When there are fewer properties to sell, we tend to see more brokers promoting exclusive access to off-market listings. It can be tempting to respond to ads like these. After all, you don't want to miss out on any "private and exclusive opportunities". 

But keep in mind, ads like these are sales funnels. And they're funneling you into "pocket listings" that benefit the advertising broker -- a broker who often receives both sides of the commission by withholding the property from the larger market. 

Yes, private listing programs are perfectly legal. But it's also fair to question who benefits most from these promotions, and how private listing programs impact housing availability in the broader community. 

Are private listing programs a practice

When we invest more time, attention and financial resources into our clients, we earn more, too. 

For example: 

• We earn a deeper appreciation for the work we do, when we view each client as an opportunity to serve. 

• We earn the appreciation of our clients, when we lead with generosity. 

• And over time we earn a reputation for being generous in the larger community, which leads to an abundance of new clients down the line. 

We're lucky we have so much freedom to invest in our clients. It's such a rewarding way to approach our work. 

The Mad City Dream Homes team has had multiple loved ones affected by blood cancers, which is why we’re particularly proud to support the next generation of leaders advocating for a cure, like Sophie Bell. 

Sophie is a 2024 Student Visionary of the Year candidate for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). Over the past seven weeks, she has embarked on a fundraising campaign along with 13 other student teams to raise $300,000. And that money will be well spent: LLS is a leader in blood cancer research, patient access, and policy - in fact, treatments discovered through LLS research are being applied to clinical trials for other cancers, too. 

It’s not too late to support this important cause like Sophie has, which is working towards a cancer-free

Recently a client asked us for our opinion on a home for sale on the west side of Madison. Our client was considering submitting an offer, and they wanted us to weigh in before writing. 

Our take was no, they shouldn't write. We were concerned about the resale value of this particular home and the potential for costly repairs in the future. And so we continued our search. 

The good news is we found a much better home for our clients just a few days later, and fortunately for our clients, their offer to purchase was accepted. 

Our client's story serves as a good reminder that sometimes saying no to one opportunity can open the door to a better one down the line. And knowing when to say no and when to move forward becomes easier when you have a

We're beginning to see signs that more people may end up choosing to sell this year, based on our latest review of the Dane County real estate market. As the chart below shows, listings for existing single family homes are up noticeably during the first two months of the year, which is encouraging news for buyers. 

If you're someone who is aspiring to buy a home in 2024, this is a great reason for you to stay focused and committed to your search. You just never know when the right opportunity will present itself, and when a little good fortune will come your way. 

Contact us to discuss your homeownership goals. We would love to help you. 

Local home prices continued to move higher in the month of February. Here's our latest update on the Dane County single family home market.  

Dane County home prices 

Home prices in the month of February:

• The price per square foot increased from $216 to $242 (12 percent).
• The average price increased from $449,298 to $494,752 (10 percent). 
• The median price increased from $420,000 to $452,678 (8 percent).

New listings

New listings rose for the fourth straight month (an encouraging trend), but still remained well below what our market is demanding. A total of of 459 single family homes were listed for sale on the MLS in the month of February, which was the third lowest total for any month of February this century. 

We'd like to pass along that we continue to receive excellent feedback from our clients about Gorilla Movers, Above Average Moving, and A1 Movers. All three of these companies are easy to schedule and easy to work with -- and their crews take care of your precious cargo. 

Madison area condo prices rose from $202 per square foot in February of 2023 to $235 in February of 2024. That's a 16 percent year-over-year increase. Note these numbers are based on a low number of sales in the month of February. We'll gain a clearer picture of price growth as we accumulate more data throughout the year. 

Dane County condo prices

New condo listings

A total of 153 Dane County condominiums were listed for sale in February, compared to 100 the year before. Listing activity remains light, but this is a step in the right direction. 

Active condominium listings

"Active" or "available" listings are those that don't have an accepted offer. Although Madison area condo inventory remains tight (with only one month of supply),

We continue to see encouraging signs in the trends for new MLS listings: 

For the 4th straight month, Dane County single family home listings increased year-over-year. 

While condo listings increased significantly in the month of February. 

It's true, the supply of new listings remains low by historical standards, and the market remains very competitive for buyers. But if these trends do keep up, buyers will find more opportunities to purchase in the months ahead. 

Stay tuned for our full reports on the February real estate market, which we'll be releasing real soon. For more recent market updates, check out our market blog. 

Some people believe that you don't need to hire a professional in this market, that a house can basically sell itself. To a certain extent, this is true. You can place a sign in your yard, or you can sign up with a limited service broker, and your house can sell.  

But at what cost to you? Our feedback and research suggest that hiring a professional will bring more buyers to your sale, buyers who write cleaner offers and for higher prices. 

The good news for you is that it is a free market. You have a multitude of agents and models to choose from, and you get to choose the agent and the model that you feel are the best fit for you.