First Weber Group Realtors came together more than a dozen years ago over coffee with Jim Imhoff, then head of First Realty, which began in 1971, and Bob Weber, then president of Weber Realty, which began in 1972.

"We did the napkin thing and asked why we were beating each other up when philosophically we ran about the same," Weber said.

Since the two companies merged in 1996, First Weber has grown to Wisconsin's largest real estate firm with about 8,800 homes sold last year by its agents, surpassing even Milwaukee-area giant Shorewest,

A UW-La Crosse graduate, Bob Weber became president of Weber Realty when his brother, Tom, died in 1990. He now serves as president of First Weber while Imhoff is chief executive officer.

Q: How is the Wisconsin real estate market different than the terrible markets in other states we hear about on the national news?

A: I always relate it to conservative Midwestern Wisconsin values. We just don't have that volatility in the market. We don't have the big upswings and we tend not to have the big downslides.

We also don't have the pressure on inventory in a really good market where people who shouldn't, are buying real estate as an investment to flip. We just don't have as much of that, so you don't have those prices going up rapidly and you don't have such a drop-off.

When a home is priced correctly -- meaning according to its location, condition and competition -- it will sell in our market.

In other markets, if a home is priced correctly, the market has been so hit by the decline that they're just struggling getting out from their investment.

Our average sale price has held up so well in Wisconsin, that being another indicator of stability.

Q: What's the market outlook over the next year and when do you believe it will bounce back?

A: There's no debate that we're off locally, only not to the degree we read about in the headlines. Our inventory's dropping a bit, which is always a good trend.

I'm probably as optimistic as anybody about the federal Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, which offers up to $7,500 in tax credits to first-time home buyers. At the very least, it's good news that there's something out there to stimulate people's interest. If we get interest from first-time buyers, then those that sell become second-time buyers.

I think this year we will probably end something similar to what it has been, maybe a slight improvement based on the tempo of what we see right now. My hope would be as we go into '09, that momentum will carry and by the end of '09 and into 2010, I think we'll be looking good. There are some pretty good signs of momentum.

Q: How have the Internet and technology affected a Realtor's job?

A: People have the ability to go online and research the inventory. When the buyers come in, they're much more informed and self-qualified. They have a good idea of what they want and how realistic it is to obtain. The Realtor's focus is on education and qualification to help them make the best decision.

After finding the right home and negotiating an accepted offer, a lot of effort goes into overcoming the bumps that are required to close. In today's world, there are simply more obstacles. It's a Realtor's job to get in there and mentor or sometimes negotiate to keep everything on track.

Technology also allows the agent to communicate more efficiently. They can promote themselves and they can promote their listings through sites like FirstWeber.com, national sites and agents' own personal sites.

Q: Does First Weber have fewer agents than during the stronger market a few years ago and have agents left the industry due to the current slower market?

A: When it comes to new people coming into the business that have never sold real estate and are thinking about making a career change, it's no longer where they're coming to the door without effort.

We're working harder and the challenge is a little greater to get people to recognize the opportunity that exists. I would estimate we'll be down 10 percent this year on hires new to the business. When you consider acquisitions and veteran agent hires, we're about even overall with our number of agents as we were a few years ago.

Are people leaving the industry because of the market? Yes. The market isn't as good and the media shows a pretty negative message. The people who are leaving are those who either can't make the turn or are unwilling to make the turn. Whenever you have a market shift, an agent must stay relevant to stay productive. Those who recognize the change and respond are doing well.

Q: What are the plans for First Weber over the next few years?

A: We will largely stay the course. We have never sought to be a low-level, or even an average-level service provider. We put our heart and soul into the tools we provide, the support to the agents, the quality of training and everything else that we do.

We're proud of who we are and our position is very relevant in today's challenging marketplace as evidenced by our gaining market share in nearly every community we serve. That philosophy will serve us well into the future.

BOB WEBER

President, First Weber Group Realtors

Address: 2985 Triverton Pike Drive, Fitchburg

Web site: www.firstweber.com

Age: 48

Employees: More than 1,400 sales associates at 45 Wisconsin offices

Sales volume: $2 billion in 2007

Education: Business administration degree, UW-La Crosse

Family: Wife, Mary; two sons, Bradley and Alex