No zero-down, subprime loan for this baby! Whoa Nellie! Who needs to spend $100,000,000 ONE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS to live in Nevada?! Who the heck lives in there? Can you imagine building this for yourself?
My main complaint is that the NWMLS prohibits advertising other brokers listings without their permission. Blogging about another agents listing seems to violate this rule. If so, they should enforce it. If not, they should drop the rule. If you just selectively enforce the rules, the rules designed to protect everyone will protect no one and the NWMLS’s authority will be weakened and ignored.
Do you think that Realtor.com’s permission for the feed, gives them the authority to post in the manner they are on the new Trend Spot? Whichever MLS services give them the right to the feed, also gives them permission to post on Trend Spot via Move.com?
I think the big difference is Sweet Digs is a more balanced review, while Trend Spot is like a “Featured Property” referring back by link to the agent who has it listed on Realtor.com Worst case would be Trend Spot needing the listing company’s “written permission” to feature the listing in Trend Spot. Wonder how many would give Redfin written permission for a Sweet Digs write up?
Most MLS services around the Country do not require “written permission”. NWMLS enacted the “written permission” only recently.
I think a case could be made that the written permission rule was enacted to “block alternative business models”. But I don’t think any owner would give permission for someone to highlight a properties shortcomings on a blog.
Just to clarify something… Move got written permission from the agents to display their listings (separate from any agreement with Realtor.com) and actually had the agents email original photos so that we didn’t have to use the photos from Realtor.com.
I put the link in the article so others can test it. It’s in this sentence. “Here’s the link that appears in the Sweet Digs blog entry for this $15,000,000 local listing.”
Maybe I’m just too impatient. Can some other people test it and time it? I never get to the end.
Had someone send me a Redfin link from the CA site last week, same thing. He said he “took out the spaces” to make it faster, but I still couldn’t get it to load.
The site should load in 30 seconds or less. However we have heard from three users for whom it does not ever load. Interestingly enough the http://www.johnlscott.com site also does not load for these users. We suspect there is some negative interaction between the Microsoft Virtual Earth map control that we both use and something on the user’s machine (possibly an anti-virus or firewall program.)
So, if anyone is having problems with the Redfin site not loading in a timely manner please e-mail me: matt.goyer *at* redfin.com or call me at 206-859-2843. I would love to hear from you so we can get to the bottom of this issue! It really is driving us crazy.
I think the “written permission” requirement came into play a few years ago when agents with no listings started “borrowing” other brokers listings for their websites, newspaper and Craigslist ads. I don’t think it’s to block “alternative” business models, just anyone who would misappropriate someone else’s listing. Nordstroms doesn’t advertise Macy’s goods for sale, so why is that same kind of thing ok in real estate?
BTW, Matt, it loads for me in about 30 seconds.
And in the name of transparency and full-disclosure, regarding that pix of me & Galen Ward….. No, I am not 6′ tall. He was kind enough to crouch down so the photographer could get more than just the top of my head in the photo 🙂
Sorry, the written rule pertains to the bait and switch some Real Estate companies do for news paper advertising. A company in North Seattle would flood the Sunday paper with house ads in the two to three hundred thousand range making them appear busy. The market for those homes is so fast that they were in fact advertising sold properties or making up hand outs of sold properties as give aways to prospective buyers. It caused confusion. A very large regional Real Estate company objected to having it’s listings used in this manner.
In terms of macy’s and nordstroms we are all selling the same products. A company sign does not brand a property, or it certainly should not. That would be bad for the consumer, both buyer and seller. If you are only showing your company’s listings that would be bad. If your listing does not want agents from outside of your company selling your customer’s property that would be bad. A Real Estate company is not a brand name of the product for sale.
Sorry
Do you think blog write ups, as seen on Redfin, are considered “advertising another company’s listings” against mls current rules? I like you explanation, but are you saying one company can invoke a change in rules for all? Why didn’t they just have a dispute between two companies resolved by the mls rule as it existed?
Move.com blogging is in my mind a huge thing. Dustin, If you need any listings to blog about I’m sure that I could grab my camera and have you some unique pictures of some of our listings in about an hour.
