This is a question we've been asking ourselves a lot over the last few years. And the answer we keep coming back to, time after time, is community.

As realtors, we are out in the field each day, serving our clients, meeting new people, and interacting with other business owners. We've come to realize that simply by doing our jobs each day we have the potential to exert a tremendous amount of influence in our community.

In the big picture, we believe we can use our influence to help thousands of neighbors and business owners invest in making Dane County a better place to live, work, and recreate. If we can accomplish this, then our influence will be far-reaching. 

Our focus on community

Our focus on community continues to evolve, but we'd

Are you putting off your home-buying plans until the market becomes less competitive? You could end up waiting a long time. We anticipate 2022 will be extremely competitive for Madison area home and condo buyers, much like the market we've experienced in 2021. 

Our rationale?

The percent of listings receiving multiple offers right now is off the charts compared to prior years, which suggests to us that there is still a very large pent up demand for real estate in the Madison area. Here's some historical context:

2019

The chart below shows the month of April was the most competitive month for home buyers in 2019, with just under 36% of all single family listings receiving multiple offers. Up until 2019, this was a pretty typical pattern, with

Mad City Dream Homes is hiring! And we have an excellent opportunity available for the agent who consistently applies the right habits. In this real estate careers article we cover the 5 daily habits that are the keys to success on our team. Applying these 5 habits doesn't require any previous real estate experience, and staying true to them offers huge financial benefits which grow like compounding interest.

Agents who embrace these habits can expect to make $125,000 - $175,000 during their second full year on our team. Just as important, the entire team benefits when every agent consistently applies each habit. We all become more creative and more productive when we share the same focus.

5 keys to success on our real estate team

Apply these

Conventional wisdom says to buy a house in the springtime, as the weather warms and when new listings become more plentiful. But this traditional way of thinking could be misguided if we consider how competitive our real estate market becomes each spring. 

Each spring our market is flooded with a huge influx of buyers that far exceeds the supply of available homes and condos. We read articles online and we hear stories from friends about bidding wars, insane prices, and missed opportunities. "Buyer burnout" has become so commonplace in the springtime. And yet we always seem a little amazed and somewhat surprised that this cycle repeats itself year-after-year.

You don't need to buy with the herd

If you are planning to buy a home in the next

We've been hearing a lot of chatter in the Madison area realtor community about a slower real estate market -- and one that's possibly shifting -- but all of the data we are viewing right now shows a market that is normal and expected for this time of year. 

Single family homes

Take single family homes, for example. If we go back to the pre-covid era (2019), we see Madison area buyers were very busy during the first half of the year, and then became less active as the year progressed. As far as seasonality goes, this was a pretty typical year for our (pre-covid) market. 

In 2020, the normal seasonality of our market was disrupted by the arrival of the COVID pandemic in March. Buyers were less active in the spring, and much more active in the

Our team members are thriving, and it's time to add the next real estate agent to our team! If you are relatively new to the field, here are three proven ways we can help you grow your business and enjoy a rewarding career in real estate.

Our top 3 sources of business for new agents on our team

#1: Referrals from other team members

Many of us on the team have been working by referral for years, and we need help serving the clients that know us, trust us, and want to work with us. As a new agent on our team, this is a wonderful opportunity for you to work with new clients as you receive mentoring, training, and support from your team members.

#2: Referrals from your own sphere of influence

When you join our team we will teach you how to

It's been a crazy year for real estate, especially for buyers who entered the fray this spring. So many buyers were forced to endure bidding wars earlier this year, with sometimes as many as 20 or more other buyers competing for the same home. A lot of buyers ended up feeling discouraged and burnt out, and some put their homeownership plans on hold. This was especially true for buyers who needed to sell their current home in order to buy a new one. They felt that they just couldn't compete with a home sale contingency. 

Reasons for optimism this fall

If you are one of those discouraged buyers we want you to know that there is hope for you this fall. That's because the market has cooled since this spring, and were are seeing more balance as we

We recently shared with you our recommendations for Kristi Bertelson and Cody Helmer -- two local business owners we know and trust. Luis Rios is another local contractor we've grown to appreciate over the last few years. He's helped many of us on the team -- and many of our clients -- with valuable work that many other contractors aren't interested in providing. For example, Luis has helped us with lawn mowing, gutter cleaning, leaf raking, mulch spreading, weeding, brush removal, and the removal of fallen tree limbs.

In addition to his yard care services, Luis also helps his customers with painting and light handyman projects inside the home, too. 

We've learned over time that Luis is a friendly, hard-working and reliable person. In many cases

Are you a new or newer real estate agent seeking a successful career that is sustainable for the long-term? Here are five great reasons to explore a career with Mad City Dream Homes.

5 reasons to work with Mad City Dream Homes

#1: You receive ongoing mentoring, training and support.

At Mad City Dream Homes, we pair you with a mentor who helps you make a successful transition to real estate and to our team. We also offer weekly coaching sessions, regular team meetings, and training opportunities that help you stay on track with your business plan and your professional growth. 

#2: You build a career that grows from your relationships and reputation.

Throughout your whole career we help you nurture positive relationships with people who

The Dane County Farmers’ Market has gained notoriety for being the largest producer-only farmers’ market in the United States. Each Saturday, nearly 100 vendors line Capitol Square to sell their goods -- from cauliflower to cheese curds -- all of which are grown, raised, and produced in Wisconsin by the person behind the stand. 

Since its inception nearly 50 years ago in 1972, the market’s mission has been to unite urban and rural cultures and allow people to connect with their food on a different level than they could by purchasing it from anywhere else.  

“The market supports small farmers who grow food in an environmentally-thoughtful way and also supports our local community,” said Market Manager Jamie Bugel. “The market is an incredible