Are you a glass half-full or glass half-empty kind of real estate professional? Me, I like to believe the best—and it looks like I’ve got a couple of hundred companions.

In case you missed Akerman Senterfitt’s second annual U.S. Real Estate Summit last Friday, here’s the takeaway: the industry is optimistic even in the face of ongoing credit challenges.

I’m not much one for numbers, but these numbers—which come from a survey of 200 real estate pros—are worth reviewing:

• 77% have a more optimistic outlook for the real estate market in 2011
• 10% believe a significant amount of financing will come from banks in 2011
• 25% are counting on pension funds to provide financing in 2011
• 71% predicted multifamily would be the most active sector in 2011
• 26% are betting on hospitality
• 27% picked industrial as the most active sector in 2011

The statistics go on and on—and most of it deals with capital issues. But there are also some betting on when the market will return to pre-recession levels.