Customer good or agent good?

My office was just fined by our local MLS. It seems we violated Section 7 paragraph B when entering one of our latest listings. This rule reads:

For incorrect information entered in the Remarks data fields. The
remarks shall not include any agent, broker, company, URL information or
affiliated businesses; however this
information may be entered in the Realtor
Remarks field.

I highlighted in red the sin we committed. The listing in question is one of several new condos being built in the Maitland Florida area. The offending urls were ones that directed the consumer to the City of Maitland's site and the second linked to the Builder's site showing all the amenities of their product. You would think both links would be of use to the buying public right? So why the fine?

The problem I believe is in the over zealous interpretation of the original intent of the rule. The reason we have a Section 7 paragraph B rule in my opinion is because someone in charge of the MLS decided, most likely through the prodding of a few real estate agents, that the MLS should help agents with keeping their customers loyal. What does that mean? Agents often have difficulty keeping buyers working just with them. This problem can escalate when an agent emails, faxes or delivers MLS reports to their customers which contain another agent's contact information. So the MLS said no personal contact info is allowed in any customer section of an MLS report.

Fine, I can accept that. However, I cannot accept eliminating valuable non-agent specific links. We as an industry are already under increased scrutiny by the powers who be that claim we are becoming more and more about what is good for us and less about what is good for the consumer. To say that the listing agent, selling agent, seller, prospective buyer are in some way harmed by the providing of a valuable link to a City or builder is short sighted.

I have appealed the fine with confidence my MLS will re-think their policy.


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- Greg Staker Watson Realty Corp. 407-304-0255

Does the home seller agree?

According to an article from Inman News found here, Prudential Real Estate did not allow Zillow and Trulia to participate in a recent convention. Zillow and Trulia are two of the larger online real estate related websites that provide services to the consumer base from home price evaluation to search features to find properties around the country.

It would seem from the article that Prudential Real Estate the Company, is not interested in taking advantage of any services the two online real estate information providers offer.

Would their customer base agree? It seems to me that the customer would not be concerned with exclusive agreements, referral fees or how many sites highlight their home. On the contrary, I would think that most sellers would agree that you cannot get too much exposure for their home.

Maybe I am wrong, maybe the home buying and selling consumer are more interested in real estate companies gaining control of where the companies listings are being seen online rather than seeing their home listed on as many websites as possible.

And maybe pigs are landing at Orlando International Airport as I write this.


Related Florida real estate views:

No word yet if Zillow will deliver the papers too.

ze zillow iz ze buzz word

Realtor.com survey


- Greg Staker Watson Realty Corp. 407-304-0255

More Watson Realty relocation awards

Today additional Leading RE Marketing Awards were presented. We received the following recognition:

Best Website - 1st Place
Best Referral Promotions - 2nd Place
Best Specialty Marketing - 3rd Place
Best Company Brand Advertising - 3rd Place

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William Watson Jr. named Vice Chairman


- Greg Staker Watson Realty Corp. 407-304-0255

Relocation awards - Watson Realty - Florida real estate

I am pleased to report that today Watson Realty Corp. received the following recognition at the Luxury Portfolio Conference preceding the Leading RE Conference.

Luxury Portfolio 2007 Marketing Contest:

Luxury Portfolio Company Brand/Luxury Affiliation Advertising - Third Place
Luxury Portfolio Business Cards & Letterhead - Third Place
Luxury Property Advertising - Honorable Mention

Watson Realty offers the very best relocation service.

Related Florida real estate views:

Watson Realty Corp. Earns Achievement Award

Landschoot Earns RELO Direct® Service Award

Watson Realty wins relocation customer service award


- Greg Staker Watson Realty Corp. 407-304-0255

Home not selling? What does your agent say?

Have you had your home on the market for 30 days? 60? 90? Maybe you have been on the market waiting for the "right" buyer for over 4 months or longer. What does your agent say when they provide you feedback? Let's examine some of the feedback you may have received.

• No buyers have viewed the home. Well it could be that your home was never placed in the MLS, or no advertisement was ever done or no open houses have been held or time as we know it stopped at the exact moment you listed your home....OR....it could be that with over 26,000 homes for sale in the 4 county area of Volusia, Osceola, Orange and Seminole that there are homes of similar size, quality and location as yours priced better. Real buyers are buying. They are not missing out on homes that are priced to sell. If your real estate agent has not shown you recent pending and sales in your area since you listed the home, make them show you. Homes are selling.
• The agents all say it is priced ok. This is one that I heard today. An agent in office said that their listing cannot be over priced because feed back from all the agents who showed the home did not indicate it was over priced. News flash, the agent is not buying your home! The buyer who is with the agent is and if they did not ask their agent to present you with an offer, then they have made a decision on your price. I wanted to dig deeper with my agent who made this comment so I asked, "well then if it is not the price, why haven't the buyers made an offer"? The yard is small and the 4th bedroom is not functional was the reply. BAM, that is value speak for, "The home is not priced correctly". My associate was viewing the home as if those items were not a problem. Today’s market dictates more that just a square footage/location analysis. I pointed this out and they finally got it. Hopefully we will be seeing a price reduction this week.
• It takes time. Don't take this at face value. Here is where a company with a strong marketing plan coupled with proper pricing will prove that statement wrong time and time again. Homes are selling within a day, a week, a month and well within the average days on the market statistic of 90 days in this area. Make sure you have your home positioned to take advantage of the available buyers in the market place today.

It is true that the market is much different than it was in 2004 and 2005. A savvy homeowner and real estate agent know that testing the waters with pricing needs to be done so with caution. Carefully watching the market and making the necessary adjustments to price can be all the difference from a home selling to a home getting "stale" on the market.

Related Florida real estate view:

Does your agent have enough money to advertise your home?

This home “won’t last” is now at 612 days and counting

Free report on why your home did not sell.

- Greg Staker Watson Realty Corp. 407304-0255

MENSAJE GRABADO GRATIS

MENSAJE GRABADO GRATIS

El mejor momento para comprar su casa es ¡Ahora! Analícelo: si está pagando renta usted está pagando la hipoteca del propietario. Diga ¡no más! Aproveche que en la Florida Central los compradores tienen la ventaja, pues hay en los condados de Seminole, Osceola y Orange de 22,727 casas en venta (dato del Servicio de Listado Múltiple el 16 de FEB, 2007) así que aproveche esta oportunidad para comprar su casa por primera vez o comprar una más amplia a la que ya tiene.


Hay varios programas de CERO Inicial / Pronto pago disponibles

Casas en Urbanizaciones Tranquilas

Consultoría GRATIS en compra de Casas

LLAME GRATIS
MENSAJE GRABADO

REPORTES GRATIS:
· ¿Desea un Reporte de casas en Orlando que puede comprar con cero pago de inicial?

· ¿Cómo Vender su Casa al mejor Precio en el Menor Tiempo Posible?

· 10 Cosas que me hubiera Gustado que mi Agente de Bienes Raíces me Hubiese Dicho

¿Quienes pueden comprar ahora?
· Quienes compran casa por PRIMERA vez
· Quienes buscan la casa de sus sueños
· Quienes compran su segunda casa
· Quienes invierten en propiedades para alquilar
· Inversionistas en Bienes Raíces


ESTA LLAMADA NO LE CUESTA NADA
y le puede AHORRAR miles de dólares
MENSAJE GRABADO GRATIS

Watson Realty Corp 407-847-4781

Maitland/Orlando Watson Realty office

Here is an exterior photo of my office. Currently we have 48 real estate associates who work the entire Central Florida real estate market area.


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Watson Realty

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- Greg Staker Watson Realty Corp. 407-304-0255