I'm a real estate broker and Realtor in Austin, Texas. I like to play with my dogs, hang out at the great music venues here in Austin, and enjoy the wonderful weather in Austin.
Aside from all this... Why do I, as an agent in central Texas need, or care about accurate valuation or data about property in Montana? I'm not licensed there. I don't sell there. And NAR Code of Ethics Article 11 says I can't because I'm not competent in the workings of real estate in Montana.
I've got an idea. Why don't all the MLS systems around the country give me the data. Then you know, I'll build a website with your images, your listing data, and publicly available records and then I'll sell the services to you and other entities for a profit? What the hell? I'm not a data entry robot working to make NAR and their partners money while paying Realtor.com $50 a listing to "showcase" my data on their website that is worthless without said data. In Texas we are a non-disclosure state and they want to sell the info to government agencies. Um.. I'm pretty sure that all the appraisal districts will love that. Personally, I think this is the dumbest thing NAR members could do to themselves. If NAR wants said data for their system our MLS should charge them accordingly. I think $100 per listing sounds about right. Then we could automatically get a featured listing in Realtor.com and have $50 profit that could go to reduce or eliminate our MLS fees. Sounds more fair to me. NAR can go and partner and sell the data, but they need to BUY IT FIRST. Joe www.joecline.com
I have to say that I will let my association know that I oppose this database. Move and Realtor.com have always been out for themselves. They take our data, our hard work attaining listings and charge us to advertise those listings that we obtained and we entered into the database. Once they have the data from all the MLS systems across the country what's to stop them from providing it to the general public for a fee? or to monetizing it some other way that hurts us. I'm not a data entry robot working for the folks at Move and Realtor.com. Personally, I think our data rates to those vendors should be just like their rates to us NAR members, by listing, $50. I think that's what the last Realtor.com solicitor asked for me to pay to advertise my listings. Aside from the age old gripe above, what's this? "RPR's backers say lenders, mortgage guarantors like Fannie Mae, and government agencies like the Federal Reserve are interested in harnessing the power of the new database." In Texas property transactions are NOT public record. So great now they take our data and sell it to whomever they want? I don't think so, but thanks for the offer. Joe
