Consumer Enthusiasm Up Slightly
Consumers are more optimistic about the economy than they have been in the last year, according to the monthly consumer confidence survey by research group the Conference Board.
The Conference Board’s index rose to 52.9 in December, above its level a year ago, but at a 26-year low that is far below the 1985 base level, which is 100.
“The index does not suggest that consumer confidence is high, but it’s better than it was the previous couple of months when it wasn’t very good at all,” said Thomas Lawler, an economist.
Economists tie the still shaky level of confidence to a continuation of declining housing prices. “[Consumers] are out there tentatively, and that is reflected in the housing numbers, too,” says Joel L. Naroff, an economist with Naroff Economic Advisors.
Source: The Washington Post, Dina ElBoghdady (12/30/2009)
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Can the Industry Restore Consumer Confidence? Industry Leaders Weigh In
RISMEDIA, July 17, 2009-A few years back a Harris Poll survey found that Realtors were named among the “Top 12 Most Trusted Professionals in America.” How do American home buyers and sellers feel today? In this month’s NAR Power Broker Roundtable, industry leaders weigh in on what real estate professionals need to focus on now to restore consumer confidence and help turn the struggling markets around.
Moderator: Virginia Cook, Special Liaison for Large Firm Relations, NAR
Participants: Jon Coile, President, Champion Realty, Chesapeake Bay, Maryland;
Helen Sossa, President, Prudential Palms Realty, Sarasota, Florida; and Vince Leisey, President, Prudential Ambassador Real Estate, Omaha, Nebraska.
Front Gate Properties, We’re selling the BEST Real Estate in Aiken, SC.