Some More About MLS Behavior

In a previous blog I mentioned that if you wanted to do your own thing and sell your home without an agent you could go by your local MLS and pick up the forms for a few bucks. Then My MLS in its wisdom, by committee no less, announced they would no longer sell forms to non-members. I noted this seemed a particularly shortsighted move. Yesterday, while visiting our MLS office on other business, I watched a non-member come in, approach the counter, and leave angrily. I asked the staff member what that was all about, and she said he had called her stupid and stormed out when she told him as a non-member she couldn't sell him any forms. While his rudeness can't be excused his attitude is understandable. He came in probably not liking real estate people and left hating them. I asked a senior staff person why they had implemented this policy and she said one of the members put the idea forward to stop the "competition" of private sales. She said also that the office was afraid of legal liability because people came in asking what forms they need and answering the question could expose them. Probably true, but denying access is not a necessary step to avoiding liability, simply tell people they need to identify the forms they want to buy. By this time today the irate citizen has probably told at least ten of his friends what a bunch of jerks real estate people are, and a bunch of "feel good" ads are not likely to reverse the impact. I've applied for the right to put a link on our website to a quality form and information provider. If it interests you, watch for it. You'll enjoy it.
Now some great news. We're going to be one of the sites that are permitted to integrate zillow.com data. That means access to that incredible data base without leaving our site. My web administrator tells me it's about 35-50 hours worth of programming time to implement and we should be getting close. We're excited since it should add a great deal of value to our visitors.
Even more exciting news is coming in the form of substantial cash savings to home buyers. Our drive has been to provide full and high level service to home sellers at substantial savings. Now we're going to bring buyers under the umbrella. Complete details of the business model will be posted here next week, in our print advertising also next week. If you're not in our market area none of this will benefit you directly, but you might want to shop around in your own home town for someone who will adopt our model.