In what could be the most convincing proof yet of the strength of the Bahamian real estate market, the local affiliate of a major international real estate franchise walked away with the regional prize for top sales again this year, leading firms in six Caribbean countries.

It was the fourth consecutive year that ERA Dupuch Real Estate won the sought-after title of best in the region among ERA affiliates, the conglomerate with 38,000 brokers worldwide, but this year?s win is particularly significant because of the economic conditions.

?We could flatter ourselves and say it?s because we are good or because we work really hard to satisfy our clients ? and all that is true, but it is only part of the story,? said ERA Dupuch founder and president Peter Dupuch. ?The real story and we think this is important for the industry as a whole is that we are in The Bahamas and the real estate industry in The Bahamas is healthy relative to many other places and not just the U.S. ?

It?s true, Dupuch said, that prices have fallen on some properties, most notably second homes in Family Islands where he has seen as much as a 30% drop.

?In some cases, they are really coming back to where they should have been or where they were before the bubble,? Dupuch said. ?But the right-pricing, as we look at it, opens the door to new interest among new investors or buyers and with interest rates low and people looking for a solid place to invest, the Family Island and Nassau markets are both good.?

ERA Dupuch won its award for best in region at the ERA?s annual conference, held this year in San Antonio with real estate guru Suze Orman, as guest speaker.

?Her message was straightforward ? stand out from the crowd, know the market inside out, wow your clients with service and you will not only survive, you?ll succeed,? said Dupuch whose firm beat ERA affiliates in Aruba, Cayman, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Turks & Caicos as it has done consistently since 2005.

While ERA Dupuch, founded as Dupuch Realty in 1993 and joining the ERA team in 2001, has offices and agents throughout The Bahamas, it was a Nassau broker who once again took the prize for top sales. David McCorquodale, BRI, tallied up some $20 million in transactions, including 12 sales at The Reef, the high-end condo hotel on Paradise Island that is part of Kerzner Development. ?Last year was exceptional in that we were able to sell a lot of inventory in The Reef and in Ocean Club Estates,? said McCorquodale.

ERA Dupuch also sold Bonita Bay , a project in southeastern New Providence that had stalled, but now, under new ownership, is being developed as Palm Cay.

McCorquodale credits the product and the climate. And, he says, ERA is ?a great team to work with. They have really come a long way with luxury property marketing and you could not ask for more support. That?s why ERA won the JD Power Award for Excellence last year.?

And halfway through the year, the firm?s founder said he expects this year to equal what he calls ?normal years.?

?People know the one thing they can count on when they go through any economic storm is land,? said Dupuch. ?Good investors know the value of real estate. Also, Bahamians are not having to sell. So we now have a buyer?s market with a new kind of buyer, one looking for a deal at a time when there are deals out there and interest rates are low. This should be a very reasonable year and we have our eye on the prize for next year.?

Photo: REAL ESTATE WINNING COMBINATION ? ERA Dupuch Real Estate founder and president Peter Dupuch is pictured with real estate expert, TV personality and author Suze Orman at the recent ERA international conference in San Antonio, Texas . The local firm led the Caribbean, winning honours as top-performing ERA agency in the region for the fourth year in a row.