Dane County condo prices rose from $200 per square foot in March of 2023 to $223 in March of 2024. That's a 12 percent year-over-year increase. Note the price per square foot is up 13 percent through the first 3 months of the year. 

Prices were up by other measure, too: 

• The average price grew from $295,361 in March of 2023 to $332,689 in March of 2024 -- up 13 percent. 
• The median price grew from $276,500 to $311,000 -- moving 12 percent higher. 

New condo listings

Condo listings increased for the second straight month. This is an encouraging sign, but it's important to note that buyer demand still far exceeds the supply of available condos. A total of 179 Dane County condominiums were listed for sale in March, compared to

In our latest real estate careers article we cover the basics of growing and nurturing your database, or "sphere of influence". Growing and nurturing your database is the single most important thing you can do to guarantee a rewarding and long-lasting career in real estate. Many agents are intimidated by this task, but the good news is our team offers a ton of support in this area. You can also make the "nurturing" part of your database a lot of fun - by staying in touch with your database in ways that are authentic to your personality. 

What is a real estate database?

Your real estate database is your network of friends, family, clients, and other people in the community that you stay in touch with. Ultimately these are the people who come to know

Madison area home sales continued to lag in March. 

While condo sales were lower, too. 

And due to low supply, both home and condo prices were noticeably higher. Stay tuned for our complete updates on the Dane County home and condominium markets, which we'll be publishing real soon. 

One proven way to enjoy a long-term career in real estate is to make a habit of helping other people, and to help others without any expectation for reciprocity. 

So, if someone I know wants to know what their home is worth, even though they have no plans to sell, I help them. If another person wants to know how much they can rent their home for, I help them, too. And if another person I know wants help finding a contractor to remodel their bathroom, I help them find a good contractor. 

I gladly help all of these people even though they have no plans to sell. 

If I only help people when I hope to receive something in return, that's not helping. That's transacting. 

The big irony here is that it's the agents who transact, the ones who are in it

New single family home listings decreased in the month of March after starting the year off stronger in January and February. 

While condo listings moved higher each of the last two months. 

We continue to see heavy competition and rising prices in this year's spring market. Stay tuned for our full reports on the Madison area home and condo markets, which we'll be releasing real soon. 

One clear sign of someone who's devoted to their craft is their willingness to do the inconvenient thing. Not because they have something to gain by doing it. But because it's worth it to them. Because in their mind doing the inconvenient thing is the right thing to do. 

For example: 

• The crossing guard who greets each kid with a hello and a smile. 

• The teacher who works everyday to build community in the classroom and make learning fun. 

• The doctor who attends to her patients with kindness, empathy and patience --  knowing that her patients may be worried or concerned.  

• And in real estate, the agent who helps her clients solve problems, and stay focused and positive, when they encounter a setback.

For some

Realtors have been in the headlines (and crosshairs) lately, which led me to do a google search of the most trusted and least trusted professions. And I came across this recent study by Gallup. (Real estate agents aren't included in the 2023 study, but in 2022 they were ranked just above attorneys and just below bankers.)

According to this study, the most trusted are nurses, veterinarians, doctors, dentists, and engineers. The least trusted are politicians and people in marketing and sales. 

Or put another way, the most trusted are people who are known mostly for serving and tending to the well being of others (relational), while the least trusted are people who are known more for selling (transactional).  

All of this suggests to me that we

Lane Manning recently met an aspiring buyer, Michael, who was in search of a condo on the westside of Madison. As Lane and Michael talked more about Michael's needs, they determined that the Marbella Condominiums would be an excellent place for Michael to land. 

And so Lane and our team sent out a letter to every owner in the association, which resulted in a response from Meghan and Shawn. Within a couple of weeks, Michael and Meghan and Shawn were all under contract with an official accepted offer.

Michael is happy. And Meghan and Shawn are happy, as Lane guides both parties to closing. 

You may have heard about the recent National Association of Realtors settlement related to buyer brokerage services and compensation. Although we have more to learn about exactly how business practices will change in the future, we do anticipate a few clear changes for consumers. 

On the plus side

We believe we'll see a variety of business models and compensation models emerge from the settlement, and consumers will ultimately have more choice. In the new landscape, the settlement will require many agents to do a better job of demonstrating their value proposition -- or face leaving the field -- which should help to elevate the profession.  

On the down side 

The home buying process in many cases will become more complex, not easier. And the

One of the very best ways we can be of service to you is to give your home the time and attention it needs well before the for sale sign goes up in your yard. By focusing on the fundamentals of staging, we're able to create results like these that bring more showings, more offers, and a better return on investment to your sale. 

Are you looking for some sound advice on how you can best prepare for your upcoming sale? Please feel free to contact us. We would be happy to share our thoughts and recommendations with you.