Many Realtors are having a hard time. In my area it is not uncommon for a Realtor not to have sold a house for the entire year. Many Realtors have not adapted to the change in environment and have abandoned the industry altogether. However it does not have to be that way. 

All you have to do is find your niche. By figuring out what to specialize in and perfecting it, you will provide your customers the best option available for that market, whether it be short sales, REO, etc.

The question is, how do you find your niche and refine it.  The answer to that is easy.  You need to look around and see what all the Realtors are doing and find a market that is being untapped. For example ,in Modesto, the commercial side is booming, while residential is very slow. But there are many fields in Real Estate that are oversaturated with agents. The key is to find those areas that have the fewest agents, or to make yourself stand apart from the other agents through your customer service skills, expertise, or blogs.

With how the current market is in most areas, this is an opportunity for agents to become mega-agents and perfect their specialties. Imagine what will happen when the housing market turns around, if you can get lots of leads now by finding your nice!!!