DALLAS-Goodbye 2002. Hello 2003. Unfortunately, the turning calendar isn't going to mean a turn in the direction of the Dallas-Fort Worth office market, say two seasoned executives who've seen the best and the worst of times in the North Texas real estate market.

Research teams are putting their finishing touches to fourth-quarter calculations while those professionals pounding the pavement or mentoring the teams that are out there know all too well that it's not going to be a rosy report. And, very little will be changing for a long time to come, concur John Aldrich, president of Colliers International's Dallas office, and Jack Eimer, president of Transwestern Commercial Services' central region.

Dealmakers know fourth-quarter leasing historically is sluggish. This year's fourth quarter seemed slower than usual, Aldrich says.