I say Normal is just a setting on your dryer

I don't know what a normal year is. They all have their challenges and their benefits. I do tell people the current market feels more like 2018 & 2019 in our area. Some homes are getting multiple offers but not all.

"normal" it hasn't been a balanced market in a long time.  Once in a career type of activity?  They obviously forgot (or weren't in real estate) in 2004 to 2008.  Same type of fervor then.  Stick a sign in the ground and you make a commission.  People jumping in by the truckload.  No different than today.

Let's define "NORMAL". 

What is Normal? - Exactly Peter Mohylsky 

Funny, because in 2018 it was unlike anything most people had seen before. It had been that way the year before that, and the year before that, and so on and so forth.

Ugh! Not sure how to define normal, Peter! Do we ever really experience 'normal' in this business?!

In 2018, we had incredibly low interest rates and going back, looking at my journal from that year, we were in multiple Offer situations often. I also saw our home values in Charlotte were up 7.5% that year and I believe our average in previous years was 3 to 3.5%.

Funny but, in 2021 & 2022, I was so busy helping other agents be successful, I didn't have the stellar years they did! While I still did well, those two years were not gangbuster years for me!

Who wrote that article?
Can it be rolled up and smoked? LOL 
Once in a career? Maybe for some . . . and many of those folks will be going back to doing hair at Walmart pretty soon . . .
My best years in the past 6 were 2017, 18, 20, 22 and this year will match them. So all of them are normal for me! 

Normal is subjective. You also don't include the link on this ridiculous phrase.

in 2018 we still had too much inventory and too few buyers.  I think the last "balanced year" we've had was 2005.  

I have no interest in defining "normal". I am interested in working in the present. Others definition of normal would most likely describe an environment that does not currently exist and may not exist for some time to come.

Oh here we go again - what's normal!!!  You know, after 35 years in this business every year is normal in that I'm happy, doing great and enjoying life. Seems normal to me!

No doubt that with the benefit of hindsight, 2021 and 2022 were anomalies in the real estate market. For me personally, I was busy and did well in 2018, 2019, 2020, and am doing fine this year. I don't think in terms of "normal" because I would have no way to define a metric for it. Charlotte area has been more of a seller's than buyer's market long before 2021.

considering the attrition rate for real estate agents, once in a career of  2-3 years?

2019 was pretty normal.  "Normal", to me, is an adequate balance of supply & demand, interest rates that reflect affordable borrowing and a healthy economy, and housing being an achievable foundation of financial security for many people.

Thanks to the Treasury & Fed and their boom-bust actions and dumpster fire monetary policy, I don't foresee too many "normal" markets ahead.

Everything has value and there are many ways to proceed. We are looking for OUR way, the one that prompts from within. Lacking that, all things must be considered. Perhaps a weeding out of what works & what dosent?

For me, 2020 & 2021 were years I "broke my ceiling".  This year I'm running well ahead of last year.  I think the market is establishing a new normal for us all that is dependent upon where we are in our careers too.  We all know that in real estate, there is NO normal.  

Everyone has a different definition of "normal"! The market is what it is. Accept it, adjust and move on!

It would be helpful if you posted the link to the article, so many unknowns here. Was it written by a RE Broker, NAR, or just an opinion piece by someone on the editorial page. What was the source of their info? What is their definition of "normal"...do they mean a balanced market or are they including other factors that impact a RE transaction. And how did they pick 2018 as a "normal" year. I don't know that there is a "normal" in our industry and that's one reason I love it.

Sounds a bit like click bait to me.

Depends on who you ask and whether the person who wrote the article is in the industry or just another opinionist. I think 'normal' is a myth, ain't no sech thang!

I retired this year, so I'm not privy to what is normal or not anymore.

We are using 2019 as our benchmark in 2019 for normal. 

With the low interest rates we had in 2021-2, it was a good time to be selling real estate as pretty much everything was sell, and many had multiple offers. 

The run up to the subprime debacle, I'd say 2004-8 were interesting times as well.  Once the fever broke on that, even the unlicensed people left the business!! 😂

Real estate is local.  That is all.

I agree about '21 and '22 being abnormal, and let's hope it will be once in a career and won't happen again for a long time ( the pandemic that is).

Normal means typical or usual.  If it hasn't happened in five year, it is no longer typical or expected.

What was so normal about 2018?

Nobody really knows what is "normal", we create a new normal everyday.