The topic of permission to blog about other companies listings is a really good one. I know of one large realty company who actually provides an interface for competing companies to advertise there open houses on their website. I can see where companies would be worried about negative posts about their listings. And who exactly is going to determine what a negative post is. Simply including another companies listing in a post could expose it to a negative comparison against another listing in the same post.
This whole “right to advertise” another’s listings discussion is interesting. Just yesterday, I noticed on Trulia a duplicate listing for a home in San Diego. Since Trulia is not set up to show the range in a value range listing, one listing of the home showed the high end while the other showed the low end. One indicated the home had 6 bedrooms and the other 4 bedrooms.
Forgetting the confusion for a moment, it got me thinking about the whole issue of duplicate content. One entry was, of course, from the listing agent for the property. The other was generated through a feed by another agent from his office who is displaying all office listings on his site via an IDX provider – A feed of a feed, if you will. Office listing or not, does an IDX agreement give tacit approval to feed all IDX approved listings to yet another site? I am guessing “no”.
The NWMLS disputes about advertising another agent’s listing is more than just one or two companies. It happens frequently and there are several companies that use other agent listings to try and get buyers to call. I’m aware of one company that does a lot of investment type sales and one of their agents was frequently advertising another agents listings in the paper making it look (falsely) that he was the listing agent so people would call, then he’d say, “oh, that building has already sold, how about I show you some others?” I’ve also seen another agent using this same kind of schtick on Craigslist where she is posting other people’s listing info (but without all of the pertinent info) and then saying “agent will only represent the buyer” which isn’t quite enough disclosure for the common lay person to understand.
The NWMLS isn’t being “selective” about who they go after on these kinds of violations – they have a limited staff and there are over 12,000 agents in the Puget Sound area for them to try and police. They take a stance of asking agents to try and self-police as much as possible to help them cover more ground but I frequently find many agents unwilling to turn in other agents for fear of being black-listed by that agent in future business transactions.
My main complaint is that the NWMLS prohibits advertising other brokers listings without their permission. Blogging about another agents listing seems to violate this rule. If so, they should enforce it. If not, they should drop the rule. If you just selectively enforce the rules, the rules designed to protect everyone will protect no one and the NWMLS’s authority will be weakened and ignored.
Marlow,
Do you think that Realtor.com’s permission for the feed, gives them the authority to post in the manner they are on the new Trend Spot? Whichever MLS services give them the right to the feed, also gives them permission to post on Trend Spot via Move.com?
I think the big difference is Sweet Digs is a more balanced review, while Trend Spot is like a “Featured Property” referring back by link to the agent who has it listed on Realtor.com Worst case would be Trend Spot needing the listing company’s “written permission” to feature the listing in Trend Spot. Wonder how many would give Redfin written permission for a Sweet Digs write up?
Most MLS services around the Country do not require “written permission”. NWMLS enacted the “written permission” only recently.
I think a case could be made that the written permission rule was enacted to “block alternative business models”. But I don’t think any owner would give permission for someone to highlight a properties shortcomings on a blog.
Ardell and Marlow,
Just to clarify something… Move got written permission from the agents to display their listings (separate from any agreement with Realtor.com) and actually had the agents email original photos so that we didn’t have to use the photos from Realtor.com.
Ardell, the Redfin site should definitely not be taking forever! (I swear we’re not trying to keep you out 🙂 )
I’ll follow up with you directly over e-mail so we can get to the bottom of this.
If it is taking ‘forever’ for anyone else please let me know: matt.goyer *at* redfin.com.
Hi Matt,
I put the link in the article so others can test it. It’s in this sentence. “Here’s the link that appears in the Sweet Digs blog entry for this $15,000,000 local listing.”
Maybe I’m just too impatient. Can some other people test it and time it? I never get to the end.
Had someone send me a Redfin link from the CA site last week, same thing. He said he “took out the spaces” to make it faster, but I still couldn’t get it to load.
Hi Ardell,
The site should load in 30 seconds or less. However we have heard from three users for whom it does not ever load. Interestingly enough the http://www.johnlscott.com site also does not load for these users. We suspect there is some negative interaction between the Microsoft Virtual Earth map control that we both use and something on the user’s machine (possibly an anti-virus or firewall program.)
