Is ActiveRain just for Traditional brokerages?

Darren? Daryl?  Darrel? Integrity mortgage guy..

Others have used that excuse in earlier comments.

The fact that the comment is old is immaterial, if he is talking commissions,

He is an ActiveRain member.  He last  commented on a post on Friday September 25, 2009. That seems like he's still an active member to me. 

Not harassing Scott Thomas anymore? 

got tired? 

someone told him he's a pawn participating in Scott's marketing? 

Chad I care because of the antitrust issue. Did you follow the court cases in the United States against local boards and NAR? 

Flat fee MLS is not a 2nd class citizen in the US.

Canada?  I don't know and really don't care. Maybe being a Canadian rather than a US citizen allows you some freedom that we don't have in our business.  

The comment should have come down long ago, the one where he quotes

"Less than X% of all real estate transactions involve a X% fee.  Most agents in my area (GA) charge an average of Y%."

Scott left it all up because it is good for his business to have a Keller Williams agent making that statement.  Is it good for his KW brokerage?  His local association? His state association? NAR?  No. 

Is it good for ActiveRain?

Usually the biggest opponents to alternate real estate business models on ActiveRain are lenders who want to stir up trouble.

If you want to be the Canadian pawn to Scott Thomas, you can take up where the guy on  "a personal mission to stomp out these discount services"  left off.

Or it looks like Michael Ford in California is looking for a stooge on his posts? (Edit Michael does not yet have a blog) like the way the fella who Tim Maitski described as "a personal mission to stomp out these discount services."

The morons on "a personal mission to stomp out these discount services" are their advertising.

The morons on " a personal mission to stomp out these discount services" on public posts are putting on a good show for consumers who might be considering trying their business model. 

The comments on Sponsored Featured Posts are for a totally different reason.  Totally monetary but I don't want to confuse the issues.  I've posted on that issue twice before. This post is about business model.  Some people get confused if you try to cover too much ground.

Chad and Michael thanks for your comments now move along.

YES Jason thank.... thank you... thank you... thank you...

Michael Welcome to ActiveRain, please enjoy yourself someplace else.  Anyplace else where someone welcomes your comments.

They are not welcome on this post.

This is NOT a discussion of free speech.  Or politics.  Want to discuss that elsewhere?  ActiveRain gave you a blog to use.   Go start your AR blog.

Your comment did not make much sense to me.  I did not bother to comment back to it.  I don't understand the political reference at the end or appreciate your putting it into this discussion.

You've been asked to move along twice now.

Gene I am sure the majority of AR members know that all business models are equal on AR, we can all use our AR Blog / Localism / our Outside blogs to promote ourselves, just a few are on "a personal mission to stomp out these discount services."  Or any other business model. 

I have seen an agent with Exit told they could not promote their company.

I have seen a Keller Williams agent told they could not promote their company on AR, that it was not right. 

One of Chris Svec w/ Real Living's early posts there was a comment that he could not use AR to promote the Real Living brand. 

Chris sells franchises. 

The  AR Guidelines don't say don't try to recruit other agents, don't try to sell a franchise... there are not special rules for vendors selling to the real estate industry. 

Thanks for the comment Gene with the new, different avatar...

Sally Thanks for the comment.  Promoting your business? 

Or promoting your brand?  Early on, on ActiveRain I got a lot of cr*p from others for talking about Real Living HER (or maybe our name was HER Real Living back then....) including from someone with  the company.  If you are blogging and don't name drop keywords like your brokerages name it is a missed opportunity IMHO. 

Some brands have a stronger incentive to recruit than others ... if I don't want to read it I can move along and read something else.  There is plenty to read on AR.

Finally found it...  Here's the classic post from an ActiveRain employee (former) Caleb Mardini about talking commissions on ActiveRain

Talking Commissions = Serious Consequences

"On Your ActiveRain Blog Directed At Professionals:

    * Do not discuss agree or imply anything regarding commissions, rates, fees charged or paid, formally or informally.
    * Do not discuss imply or agree to anything regarding a boycott of a competitor.

Talk about rates with consumers, not your colleagues."

Lyn  Those are Caleb's words. I don't think it is linked to the Guidelines or is really addressed in the Guidelines other than being a federal law. 

I don't think a lot of people really understand it. 

I know most lenders don't have a clue. 

I know a lot of brokerages and brands would not want their agents online talking commission rates to colleagues.

George wow NC is tough.  I don't think OH law  is any stricter than federal antitrust laws. 

I was at a board committee meeting maybe 5 years ago when a "virtual office" broker gave a presentation.  I think he had hand outs about his company and it had info about his fees.  So I believe they were collected back up from us. 

The next year I was in charge of a sub-committee and we were doing VO (Virtual Office) and I mentioned something about his presentation and the magazine article that was published about it  and someone told me more about what a big mess the year before had turned into.  

Ran into that VO broker recently at a tech event... could not place him at first.

You said "you want to advertize what you charge then buy an AD"

Paper?

I think when I am on my AR blog talking to consumers it is the same as an ad to me. Interactive ad but if I am talking to consumers and some jerk from CA or IA (or any state)  talks back and is an AR member they are out of line.

Commission would probably not be something I would ever choose to write about online.  There is so much to blog about...

My blog I decide what comments stay, what comments get deleted.   

I don't think we need to buy an over priced, obsolete "paper" ad to talk commission to consumers.  I think Scott is within his rights to talk commissions with consumers on his blog.

When it comes to selling franchises and talking to peers, especially in a "Sponsored Featured Post" it is different but that's between him and AR. I don't know that, that is what he's talked about in the "Sponsored Featured Post."  

Are some of the comments to him on the "Sponsored Featured Post"  talking rates to a colleague?  The commenter from GA is definitely talking rate to a colleague.

The people who stop by to comment

Bottom line he's a member same as anyone else.

Me too...

I don't understand members trying to intimidate other members... especially across state lines.  I don't understand "a man on a mission" as Tim called him. 

On my WordPress blog I posted some Zillow neighborhood info yesterday and got a comment within minutes from "zillowhater."   ????