As a complement to today’s report on how the real estate market will take to 2009 to bottom out is this article about how agents are having to work harder – and spend longer – to sell their properties.

Real estate agents across the U.S. are having to work harder in one of the worst markets in years. They often must spend more to secure a deal at a time when houses are on the market longer and selling for less.

Rande Friedman in Tampa, Fla., creates expensive promotional videos for the houses he has for sale.

Brian Copeland in Nashville, Tenn., has a feature on his website that lets potential buyers send instant messages to his phone.

“The more you can do to generate interest in a property the better,” said J. Parrish, a director with the Bergstrom Center for Real Estate Studies at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

Full article here.