Q:  Denise, I want to send out a 3^rd quarter real estate market update, but am not sure what to talk about in terms of what is happening, especially with the government shutdown that just ended. What do you recommend?

A:  For those who are uncomfortable with writing, I would let the stats do most of the talking. For example, your MLS probably has stats on data such as median sales prices, inventory, and homes under contract for the last 12 months or even comparing 3^rd quarter 2013 with 3^rd quarter 2012. I would start there and indicate whether those numbers have gone up or gone down. If you can put that in a graph, fantastic! Then I would simply make sure your voice is included by your summarizing the information then one or two sentences about why that change occurred. Before you know it, your report will be done!