For the city's real estate market, 2013 is going to be a tough act to follow.

In a year that saw nearly tape-totape sales growth over its predecessor, 2013 ended on yet another high note as December sales increased eight per cent year-over-year sales over the previous year. Year-over-year sales growth rose every month in 2013 save February and March, with MLS® sales for the year up by 11 per cent over 2012.

For a year that began with cautious optimism, 2013 is going to end as year of confidence.

Following a year that saw sales in Calgary increase by nearly 15 per cent, the forecast for 2013 called for a slight increase in sales, with MLS®c transactions expected to top 21,650. With just a few days left in the year, this year's sales in Calgary exceeded expectations.

The upcoming nights may be silent, but Calgary's days were full of another sound in November.

Driven by a surge in multi-family construction, local builders hammered out 1,693 new home starts in November, a 71 per cent increase over October.