So, if anyone is having problems with the Redfin site not loading in a timely manner please e-mail me: matt.goyer *at* redfin.com or call me at 206-859-2843. I would love to hear from you so we can get to the bottom of this issue! It really is driving us crazy.
I think the “written permission” requirement came into play a few years ago when agents with no listings started “borrowing” other brokers listings for their websites, newspaper and Craigslist ads. I don’t think it’s to block “alternative” business models, just anyone who would misappropriate someone else’s listing. Nordstroms doesn’t advertise Macy’s goods for sale, so why is that same kind of thing ok in real estate?
BTW, Matt, it loads for me in about 30 seconds.
And in the name of transparency and full-disclosure, regarding that pix of me & Galen Ward….. No, I am not 6′ tall. He was kind enough to crouch down so the photographer could get more than just the top of my head in the photo 🙂
Sorry, the written rule pertains to the bait and switch some Real Estate companies do for news paper advertising. A company in North Seattle would flood the Sunday paper with house ads in the two to three hundred thousand range making them appear busy. The market for those homes is so fast that they were in fact advertising sold properties or making up hand outs of sold properties as give aways to prospective buyers. It caused confusion. A very large regional Real Estate company objected to having it’s listings used in this manner.
In terms of macy’s and nordstroms we are all selling the same products. A company sign does not brand a property, or it certainly should not. That would be bad for the consumer, both buyer and seller. If you are only showing your company’s listings that would be bad. If your listing does not want agents from outside of your company selling your customer’s property that would be bad. A Real Estate company is not a brand name of the product for sale.
Sorry
David,
Do you think blog write ups, as seen on Redfin, are considered “advertising another company’s listings” against mls current rules? I like you explanation, but are you saying one company can invoke a change in rules for all? Why didn’t they just have a dispute between two companies resolved by the mls rule as it existed?
Move.com blogging is in my mind a huge thing. Dustin, If you need any listings to blog about I’m sure that I could grab my camera and have you some unique pictures of some of our listings in about an hour.
The topic of permission to blog about other companies listings is a really good one. I know of one large realty company who actually provides an interface for competing companies to advertise there open houses on their website. I can see where companies would be worried about negative posts about their listings. And who exactly is going to determine what a negative post is. Simply including another companies listing in a post could expose it to a negative comparison against another listing in the same post.
Thanks John! I’ll keep your offer in mind!
This whole “right to advertise” another’s listings discussion is interesting. Just yesterday, I noticed on Trulia a duplicate listing for a home in San Diego. Since Trulia is not set up to show the range in a value range listing, one listing of the home showed the high end while the other showed the low end. One indicated the home had 6 bedrooms and the other 4 bedrooms.
Forgetting the confusion for a moment, it got me thinking about the whole issue of duplicate content. One entry was, of course, from the listing agent for the property. The other was generated through a feed by another agent from his office who is displaying all office listings on his site via an IDX provider – A feed of a feed, if you will. Office listing or not, does an IDX agreement give tacit approval to feed all IDX approved listings to yet another site? I am guessing “no”.
The NWMLS disputes about advertising another agent’s listing is more than just one or two companies. It happens frequently and there are several companies that use other agent listings to try and get buyers to call. I’m aware of one company that does a lot of investment type sales and one of their agents was frequently advertising another agents listings in the paper making it look (falsely) that he was the listing agent so people would call, then he’d say, “oh, that building has already sold, how about I show you some others?” I’ve also seen another agent using this same kind of schtick on Craigslist where she is posting other people’s listing info (but without all of the pertinent info) and then saying “agent will only represent the buyer” which isn’t quite enough disclosure for the common lay person to understand.
The NWMLS isn’t being “selective” about who they go after on these kinds of violations – they have a limited staff and there are over 12,000 agents in the Puget Sound area for them to try and police. They take a stance of asking agents to try and self-police as much as possible to help them cover more ground but I frequently find many agents unwilling to turn in other agents for fear of being black-listed by that agent in future business transactions.