Comments on: The War Against The MLS Continues | The MLS Must Fall! http://www.realestateradiousa.com/2008/05/06/the-war-against-the-mls-continues-the-mls-must-fall/ Internet Money! Money On The Internet! Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:11:56 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: pat fabricius http://www.realestateradiousa.com/2008/05/06/the-war-against-the-mls-continues-the-mls-must-fall/comment-page-1/#comment-1411 pat fabricius Tue, 01 Jul 2008 01:31:53 +0000 http://www.realestateradiousa.com/blog/2008/05/06/the-war-against-the-mls-continues-the-mls-must-fall/#comment-1411 I have read the info published on your website and I know that all the states have different rules and regulations that we in this business must follow. But anyone in NJ can offer "limited" service for a lower percentage. And individual agents are free to decide what commission they are willing to accept in return for their service. In fact it is specifically against the law for brokers to collude in order to arrive at a "set" fee to charge their sellers. We are all aware, or should be, of how much one must earn in order to continue to sell real estate. I have been in this business for 40 years and perhaps being a RE/MAX agent makes me far more free to set my own limits when writing a listing contract.. But I do not know why there is such upheaval in the hinterlands! What am I missing? I have read the info published on your website and I know that all the states have different rules and regulations that we in this business must follow. But anyone
in NJ can offer “limited” service for a lower percentage. And individual agents are
free to decide what commission they are willing to accept in return for their service. In fact it is specifically against the law for brokers to collude in order to
arrive at a “set” fee to charge their sellers. We are all aware, or should be, of how
much one must earn in order to continue to sell real estate. I have been in this
business for 40 years and perhaps being a RE/MAX agent makes me far more free to set my own limits when writing a listing contract.. But I do not know why
there is such upheaval in the hinterlands! What am I missing?

]]> By: Darryl Baskin http://www.realestateradiousa.com/2008/05/06/the-war-against-the-mls-continues-the-mls-must-fall/comment-page-1/#comment-1113 Darryl Baskin Thu, 29 May 2008 03:37:40 +0000 http://www.realestateradiousa.com/blog/2008/05/06/the-war-against-the-mls-continues-the-mls-must-fall/#comment-1113 What I read about the CMLS here is anti-trust. no wonder their is such an uproar. On the other hand, the public and the DOJ are missing the entire point. The MLS is about cooperation and compensation. Without this, the mls is just another place to dump some housing data. As a matter of fact, Realtors have even lost sight of what the MLS is about and most spend their time treating it like it is just an online pile of houses. The very thing the proponents of "Freeing the MLS" are trying to accomplish is what will keep it from working. Take out the compensation and who will be working to sell the house? Bring it on! Change is just a new opportunity to make money. I think people looking for homes for sale in Tulsa, OK will still be looking for experts who bring something to the table. What I read about the CMLS here is anti-trust. no wonder their is such an uproar. On the other hand, the public and the DOJ are missing the entire point. The MLS is about cooperation and compensation. Without this, the mls is just another place to dump some housing data. As a matter of fact, Realtors have even lost sight of what the MLS is about and most spend their time treating it like it is just an online pile of houses. The very thing the proponents of “Freeing the MLS” are trying to accomplish is what will keep it from working. Take out the compensation and who will be working to sell the house? Bring it on! Change is just a new opportunity to make money. I think people looking for homes for sale in Tulsa, OK will still be looking for experts who bring something to the table.

]]> By: Hunter Jackson http://www.realestateradiousa.com/2008/05/06/the-war-against-the-mls-continues-the-mls-must-fall/comment-page-1/#comment-1009 Hunter Jackson Thu, 15 May 2008 21:46:53 +0000 http://www.realestateradiousa.com/blog/2008/05/06/the-war-against-the-mls-continues-the-mls-must-fall/#comment-1009 I am unable to get any straight answer from the CMLS, their board, their lawyer, etc about a time when they might address us, the members about the pending lawsuit by the DOJ. Who woulda guessed? I am unable to get any straight answer from the CMLS, their board, their lawyer, etc about a time when they might address us, the members about the pending lawsuit by the DOJ. Who woulda guessed?

]]> By: Real Estate Radio USA Episode 114 | Real Estate Radio USA http://www.realestateradiousa.com/2008/05/06/the-war-against-the-mls-continues-the-mls-must-fall/comment-page-1/#comment-952 Real Estate Radio USA Episode 114 | Real Estate Radio USA Tue, 06 May 2008 22:41:45 +0000 http://www.realestateradiousa.com/blog/2008/05/06/the-war-against-the-mls-continues-the-mls-must-fall/#comment-952 [...] today’s show we talked about the latest Barry C blog post regarding a recent DOJ lawsuit again the MLS board in Columbia South Carolina that alleges [...] [...] today’s show we talked about the latest Barry C blog post regarding a recent DOJ lawsuit again the MLS board in Columbia South Carolina that alleges [...]

