The Wave of Un-Syndication

January 28, 2012 Leave a Comment

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A couple of days ago, I posted four real estate predictions for 2012 that I thought would ‘Rock’ the industry this year.  I’ve heard from a couple of my colleagues that told me that my observations on listing syndication were not an accurate reflection of how the industry feels.  Well – - – it didn’t take long for the first prediction to start manifesting itself right before our very eyes.

Abbott Realty Group (ARG), a well-respected, residential brokerage company in San Diego, CA posted the following video on its YouTube channel.  Take a look:

 

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Still think that brokers across the country will never pull out of REALTOR.com, Trulia, Zillow, et. al.?  Jim Abbott, the President of ARG, outlines some compelling points in favor of yanking a firm’s listings from these aggregators.  As the year unfolds, it will be interesting to see how many other brokers follow ARG’s lead.  Stay tuned.

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Will the National Association of REALTORS Unleash the 800 Pound Gorilla – - – a National MLS?

November 7, 2009 Leave a Comment

Late yesterday afternoon, the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) announced that on November 12, they will unveil a new web site called HouseLogic designed to provide home owners with a smart, simple resource to help them manage their homes wisely and to help REALTORS® extend their relationship with consumers through the entire lifecycle of homeownership.  While the specifics are still sketchy at this point, it is clear that NAR’s latest foray into the world of online real estate is not just a simple blip on the radar screen but rather a major trembler within our industry.

For the past couple of years, NAR has been working on a project called the ‘Realtors Property Resource’ (RPR) that has been shrouded in secrecy.  In fact, even the name was a mystery.  It had been called ’Gateway,’ ‘The Real Estate Channel’ and the ‘Library/Archive.’  Those of us in the industry weren’t even allowed to know all the details about the project.  Was it for consumers?  REALTORS®?  Would it provide data on every property in the US?  Was it designed to be a property valuation tool?  Would it take the place of REALTOR.com?  Or, dare I ask – - – Was it intended to be a national multiple listing service?  It was like throwing darts from 50 yards to try and hit an ant – who knew?

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Google Maps Enter the Real Estate Search Field

July 7, 2009 Leave a Comment

Image via CrunchBase

Google just upped the ante in the competitive field of real estate listing search engines.  In a move that certainly had a few established players (i.e. REALTOR.com, Zillow, Tulia, et.al.) do a double take, Google Maps incorporated a new tool into its site that links buyers and renters to available properties.   The feature was only launched in Australia and New Zealand yesterday, but I understand that selected metropolitan areas in the United States are already able to utilize the service.

The following is an instructional video on how to utilize the service:

more about “Google Maps“, posted with vodpod

 
So what’s the big deal?

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