This is a major issue for our business.  Should MLS be forwarding our listing information to the world?  Or, should they be protecting it, so we can thrive?  I'll argue the latter, but it doesn't matter, cause they're not listening to me.  Who needs an agent anymore, when you can find a home on the internet, and get free advise on how to avoid using an agent?

I'm with point 2 and I handshake with everyone except with a few who are way out of my area. 

Gregg: I think that once the property is under an agreement to be advertised and sold by a real estate broker, wouldn't it be better to take advantage of any venue to which you may have access and advertise it?

Matt: I do handshakes with those in my territory, even with those with no listings. I have been "blocked" from some offices in my area... Oh well...

It sounds like a great marketing website. I plan to look into it. Seller clients do deserve the exposure.

I just started with p2 so I haven't done the handshake part. When your listing is on someone else's site, does it show your contact info or the contact info of the site it's on? I wanted to find out if I have someone else's listing on my site, will their contact info show up, because I don't want that to be the case and I have no problem with my contact info not being on my listing if it's on their site.

Hi Pam.

When I handshake, my website visitors see those listings in my Listings page, and at the bottom it mentions the name of the brokerage holding the listing, and it shows me as the contact information.

By law, you only can advertise listings held by other brokerage firms as long as you disclose their name.

Please check my website and click on listings and you will see what it looks like.

Should you have any questions, I will be more than happy to assist you.

You can send me an e-mail to Nestor@HomesByNestor.com

www.HomesByNestor.com

Best regards,

Nestor

I do handshake with agents that list in my area and their web site conforms with the NAR advertising rules.  If the web site does not conform then I will not handshake or if the agent takes listings outside of the area.

i accept handshakes but i dont know how to get them to show on my page. is it automatic?

Hi Dee.

Once you accept somebody's handshake, his/her listings will show up in you listings page. You can specify if you want to show first your own listings and then followed by others' listings.

I am glad that you are taking advantage of the handhake feature offered by point2.

Best regards,

Nestor

nestor. i dont have a listings page. is that a professional feature?

Gregg, you wrote:

"This is a major issue for our business.  Should MLS be forwarding our listing information to the world?  Or, should they be protecting it, so we can thrive?  I'll argue the latter, but it doesn't matter, cause they're not listening to me.  This is a major issue for our business.  Should MLS be forwarding our listing information to the world?  Or, should they be protecting it, so we can thrive?  I'll argue the latter, but it doesn't matter, cause they're not listening to me.  Who needs an agent anymore, when you can find a home on the Internet, and get free advise on how to avoid using an agent? "

I am sorry, but I simply have never seen the logic in the way that you have posted here.  Getting listings posted on the MLS or the Internet is about one of many things that an agent does, and it could be argued that getting their home listed on the MLS and posted on the Internet is one of the least important things that we do. 

I just can't agree with comments like: "Who needs an agent anymore, when you can find a home on the Internet, and get free advise on how to avoid using an agent?"

Most of our clients would be in a lot of legal hot water if it were not for their agents.  Most of them have NO idea what is required form either their state or local government to get a home listed, they would have zero to little knowledge on how to properly negotiate and write up a COMPLETE and THOROUGH Purchase Agreement, they would have no clue how to setup or what to do for a closing, and on and on and on.  And how about properly pricing their property.  This has become a lost art for many in this time of falling property values.

Please don't take this reply as a rip on you personally, but I hear and read comments like this on a regular basis, and I really feel that agents need to do a better job at helping to guide where this industry is going.  I LOVE it that there are areas that the client will no longer need us, but do to the increased complexity of the both the legal and real estate market, not to mention the mortgage and title business, we need to work hard at helping determine where we can show value to the customer.

It's NOT about us.  It should ALWAYS be about THEM.  Figure out how to be of value to THEM, Figure out what goals and objectives they have, get them accomplished, and you will be both PAID and REWARDED for your work.

Just one mans opinion.  I hope that's OK.  Please note, not meant to be personal on you or your comments.  Just another way of looking at it.

DJ Breckheimer
www.djBreck.com

Hello Nestor, Yes I do handshake with everyone except for those who block me.  If they won't allow my listings on their website then why should I include their listings on my website.

I agree, Cheryl. I never understood why some would block me. I still hope it was a mistake or maybe because the fact I don't have any listings since I am working mostly with buyers and banks, they may not be interested, but they are missing the opportunity of having their listings exposed in my website.