Consumer Driven Information - Real Estate 2.0 or The Information Genie has Left the Bottle!
Information is Power. For years, Realtors have been the gatekeepers of information related to local properties. For a fee i.e. commission they utilized the information to bring buyers and sellers together. Over the last couple of years the Internet has transformed the Real Estate industry and (begun to) make it democratic and is starting to allow (not without major dissent from some of the gatekeepers) a truly capitalistic and consumer driven model. Why, for example, is your Realtor the only one that can find what price houses have sold for on your street, zip code, size within the past X weeks or months etc? I don't know either, as these are all public record.
I absolutely believe that you do need someone to help you analyze all the data as it relates to you and your situation and shapes that barrage of information with LOCAL knowledge and LOCAL experience. This is where a trusted LOCAL Realtor comes in.
I believe in providing consumers with all the information that is available and then helping them to make informed decisions regarding their needs. Thus DiscoveryBayGuide.com was born. Here you will find links to major information providers, links to on-line competitors and brick and mortar competitors that provide real information. Links to data providers that both Buyers and Sellers are looking at to make their own decisions are also provided. Some sites work very well, while some are so new (the bleeding edge of development that they are still a bit "buggy"). SOLD information TITLE and TRANSFER RECORD reports, FEMA maps, CRIME MAPS updated monthly, FORECLOSURE NOTICES. These are not separate websites but other "mash" models. I actually believe that I have a fiduciary duty to provide information to my potential clients and community at large and NOT follow a "don't ask, don't tell" policy. You will be able to see what is working and what is not working for Buyers and Sellers in this brave new world. You will even be able to build your own real CMA (comparative market analysis) on various sites to comp your own home for sale or one that you have seen listed on my site or elsewhere. This will also show you the complexity involved and some of the flaws in the system. Links to Blogs you never knew existed with great commentary on all things affecting Discovery Bay, CC County and the Marketplace. Come back often as we add new Blog contributors from the community. They will all be adding material during the month and as hot information becomes available. Real Estate is only one component of this site! Have a GREAT VIDEO from the area, send me the link and up it goes. Our interactive Calendar will provide information of COMMUNITY EVENTS looking FORWARD for at least the next 12 rolling months! Have an item to add to the CALENDAR, just send it in!
Why am I doing all this? Over the past 8 years in Discovery Bay and East CC County I have built a reputation as a trusted advisor in my community. I was awarded Best Realtor in Discovery Bay in 2006 by the members of the Community. I am now taking that to the next level on my own terms to benefit my community. I want to provide true value to my neighbors and friends in a way that I believe I am uniquely qualified to provide. I want to place the knowledge in the hands of the consumer (where it belongs) and then guide them as they make vital decisions affecting their lives. By providing all this for MY COMMUNITY, I will enable positive change in OUR COMMUNITY.
There is an old adage. Lead, Follow or Get out of the way. I choose to LEAD. For those still trying to put the genie back in the bottle, you have my sympathy!
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