"Stronger job growth will strengthen leasing activity and greatly improve the commercial market outlook over the next two years," explains NAR chief economist David Lereah. "At this point, we project one million new jobs in 2003, with the momentum creating more jobs next year."

Cathy Whatley, president of NAR, adds that, "a projected rise in demand for commercial space would support higher occupancy rates over the next two years, and that would help landlords regain their pricing power." But the aforementioned economic improvements seen on the horizon will be reversed if the war in Iraq turns out to be an extraordinarily lengthy endeavor.

In regard to the length of the war, NAR did not specify just how long is too long. Like everyone else, the organization will have to wait and see.