Real estate generated top returns for investors in 2000, and 2001 is shaping up to be another good year, despite the slowing economy. That promises to keep investment opportunities hot for savvy market watchers, paving the way for strong sales as practitioners make hay while the sun shines.

Economists are starting to utter that r word again, but whether it stands for recession or resurgence depends on the day of the week and the position of the stars. One thing that’s certain, though, is the healthy position of real estate to weather whatever the economy whips up, analysts say.

Today’s information economy has the real estate world by its not-so-gentle hands. But unlike others in the industry, real estate practitioners are in a position to master the new flow of information. What are the challenges ahead?

When it comes to the “new economy,” there’s really less that’s new than the media hype suggests. That’s certainly the case with the real estate industry, which has been as quick as any industry to capture what’s best in the brave new world of the dot-coms without losing sight of the “old economy” infrastructure that can’t be replaced.