According to the Florida Association of Realtors, statewide sales for single-family homes dropped 27% in January 2007 as compared with sales for January 2006.

The Florida numbers shot down from 12,906 houses sold in January '06 to 9,382 houses sold in January'07.

In Tallahassee, realtor sales on single-family, existing homes dropped 31%, which while isn't the largest drop statewide; Tallahassee ranks among one of the deeper drops in the state.

The good news is that houses will continue to be bought and sold. Maybe not as many, which means the competition to maintain market share will be that much greater.

What can savvy real estate agents do to increase their opportunities regardless of market dips and fluctuations?

In our increasingly paperless world, differentiating yourself means more than simply investing in print advertising and expecting the classic strategies to offer the same bang for the buck that they once did.

With more than 77% of real estate buyers using the Internet for home searches, it is a no-brainer to realize that online presence is essential.

But the reality is everyone has a website. So how do you differentiate yourself from all the other realtors who engage in real estate activity in Tallahassee, Florida or anywhere else for that matter?

If someone is looking for a house, it is much easier to sit down at the convenience of their computer and do an Internet search, where not only with the click of their mouse, are they able to see available properties in their price range, but they can take virtual tours.

As a realtor you know all this. But what you might not know are the ways to engage house hunters' interest before they agree to work with another agent.

The future of the real estate business will be sunny for those who embrace the paradigm shift to online initial engagement. You can achieve this through fresh, rich content that stirs the imagination and speaks into the soul.

(c) Kathi Dameron, Kathi Dameron & Associates

More info on your stop foreclosure information search:

Get Free Foreclosure Advice and Free Refinance Quotes
Get your free on-line foreclosure refinance quote and free advice from foreclosure mitigation specialist in minutes. Compare real offers from top national subprime and hard money lenders... more...

How Comparable Sales Determine Asking Price
Working as a real estate broker is a fascinating job, combining analytical assessment of fluid and dynamic markers with interpersonal skills and salesmanship. As a real estate broker, you're well aware of the fact that you're trying to buy and sell the homes that are the core of the American ... more...

Buying Right In A Changing Market
Recently a Property locator contacted me about a lead in Grant Park, one of the better known neighborhoods in the city of Atlanta. This lead came through someone who was acting as a wholesaler. The Property locator reported the following details to me based on information given them by the ... more...

Fixing How Real Estate is Sold - The Time for Change is Now
The government has confirmed that which nearly everyone in the country already knew ? the median price for homes has fallen all over the country. That's not news for the countless number of home sellers who are facing severe crises due to the length of market time. When the fallout of this market ... more...

Adapting To A Changing Real Estate Market
It's amazing how swiftly the financial landscape changes for someone in the house business. One would think that opportunities with houses would be fairly stable. In the good old days, changes in population, wages, and taxes were gradual and those in the house business could adapt to them without ... more...