RISMEDIA, November 20, 2006—In markets where the changing conditions are negatively impacting the profits sellers are realizing, the sellers in question are anything but happy campers.

With sellers having realized double-digit gains in many markets over the past three years, it is difficult for those who did not act sooner to be happy with gains that are not as hefty as they might have been six months ago. The negativity being directed at the sales professional is unjust to say the least, and off-putting at its worst. Here are some tips that will help defuse the angry response and allow for more effective communication:

Total sales of single-family homes, apartment condos and co-ops dropped 12.7 percent in the third quarter compared to third-quarter 2005, the National Association of Realtors reported today.

The Realtor group also announced that among a sample of 148 metro areas, the median sales price of existing single-family homes dropped 1.2 percent in the third quarter compared to third-quarter 2005. The report found that 102 metro areas had price gains, while 21 experienced double-digit annual increases, 45 areas had price declines, and one area was unchanged.