The Real Deal New York

From the February issue: The benefit of being the editor of a New York City real estate trade magazine is that you can insult the public at large with relative impunity — because they are not the primary audience. Of course, I’m kidding. But I did stumble upon a survey recently that indicates that a lot of the criticism of real estate brokers as being too boosterish may be partly misplaced. It’s actually the homeowners who are to blame. Real estate agents always get accused of being Pollyannas about the market, largely because they often push the view that prices are going to go up no matter what. But a fourth-quarter survey by home-tracking website HomeGain.com found that a greater percentage of homeowners nationally believe prices will rise in the next six months, as compared to real estate agents. [more]