Lee County's Real estate agents enjoy renewed market - The News-Press
The numbers tell the tale:
• Fewer agents: As of Feb. 2 there were 5,909 active agents in the county, down 11 percent from 6,680 in March 2008, according to Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation statistics.
• More work: But the smaller number of agents has more work to do: The number of single-family homes sold with the assistance of a Realtor was 1,064, more than double the 432 sold a year earlier and about the same as the 1,084 sold in December 2005 when the boom was near its peak.
• Money flowing: In January, $125.1 million worth of homes were sold, almost as much as the $126.8 million a year earlier, according to statistics compiled by the Southwest Florida Real Estate Investment Association.
Some agents couldn't be happier at the new landscape of the industry.
"That's not a bad thing," said Barbara Klare, a Cape Coral-based agent with Gulf Coast Realty. "There were so many people who didn't really know what they were doing. I'd just be tripping over them. Say I'd have a listing, they'd bring an unqualified buyer to the house without really knowing the person could buy a house. I'd end up doing most of the work on both sides of the deal."