August MLS Sales Statistics The August 2013 MLS statistics will be released on Tuesday morning, and here are some quick takeaways: The Houston real estate market is showing no let-up as single- family home sales climbed for a 27 th consecutive month, up 16.2 percent versus one year earlier. Contracts closed on 7,504 homes and inventory declined slightly to 3.3 months from 3.4 months in July (but down compared to 4.9 months in August 2012). Prices recorded the highest levels for an August, with the single- family home median price hitting $186,200 while the average price was $260,607. Total dollar volume reached $2.2 billion, a 35.6 percent increase over August 2012, when total dollar volume was $1.6 billion. For more detailed information, please visit the HAR Online Newsroom for this and all other news releases.HAR Online Newsroom

Value Thy Client For more than two years, the HAR.com Consumer Research Panel has provided HAR members with information designed to help them operate more competitively in the marketplace. The value of consumer feedback is among the many survey findings available at

HAR Tool of the Week MarketInsight MarketInsight enables you to engage your clients and customers while staying connected. As a REALTOR®, you want to do the best job possible for your clients and customers. Show them the value of using a REALTOR® and invite them to use MarketInsight today! With MarketInsight, your clients and customers can stay informed about the activities surrounding their property without even contacting you. MarketInsight allows your clients and customers to view pertinent information about their property, such as Web traffic, appointments and feedback, comparable nearby properties and more. Setting up MarketInsight is easy. You can send an to your client or customer inviting them to use it. All the details displayed in MarketInsight are branded with your information. Find out more about MarketInsight at

Weekly HAR Market Stat A pendulum spends little time in the middle. It tends to overswing center and hang out at the extreme before changing directions. Apply that to housing. Two or three years ago, almost no one would have foreshadowed concern over affordability, yet that's what some are cautioning against in a rising price/rising interest rate environment. It would take further rises in both rates and prices to truly rattle confidence and sentiment, but it's wise to monitor activity closely. Market recovery is a double-edged sword, isn't it? In the Houston region, for the week ending September 8: New Listings increased 7.8% to 1,861 Pending Sales increased 39.2% to 1,590 Closed Sales increased 23.0% to 1,048

Questions? ext. 6 Get Your Social Media Boots on the Ground Register at Social Media Pro Boot Camp This course will help REALTORS ® better understand the marketing capabilities that social media can provide. Students will learn how to brand themselves and use social media to get more exposure for their listings. It will cover a broad array of different social media platforms, giving REALTORS ® multiple options for marketing purposes. Upon completion of this course, students will receive their Social Media Pro certification. Date: Tues. & Wed., Sept. 24 & 25 Time: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Location: HAR Bay Area Investment: $149