Defying a national housing slump, real estate prices in Brooklyn rose 3 percent in the first quarter of 2008.

HMS Associates, a real estate appraisal service, said the neighborhoods of Williamsburg, Brooklyn Heights, Carroll Gardens, Fort Greene and Bay Ridge showed the greatest price increases, while areas such as Park Slope, Boerum Hill, Greenpoint and Clinton Hill are having trouble keeping sale prices up.

According to HMS Associates, average home prices remain strong across Brooklyn, though fewer homes are being sold.