TODAY, I DELETED A POST FOR THE FIRST TIME....Full Disclosure As To Why:

Hi All: In the high emotions of the day that I wrote the original post I see,  as I go back to look, that I did give out my own home address--I did it when I was quoting what I said to the individual who I had turned to for help from Zillow...I apologize to all who I told I had NOT given it out, when in fact I did. I need to clear the air about that issue because it is coloring the REAL one: we all need to be aware that the syndication of all our listings is creating another form of real estate and we need to be aware of that...we have nothing to gain and everything to lose if we ignore it.

Leslie: First of all thank you for making an issue of taking down the post---I had that in the back of my mind but did not want to appear that I was dodging the isssue that I brought up! So, with your urging I did take it down and I appreaciate your help in doing that....Now to the issue of what my company does: Whether they use the syndication of these websites or not is not an issue to me---I have never seen that they do because our "MLS" system is OREX, a privately owned one that is used by most brokerages on the  Eastern end of Long Island...for The Hamptons. The Manahttan brokerages do not use MLS either and so my company was involved in developing a "VOW" system which I don't know if it got anywhere because I have not seen anything come from it....At some point, that may become the type of system we use, but right now it is the OREX service which is used for reciprocity between brokerages. Corcoran has used Zillow and Trulia more than any other agency here and that was where I saw one problem with pricing--or Zestimates. It is TBD as to how it all play s out but if you were able to see the video here---there are other people who are concerned about what is happening to a profession that is so locally focused. All real estate IS local after all.

Lenn: Good--glad you could see it! He said everything I wish I could have said in my post and more! I am going to go look at your post now--maybe I can get some inspiration from that too! :)...and whats up with all these posts being deleted??? I just did my first and last delete of a post. I am having real angst about deleting it and I did save it so  I just may go back in, copy from word, which is where I saved it, and republish it! How about that??? Thank you Lenn for being who you are and for being here on ActiveRain!

Gene: Well thank you! I think there is so much good on AR that I hesitate to lay any of the blame for the diffculty here but I see your point and it is well taken....We all need to see the potential with the sites mentioned and take what Jim (from the video) did as a big clue to where we all may be headed.

Leslie: You are so sweet! I would love to go hunting! on Gardiners Island of all places!....and the beauty on the Ct coastline is just as beautiful as it is here! (I love Old Saybrook too!) ..and I would love to go take along walk on the beach here but I have been working today via the phone; while my buyer was out driving around he was asking about addresses on Gin Lane and Meadow Lane that looked interesting and I gave him the sales history or the property data right from my home computer! What a way to work...I wonder if agents for Zillow or Trulia can do that for a buyer?

Lenn: I read your post on the same subject--that was in '08!!! You always have been ahead of your time---I think you could see the potential nightmare developing and there it is in black and white..Very good read; you should re-publish it for the valuable subject matter here!

Kathy: I think I have cleared up the question of who divulged the information and I take complete responsibility in the fact that my original post, which you probably did not see did have the address in it---still, it is not such a good thing to see it mentioned again in a comment from someone else and under the chaotic circumstances, it blew me away and I got very upset....I think I have cleared up that issue thank goodness because it was cloudiing the REAL issue and that is the one mentioned in the video---hope you had a chance to see it---if you didn't, pelase take the time to go back and look....

Anna: Thank you for seeing the video---you can pass it on as well--what a work of art that is--as Lenn so clearly stated. I also saw her post for "08 and it rings just as true today as it did back then! You are so wonderful to have here on AR---it has been such a pleasure to be here and to be associated with you and all the others who are members here! I really could not give all that up! Thank you for seeing that too! Iwas in a quandry over the whole thing---I did re-publish the deleted post...without the comments that did contain private information in the comments.

Teresa: I feel that syndication is syndication and from that standpoint you will lose any connection to the idea of being a local agent--that is one of the worst aspects of syndication IMHO...There is no reason for it at all if you are doing the work necessary to be the most knowledgable of all agents in your area! You can't get that recognition through syndication...syndiction may work in the areas just outside a metropolitan area but even then I hear there are very unhappy homeonwers and agents.

Gene: No problem---I wasn't thinking that you were blaming AR--but I wanted you to know that I appreciate everybody here and I respect their opinions more than almost any one else in this profession...and that includes yours! :)

Bryan: Well, the real reason for taking it down was that in the heat of it all, the back and forth with a couple of people gave way to revealing private client information..that was not a good thing and with the encouragement of Leslie I did remove it---it got out of hand, as you say..thanks for coming hre and commenting! :)