love what they do, why not give us a call? By the same token if you know someone looking to make a change, recommend that they contact us.

Finally we want to wish a colleague of ours, Mike Reese, the very best of luck as his family transitions away from Atlanta. We will miss him!

New Year… New Beginnings.

Happy New Year everyone… from The Brown Property Group.