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It's Time to Change the Rules

By
Real Estate Agent with McGraw Realtors

Syndication by Bob HaywoodIf you're a saavy Realtor®, (and we know you are because you're here at Active Rain), you probably already understand everything behind the meaning of one very important Real Estate word.

SYNDICATION

If you don't, let me define it for you.  Syndication is when your listing is taken and uploaded to all the outside Real Estate sites after you input it into your local MLS.  Syndication is what makes your listing appear at Realtor.com, Trulia, Zillow and others.

I did a Google search for one of my properties the other day and was surprised to find it ranking high on a website of a Real Estate company located in another nearby state.  "Hmmmm.  That's odd," I thought.  "Why would an Oklahoma listing be on a local Real Estate company website in another state?"  After asking Jeremy of 210 Consulting to check it out for me, I discovered that they had had their website "coded" in such a way that it picked up my listing in syndication.  Once the listing populated their website, the coding drove it up high into the Google search engine rankings.

Now here comes the rub.  My name was nowhere associated with the listing.  Oh sure, the company I work for was noted as the provider of the listing, but I was nowhere to be found.  Grrr.  I probably don't even need to mention how the nice Zillow people call us up all the time and want to put their hand into our wallet in order to have us listed by our very own listings that we gave to them.  Yeah, that's like selling ice to Eskimos, if you ask me.

So I've been thinking about this little dilemma.  How can I make myself "sticky" so that I stay with my listing(s) no matter where they go?  It took me a little while, but I think I finally figured it out.  And it is brilliant!  And if we can pull this off, we (the Realtors® of America) will change the whole game back to our favor.

Are you ready?  Here it is...

Listing Pic with Website info

Do you see it?  Yes, it's my website embedded in the photo.  All we have to do is to place our website on each of our listing photos.  Then, whenever the listing is syndicated out to the world, guess what happens?  We go with that listing...forever!  How cool is that???

Of course, there are problems with this, but I think they are problems we can overcome if enough of us get on board and "demand" this change.

The first issue will be whether or not our local MLS board allows "overlays."  An overlay is anything placed on the picture such as your picture or a border or...the website.  I'm not sure our local board allows this, but we're checking into it.

The second issue will be whether or not your local broker will allow the overlays.  I think initially that some will and some won't.  However, once enough get on board and more and more Real Estate folks jump on board, a tipping point will occur and it will become standard practice.

A third issue could be that the biggie websites like Zillow will not allow the pictures with the contact information.  To that I say, "Oh well.  Too bad for you.  Less listings on your all powerful website mean less Google juice for you!"

Another problem could arise if outside websites crop off the website information.  Of course, if they go messing around with our property, they'll find themselves in a mess of trouble (thank you Lenn Harley!).

So there you go.

I think this is a game changer that could be huge.  And I think, if we all band together and get this done that we can only do ourselves a huge positive in making sure that we, who went out and did the hard work of getting that listing, get to stay with that listing.

And that's a heck of Christmas present right there!

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Bob Haywood
Bob Haywood
Owasso, Oklahoma REALTOR®

Tulsa, OK REALTOR®/ McGraw REALTORS®
Bhaywood@mcgrawrealtors.com
(918) 272-7272

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Comments (14)

Lenn Harley
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA
Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

In a word. . .  SYNERGY.

Learn it, practice it and profit from it.

 

Dec 16, 2010 12:36 AM
Fernando Herboso - Associate Broker MD, & VA
Maxus Realty Group of Samson Properties - Clarksburg, MD
301-246-0001 Serving Maryland, DC and Northern VA

Tried that before.. .a couple years ago. . I though I was a smart cookie. . 

until I had a call from my local MLS. . they do not allow any text or logos in the pictures.

Dec 16, 2010 12:38 AM
Bob Haywood
McGraw Realtors - Owasso, OK
BobHaywood.com

Fernando, I think if enough pressure is brought to bear that we can change that.  If enough of us solicit our boards, we CAN get it changed!