]]> By: Barry Cunningham http://www.realestateradiousa.com/2008/05/06/the-war-against-the-mls-continues-the-mls-must-fall/comment-page-1/#comment-951 Barry Cunningham Tue, 06 May 2008 19:53:11 +0000 http://www.realestateradiousa.com/blog/2008/05/06/the-war-against-the-mls-continues-the-mls-must-fall/#comment-951 Daniel..read the suit and you tell me where future lawsuits are going to come from. Look beyond the obvious and see what holes in the armor get blown open for future suits to follow. It's how anti-trust suits work Daniel..read the suit and you tell me where future lawsuits are going to come from. Look beyond the obvious and see what holes in the armor get blown open for future suits to follow. It’s how anti-trust suits work

]]> By: Daniel Rothamel, The Real Estate Zebra http://www.realestateradiousa.com/2008/05/06/the-war-against-the-mls-continues-the-mls-must-fall/comment-page-1/#comment-950 Daniel Rothamel, The Real Estate Zebra Tue, 06 May 2008 19:50:09 +0000 http://www.realestateradiousa.com/blog/2008/05/06/the-war-against-the-mls-continues-the-mls-must-fall/#comment-950 The suits that I have seen with regard the MLSs around the country are usually concerned with MLS rules, not the existence of the MLS itself. MLSs that try to institute anti-competitive rules are going to get hammered, that's for sure. The concept of the MLS, in and of itself, isn't the target of the DOJ. MLS systems are a way for brokers to share information and encourage cooperation. While there are plenty of sites out there that aggregate listing data, none of them are as detailed as the MLS. Even as NAR hammers out standards for listings data, whatever information it chooses to make standard won't be all the information necessary to make an informed decision about a home. Many seem to have the mistaken idea that MLS members are trying to use the MLS to hide data from the consumer, or have a private "walled garden" designed specifically to keep consumers uninformed. I haven't really found this to be the case, at least in my experience. My brokerage, and just about every brokerage in the MLS, shares data through IDX across platforms all over the web. We share our listing data with sites like Trulia, Zillow, et al (although it isn't automated for us, so we don't do it as much as we would like to all the time). I don't see the MLS as being inherently anti-consumer in either concept or practice. The original idea behind the MLS was not to create a consumer tool, it was to create a way for brokers to share information. How they use it is up to them. Like I said, if an MLS makes a rule that members must follow that is anti-competitive or anti-consumer, it is the result of people making rules, not an inherent flaw in the operation of an MLS. For me, the MLS is still, by far, the most effective way for me to find reliable property data and conduct business. If I had to try to use the general Internet to try to find and sell property, it would be a mess. Now, if someone can come up with a viable alternative, I'm all for it. The suits that I have seen with regard the MLSs around the country are usually concerned with MLS rules, not the existence of the MLS itself. MLSs that try to institute anti-competitive rules are going to get hammered, that’s for sure. The concept of the MLS, in and of itself, isn’t the target of the DOJ.

MLS systems are a way for brokers to share information and encourage cooperation. While there are plenty of sites out there that aggregate listing data, none of them are as detailed as the MLS. Even as NAR hammers out standards for listings data, whatever information it chooses to make standard won’t be all the information necessary to make an informed decision about a home.

Many seem to have the mistaken idea that MLS members are trying to use the MLS to hide data from the consumer, or have a private “walled garden” designed specifically to keep consumers uninformed. I haven’t really found this to be the case, at least in my experience. My brokerage, and just about every brokerage in the MLS, shares data through IDX across platforms all over the web. We share our listing data with sites like Trulia, Zillow, et al (although it isn’t automated for us, so we don’t do it as much as we would like to all the time). I don’t see the MLS as being inherently anti-consumer in either concept or practice. The original idea behind the MLS was not to create a consumer tool, it was to create a way for brokers to share information. How they use it is up to them.

Like I said, if an MLS makes a rule that members must follow that is anti-competitive or anti-consumer, it is the result of people making rules, not an inherent flaw in the operation of an MLS.

For me, the MLS is still, by far, the most effective way for me to find reliable property data and conduct business. If I had to try to use the general Internet to try to find and sell property, it would be a mess. Now, if someone can come up with a viable alternative, I’m all for it.

]]> By: Hunter Jackson http://www.realestateradiousa.com/2008/05/06/the-war-against-the-mls-continues-the-mls-must-fall/comment-page-1/#comment-946 Hunter Jackson Tue, 06 May 2008 17:30:39 +0000 http://www.realestateradiousa.com/blog/2008/05/06/the-war-against-the-mls-continues-the-mls-must-fall/#comment-946 I think this lawsuit has some good points. This is my local MLS, and I wrote about it last night on my blog (www.IBlogColumbia.com). I would like to say to my clients, “you find the buyer, you pay me nothing unless you want me to walk you through the transaction”, ie Russel Shaw’s package…but currently we can’t. I can not add things to the contract I want to…etc. This hits home for me….sometimes its good, sometimes its bad. I do agree that the MLS will not be the same in a couple of years as it is currently. I think this lawsuit has some good points. This is my local MLS, and I wrote about it last night on my blog (www.IBlogColumbia.com).

I would like to say to my clients, “you find the buyer, you pay me nothing unless you want me to walk you through the transaction”, ie Russel Shaw’s package…but currently we can’t.

I can not add things to the contract I want to…etc. This hits home for me….sometimes its good, sometimes its bad.

I do agree that the MLS will not be the same in a couple of years as it is currently.

]]> By: Can It Be Long Before The Fall Of The MLS? | Real Estate Radio USA http://www.realestateradiousa.com/2008/05/06/the-war-against-the-mls-continues-the-mls-must-fall/comment-page-1/#comment-943 Can It Be Long Before The Fall Of The MLS? | Real Estate Radio USA Tue, 06 May 2008 17:04:33 +0000 http://www.realestateradiousa.com/blog/2008/05/06/the-war-against-the-mls-continues-the-mls-must-fall/#comment-943 [...] check this update out: Update [...] [...] check this update out: Update [...]

]]>