Brokers fight data sharing

Several weeks ago we suggested, when looking for real estate, you begin with your local Multiple Listing Service instead of the well advertised third-party sites. The top reason for our recommendation was accuracy. Often the third-party aggregators will have the same address listed more than once with different prices, or different status than is factual.

Now, a San Diego broker has stopped providing information to these sites. According to the Union Tribune; "A San Diego real estate brokerage has shut off access to its listings to aggregation websites like Zillow and Trulia, igniting a debate over piracy claims, questionable data and open information to potential homebuyers."

Jim Abbott, Managing Broker and President of Abbott Realty group, stated his reasoning: "All listing syndicators have one thing in common. They act as a middleman and put our valuable listing data alongside the contact information of other agents and brokers who rent ad space on their sites ... Usually they do this without our permission."

Abbott's main argument is that third-party websites (he calls them all syndicators) take what he calls intellectual property such as photos and home details from companies without compensating the sources, comparing Trulia and Zillow to the original file-sharing service Napster. He also takes issue with inaccurate and unreliable information displayed on the sites, from wrong square footage to incorrect pricing. Third-party sites also tend to show listings that are actually no longer active. "This is about the long-term survival for all brokers," Abbott told the U-T San Diego on Monday. "You cannot keep giving away what amounts to be your future business."

This move follows a similar move by Edina real estate of Maine who announced last year that they would be pulling all their listings from these sites and Realtor.com as well. These actions have sparked debate among real estate agents, many who argue that. "more exposure is good exposure, even if it's inaccurate."

Certainly, as your listing agent, our job is to expose your listing to as many prospective buyers as possible. No one can argue that the third-party sites mentioned have tremendous traffic nationally and may indeed reach buyers from outside the area. So too, do most local brokers have websites that reach out of market buyers, but their information is provided directly by a feed from the local MLS.

As mentioned in an earlier article, buyers can become frustrated with these national sites who rely on agents to update their data. If an agent is using three, 30 or 300 websites to advertise your property, it becomes quite likely that they will neglect to mark a listing as "sold" on a particular site. Sellers however are usually grateful for, in fact they expect, maximum Internet exposure for their listings.

Abbott's contention with these sites, more than inaccuracy, seems to be the lack of control. He observes that buyers responding to a listing may contact the agent paying to be featured on the site rather than the listing agent. Rather than controlling listing data then, it appears he wants to control both the buyers and the sellers of the listings at his brokerage.

Yes, there is something irritating about buying an agent listing on a site that is selling your own information. Consumers drive the market no matter what the product and real estate is no different. If consumers have chosen Zillow, Trulia and Realtor.com as their "go to" sites for real esate searches, do you really not want your property listed there?

A good strategy, it seems, if you are one using the aforementioned sites, is to double check the listing with the local MLS. This can be done through the MLS's own website or by way of access to any local broker's site. Although not immune to error, the data at the local MLS is more likely to be up to date so you will not waste time fantasizing about owning a property that is already sold, or dismissing a property as out of your price range, when in fact the price has recently been reduced.

Trust an expert... call a Realtor. Call your Realtor or visit www.cdarealtors.com to search properties on the Multiple Listing Service or to find a Realtor member who will represent your best interests.

Kim Cooper is a real estate broker and the spokesman for the Coeur d'Alene Association of Realtors. Kim and the association invite your feedback and input for this column. You may contact them by writing to the Coeur d'Alene Association of Realtors, 409 W. Neider, Coeur d'Alene, ID 83815 or by calling (208) 667-0664.