California is currently in the process of a merger between its largest realtor network and a multiple listing service. Over 33,000 realtors would be linked by the resulting MLS. The enormous amount of information all in one database has the potential to make analyzing the market—sale prices, price trends, and other essential information—much easier.
Such a move does worry some realtors, concerned about being made obsolete by technology. (or perhaps it's just their interns that fear this) Information is often jealously guarded out of such fears. However, the job of being a realtor is more than just listings—in today's communication-focused society, real estate agents must adapt to use the tools of the day, including internet information sources and complex analysis tools. Tactics will change, but technological changes do not necessarily make a business obsolete—in fact, if it improves the efficiency of the business, it is just the opposite.
A similar merger might hold benefits for Texas as well. Already the North Texas Real Estate Information System holds an enormous amount of information that can be further expanded and made easier to access. Though the markets in Texas are varied from one another, the current level of search sophistication can, if implemented properly, cut down on confusion and redundancy and provide more power to realtors. It might also have a side effect of increasing competition between Dallas and other Texas cities.
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