BY WENDY COLE

Even when the housing market was robust, succeeding in real estate required impressive drive and commitment. Today, it requires a combination of guts and creativity that deserve a full salute.

The 427 of you guys and gals under 30 (you know who you are!) who beat REALTOR® magazine's "30 Under 30" application deadline this week have created huge stacks of paper on my desk that now serve as tangible proof of the field’s enduring vitality. You all are the ones digging in and getting it done, refusing to let dour news headlines roil your spirit.

Now our heavy lifting begins as we wade through the piles to come up with the Class of 2008.

While total 30U30 applications were down about 30 percent from a year ago, this year’s group is deeply talented. Many of you have managed to rack up notably higher sales in troubled 2007, and have had the smarts to zero in on growth areas like foreclosures and short sales.

Some of you have diversified your businesses to include investment properties and insurance products. And others have figured out how extracurricular interests -- like rodeo riding and beauty pageantry -- can contribute to professional success.

Narrowing the field to 30 will be tough, but we’re not looking to do things the easy way any more than you all are. Congratulations for submitting those forms on time, and stay tuned!