People are living in their homes much longer than they used to, and when they do sell, they're moving for a variety of reasons. The recent NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers shines a light on a few key trends. 

Seller trends

• The typical seller in 2024 was 63 years old, the highest age on record.  
• The median number of years that a seller lived in their home was 10 years. Not long ago, the median was 6 years. 
• And the number one reason people chose to sell in 2024? The desire to be closer to family and friends. 

Other big motivations for moving included: the need to "upsize" into a larger home, the need to "downsize" into a smaller home, and the desire to live in a different neighborhood.  

With people choosing to live in their

It happens all of the time. There's this trap that many realtors who experience a good run fall into: They relax. They develop a false sense of security. They forget about the focus and the habits that are required of them to enjoy a prosperous career. And before they know it, they're drifting, living paycheck to paycheck, wondering if they'll be able to stick with the real estate profession. 

Fortunately, for all of us who are in the field of real estate, we can avoid this trap by remembering a few simple practices. If we embrace these practices day after day and year after year, we will enjoy a rewarding career. 

3 simple practices

1. Meet people. 
2. Help them. 
3. Stay in touch with them, and keep helping them until they eventually buy and

Young people are being squeezed out of the real estate market, which the recent NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers makes abundantly clear. According to the survey: 

• The median home buying age in 2024 was 56 years old, the highest on record. 
• The median first-time home buying age was 38 years old, an all-time high. 
• Only 24 percent of all buyers in 2024 were first-time buyers, an all-time low. 

Until our local home supply significantly improves, buying a home will continue to be a challenge for many people, especially young people who are working hard to grow their income and save up for their down payment.

Despite the challenges, we want you to know there are still opportunities for first-time home buyers in this market. And

If you're a homeowner in the Madison area, you've probably received a few postcards from realtors saying they've got a buyer for your home. The thing to remember is that for every postcard you receive, there are dozens of other buyers out there who would love to purchase your home, too (if only they knew it was available). 

Here are two other things to keep in mind about postcard buyers: 

1. The buyer benefits from the quiet sale, 
2. But the seller benefits from competition. 

So as the seller, you get to choose: You get to choose whether you want to participate in an open market or a closed market. Two very distinct options, with each option offering a different experience and a different outcome. Choose wisely. 

It's becoming more and more common for large real estate teams, and even entire real estate brokerages, to promote their private listing programs. The pitch for a private listing goes something like this: if you're someone who's interested in a discreet sale, the team or brokerage will help you by marketing your home to their buyers. 

But before you sign up for a private sale, it's important to ask two questions: 

1) What are the advantages and disadvantages for you, the seller, when you sign up for a private listing? 

2) And how does the brokerage benefit by promoting their private listing program? 

As always, focus on the financials. 

Dane County condo prices rose last month, across the board, for all 3 measures. Here's our full report on the Madison area condo market for the month of March, 2025.

Dane County condo prices

Three condo price statistics:

• The price per square foot increased from $222 in March of 2024 to $234 in March of 2025, an increase of 5 percent.
• The average price grew from $333,793 to $347,144, an increase of 4 percent.
• The median price changed from $311,000 to $316,250, up 2 percent.

We do expect Dane County condo prices to remain elevated throughout the year, based on current supply and demand trends. 

New MLS listings

A total of 149 Dane County condos were listed for sale in March, which was the lowest for any month of March

We’d like to extend a reminder: consider your estate planning needs. One part of estate planning is making sure your assets - like your home - are distributed in accordance to your wishes if something were to happen to you. This also saves your loved ones the trouble of the probate process, which can lead to extra stressors and fees.

Estate planning is also prudent to consider if you own a home with someone to whom you are not married to, or have bought property in another state. Not sure where to start? Not sure if an estate plan makes sense for you? We have vetted some attorneys who would love to be of help in answering your questions.

Contact us for a personalized referral.

Dane County home prices rose last month for two out of our three measures. Here's our full report on the Dane County single family home market for the month of March, 2025.

Dane County home prices

Three price statistics:

• The price per square foot increased from $240 in March of 2024 to $250 in March of 2025, an increase of 4 percent.
• The average price grew from $511,853 to $523,155, an increase of 2 percent.
• The median price changed from $469,900 to $464,450, down 1 percent.

We do expect prices to remain elevated throughout the year, based on current supply and demand trends. 

New listings

A total of 450 Dane County homes were listed for sale in March, just slightly above the record low for the month.

Did you know Madison was ranked the 7th happiest city in the country by Reader’s Digest last month? Consideration was given to the residents’ emotional and physical well-being, employment opportunities, sense of community, and focus on environmentalism. What a fortuitous time to highlight a nonprofit organization that positively impacts Madison in all of these ways: Bikes for Kids Wisconsin.

In 2017, Bikes for Kids Wisconsin opened the doors to its nonprofit bicycle shop and has been helping to increase bicycle-based transportation for everyone since - not just kids and not just people who can afford them. Last year, 2,518 bikes were donated to people in the Madison area who use their new-to-them bicycle for transportation to work and life’s other

#1) A professional anticipates your needs and proactively communicates with you. 

#2) A pro is willing to tell you what you need to hear, even if it's not what you want to hear. 

#3) A pro is generous with their time and attention and always gives discretionary effort. 

#4) A pro is dedicated to mastering their craft and continually adapting to industry changes.  

#5) A pro is cool under pressure and helps you handle a surprise with creativity and grace. 

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