January 10, 2008 -(ATLANTA, GA) - Despite talks of recession, the economy's growth is headed in a "sideways" direction, according to Dr. Rajeev Dhawan, director of the Economic Forecasting Center at Robinson, who spoke at the annual Views from the Top breakfast.

Close to 400 real estate executives attended the 21^st annual event, which is presented by Georgia State's Real Estate Alumni Group.

Serving as keynote speaker, Dhawan said that the December rate cut by the Federal Reserve is just the beginning. "In their statement, it was very clear to me that there would be more cuts soon, which is good news because we need strong action fast in order to avoid a recession. I would expect that we will see a total of 75 basis points fairly fast."

No surprise to the audience, Dhawan also said that the ongoing credit crunch had hurt the housing market the most, especially in the high-end real estate market. Additionally, he said that consumer confidence is a bit "shaky" right now. "Consumers have taken a lot over the years, but they keep coming back. But there is a breaking point and we just don't know how close we are to that point." He also said that Wall Street is suffering from uncertainty and blames the presidential election. "Investors are watching very closely and are nervous that the next president might not be 'Wall Street-friendly.' Until we have our two main candidates and ultimately our next president, expect Wall Street to fluctuate."

Prior to Dhawan's presentation, Casey Wold, senior managing director with Tishman Speyer, and Doug Gatli, director of LEED, U.S. Green Building, addressed the topic "Going Green" in the real estate industry. Moderated by Greg O'Brien, senior vice president of Transwestern, Wold and Tishman spoke about the growth of green building and why it makes sense from both an environmental and economical perspective.

Proceeds from Views from the Top support Robinson's Real Estate Department and provide funding for programs, research materials and professional associations designed to keep the program's faculty and students in touch with the most current research and technology. This year's event raised close to $40,000.