I have been a member of Trend since I became a Realtor. I have heard other Realtors and Agents gripe about Trend before but recently I have found my own reason to gripe. Other than the "NEW" upgrade to Blue which actually has some benefits but seems to make everything take longer this is my gripe.

I own a website that I host with point2Agent, one of the benefits I have is that they produce virtual tours for my listings from the photos I upload. These are really cool as I can upload over 30 photos per listing. I can post these virtual tours elsewhere, like Realtor.com and Youtube thus improving views of my listings and benefitting my customer. We are not allowed to put a link in the consumer remarks to a virtual tour either.

But my own MLS system of which I am a member and make payments to twice a year for the privilige refuses to allow me to upload an unbranded version of my virtual tours. When point2Agent contacted them to see how I could do this they were asked to pay $1000 to have the privilige of being a third party provider. But don't I already pay my dues twice a year, why should my website provider have to pay as well.

When I contact Trend about uploading Virtual Tours they either ignore my emails or refer me to a third party who wants to charge me to upload a virtual tour with 6, 9, or maybe 12 photos. I already have an unbranded tour with over 30 photos. Why would I want to do that?

This is damaging the consumers who we serve. Obviously this is a method for Trend to earn more money, but if it damages the membersand their consumers this policy needs to change and change now.

I am getting no where with this personally, so I have started a petition in my office, but am asking other realtors or agents in the Trend MLS who have an interest in uploading your own virtual tours to make a petition and get it signed in your own office and send to me Nick@vandekarteam.com so I can present Trend with a strong petition on this issue. Below is a sample of what I used in my own office feel free to copy this or use your own words.

The undersigned do hereby request that Trend allow members to upload their own unbranded Virtual Tours with out the aid of or payment to an independent third party company as we can do with Realtor.com and without paying an additional fee to Trend.

Name                                                               Signature

Look forward to hearing from you on this subject and receiving your petition as well.