We (our office) just had an interesting meeting with Utahrealestate.com. They are the Wasatch Front (Salt Lake, Ogden and Provo) Multiple Listing Service Provider. They are trying to become our Multiple Listing Service Provider. They currently are the Multiple Listing provider for the Northern part of Utah. Our current contract with our provider is up in the next few months, so they are trying to have us join them.
This would create close to a statewide Multiple Listing Service. I am not sure how I feel about that. I do think that is what the future will hold. With the internet, I do see information like Multiple Listing Services being consolidated into one system for an entire state if not the entire Country. I know that there is talk of a Nationwide Multiple Listing Service. I will be honest, in my opinion, the Nationwide MLS would be too cumbersome to be effective. I do believe that "information overload" is possible.
I wish to discuss the statewide idea, I currently am for the option. Utahrealestate.com has a stand alone public search site that is currently achieving 11 million hits per month. That is great exposure for my listings and I think that would be beneficial. There is the concern that as a small board, agents from other areas will stop referring clients to us, and because they have MLS access attempt to serve their clients from 250 miles away. I can honestly see this happening. I think that it is a REALLY stupid idea! But I can still see it happening.
This is something that as a small town board, I really believe, we can either get in front of the wave, or be crushed by it. By being unique, and not joining an entity like this, we would lose marketing position, nothing would stop other out of area agencies from joining our board, then they would be able to tell their clients that they are marketing to the entire state, not just to this small area of agents.
I know that there is a lot of concern about this, some of it is justified, we have had several brokerages join our board when times were really good and skim off a nice percentage of listings for awhile. They have since left our board for the most part. There are still some that are on our board, but don't do a lot of business here. I really believe by not working, living in and knowing the area you are really doing your client MORE HARM THAN GOOD.
We are technically licensed by the State, and as such can sell anywhere in the State. Is it a good idea? I don't think so. I don't know which areas are the most desirable, which schools are the best, where the shopping is the most convenient in areas outside of Iron County. I don't even know that in Saint George, and it is only 50 miles away. I don't sell in these areas, nor do I market in them for those reason, but mainly I don't do it because I am not helping my client in the best way possible.
I trully believe ALL real estate is local! For me to do my fudiciary best for my client, I need to make sure that an expert in the area is taking care of them, here, that is Darcy and myself, outside of Iron County, I refer them to a good, local expert. Clients need to understand that it is extremely important to hire a local expert to assist them in the sale and purchase of their home.
We are not selling cars, where it doesn't really matter where you buy, you're going to take it home anyway. You can buy a car based solely on price and features. Houses are permantly afixed (usually), so it does matter who you talk to! Choose a local expert!
That being said, I do believe that even if I don't feel great about it, the exposure that a Statewide system like Utahrealestate.com is a good idea, and one that I fully embrace, why? Because my job as a listing agent it to expose that listing to the most buyers possible! A system that is currently generating 11 million hits per month, hits that I am currently not getting on my listing, is a great tool to help me be able to do what my clients have hired me to do, sell that listing.
What do you think?
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