Dec 16, 2010 12:41 AM
Gary L. Waters Broker Associate, Bucci Realty
Bucci Realty, Inc. - Melbourne, FL
Eighteen Years Experience in Brevard County

Our MLS will fine you if there is any advertising (contact) in the photo...sucks that they can control me!

Dec 16, 2010 01:07 AM
Bob Haywood
McGraw Realtors - Owasso, OK
BobHaywood.com

Hi Gary, Again I say that we have to change the board rules.  This can be done if enough people bring pressure on them.

Dec 16, 2010 01:12 AM
Jennifer Prestwich
Henderson, Thornton, Broomfield and Westminster - Henderson, CO
Madison & Co Properties

Brilliant!  I wonder if you could put a circle-c-copyright logo with your name instead?  If there are problems with you "advertising" yourself, you do own the copyright, correct?  I'll be interested to see what happens, Bob.  cheers!

Dec 16, 2010 01:12 AM
Bob Haywood
McGraw Realtors - Owasso, OK
BobHaywood.com

Jennifer, I don't know why one couldn't.  Great idea!

Dec 16, 2010 01:19 AM
Dr. Paula McDonald
Beam & Branch Realty - Granbury, TX
Granbury, TX 936-203-0279

I like it Bob.  I don't think we will be able to control this type of pirating.  Yet, if it brings my listing a buyer - then I of course will roll with it.

Dec 16, 2010 01:52 AM
Lora "Leah" Stern 914-772-4528
Coldwell Banker, 170 N Main Street, New City NY 10956 - New City, NY
Real Estate Salesperson

Bob, do you indeed own the pictures on MLS or is it your brokerage that does?  can you copyright the picture on MLS?  Just wondering.  I'd love to see a solution to the problem as I too was wondering how my listing got placed high in a google search on another brokerages sight without any reference to me or my broker.

Dec 16, 2010 01:59 AM
Mike Jaquish
Realty Arts - Cary, NC
919-880-2769 Cary, NC, Real Estate

Bob,

We here in the Triangle would also get into hot water for putting contact information, and that is what our URLs are, into listings.

I think the larger issue is the number of agents who are using access to listings to generate leads to sell.  Not referrals, just leads to sell.

Dec 16, 2010 02:03 AM
Glenn Roberts
Retired - Seattle, WA

Our MLS doesn't allow any branding either. You can't even post a picture with your company sign in front, and virtual tours can't have any branding that can be seen by "right clicking" whatever that is called. To protect ourselves we hinder ourselves, yet Zillow and others can use our information and sell space back to us. Arrgh!

Dec 16, 2010 02:16 AM
Brent Wells
The LivingWell Team - Prosper, TX
Dallas - Fort Worth

Bob,

I like the way you think. Ever since the MLS data was opened up its been a completely different game. 'Thats all I have to say about that...' in my best Forest Gump voice.

-Brent

Dec 16, 2010 02:37 AM
Marilyn Boudreaux
Marilyn Boudreaux, Century 21 Bono Realty - Lake Charles, LA
Lake Charles LA Century 21 Realtor

Good information Bob, I am asking my broker to check on this before I start implementing with MLS

Dec 16, 2010 03:46 AM
Leslie Ebersole
Swanepoel T3 Group - Saint Charles, IL
I help brokers build businesses they love.

Syndication is here to stay and sure is a bugaboo. But like rock music in the 1960s it isn't evil and it isn't going away. It's just change.

I, too, hate it when I see my listing show up with redfin or sawbuck rather than places that I can control. We syndicate to 1000s of sites, and yes, I pay realtor.com, zillow and trulia for premium placement and a hard link back to my site. Don't like it, but feel I don't have a choice. Part of being a listing agent is to promote your listings to the greatest number of buyers which means being on the sites that buyers use.

 

If you don't your manage where your listings they may end up on zillow and many other sites under someone else's syndication.

Agents should regularly go to zillow (and other sites) and type in their listing addresses as a consumer -- not signed in as an agent -- to make sure their listings aren't in under someone else's name.

We can't put branding on photos or videos in our mls. 

 

Dec 17, 2010 04:42 AM