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I was Going to be Sugar and Spice, However|MLS Again...

It shouldn't make a big deal that a property listed as 39000 sq feet is 3900 square feet. Most of us would figure that's the case.

So Sister Suzi (some of you know me by that for a reason:-) gives the broker a call. Yep, its 3900 sq feet. He seemed like he was aware of it and did not give me an indication he would change it.

In past blogs we have talked about "member policing" the MLS. Now, to be rational, we can figure out what he means. We could let it slide.

This is my concern (statisticians), typos such as this-- skewing the data that NAR uses, then everyone else uses?

If I call or email our MLS, they will get it changed one way or another. Now, because I called him first to verify, he will know I was the one that called attention to the error beyond him.

What would you do? Do you think I am over reacting? Do you think data like this skews the figures that everyone uses sooner or later?

Regards

What does REsearch and REal Estate have in common? :-)

Posted by Suzi Gravenstuk, REALTOR®, Independent Broker on 02/11/2008 05:06 PM

Comments (45)

mls, activerain, blog, suzi gravenstuk, data

Originally posted at: THE MS Gulf Coast Welcomes You!: I was Going to be Sugar and Spice, However|MLS Again...

45 Comments on I was Going to be Sugar and Spice, However|MLS Again...

FEB

2008

I think it's a good idea to tell the agent before contacting the MLS, because many errors are innocent mistakes, and most agents would appreciate being made aware of errors (maybe?!). If the agent doesn't change it within a day or two, I would contact the MLS.

Suzi - Thomas just commented the exact way I would. Give them a chance . . .it they don't change it . . .make the call. Of course that is something that can change statistics.

Have a fabulous week!

Suzi, furggedaboutit. Who really cares? Ohhhhh, yeah, you do. ;-) Okay, okay, sorry, though I'm very anal, this wouldn't bother me enough to spend a minute on it. I wouldn't have even called the Realtor. I, did, however, take the time to share my thoughts with you Suzi Q.

Thomas and Meg. Ok. Obviously, I agree with you. Also, its good to know I that I am not in the twilight zone to expect errors that effect statistics--to be changed. Thanks for taking time to reply.

My Fair Lady, I know I appear to be persnickety. But, Darn it--I was working on a statistical presentation when I discovered the error. Maybe I over reacted--basically all MLS stats are trash anwyay because of errors.

Come to think of it, I've found so many errors I should know better than to base any report on our data.

OK, NOW I'm really getting upset. WE pay for the data. Shouldn't it be right? Can we trust anything that humans do? (I clarify that because I am looking at Alex Harb's smiling face at my bloglog and I know what he would say:-)

The attitude of "who cares?" from him unnerved me a little. The rest of his ad is sloppy, too. I just expect more from "us".

I will likely let my MLS know. They will get it changed and don't fine for errors. If the other agent resents me for getting involved, so be it.

Ironically, I had wanted to meet him. Now I want nothing to do with him professionally. Its not the 1 digit off, its the attitude.

FEB

2008

If there is a major error - but appears to be innocent - I call the agent. If its a deliberate omission (like the agent is the seller) I call the MLS. This is particularly true when its someone I know is not likely to do the "right thing."

FEB

2008

If we can't rely on the data from the MLS how are we ever supposed to provide accurate information to our clients? Square footage, age, amenities, etc. all factor into how and where the market is moving. If the data we use is faulty, our analysis will be faulty. It drives me crazy to see agents take such a cavalier attitude toward this stuff.

My point exactly. The way other entities pick up our information--, such as Zillow and Real Quest--we will be using comps base on a 39000 sf beach front home instead of a 3900 sft beach front home. Already, it skews home listing data, i.e., average home listing prices per sf.

Greetings Suzi

Allow me to introduce myself. I’m not a real estate professional nor am I currently looking for a home. I am however, keenly interested in real estate and am always looking for opportunities. Reading blogs, such as yours, is one of my research methods to gather information on the ambiance of a particular real estate market. Having said this, I felt it appropriate to share some insight from a non-real estate professional on the subject of inaccurate MLS data (your specific topic in this thread) and similar information used by real estate professional when marketing a property in other venues.

I use this information to help narrow my search to those properties I would like to take a closer look at. This also applies to printed marketing and the many other web sites that are available. Should I see something the peaks my interest, I’ll then contact the person responsible for the ad; be it the listing agent, private seller, developer, et al. Please keep in mind, I’m addressing the basic components used to describe a property such as square footage, number of bedrooms, three acres vise one, waterfront, etc. not subjective descriptors. When the parameters of the property do not accurately match the listed description, I have just wasted my time, and that of the person I contacted. Not good for either of us.

If wasting time isn’t a good enough reason for data to be accurate, then perception should be considered. When I come across inaccurate date, the first thought to come to mind is capability and credibility. The MLS is one of the primary tools a real estate professional has to put a visibility on a property. Why then, would that individual not take the time to proof read it for 100% accuracy, perfect spelling, and insure the information is factual? If they are in a hurry, how am I to know they won’t be in a hurry when handling my transaction? If they are incapable of providing accurate information, should I to expect them to be less then capable of working for me? Worst case scenario; if the information is deliberately misleading, how can I trust them through-out the rest of the process?

Lastly is statistics. You mentioned discovering the error whilst compiling data for statistics. Well, you’re not alone on that one. It is my understating that one of most well known organizations representing many real estate professionals, NAR, also uses the same data to help develop marketing strategies, provides input to our government on economic issues, and furthers the education of REALTORS ©. When information in the MLS is incorrect, NAR is incorrect. From my own point of view, some of the NAR’s housing projections in the past year or two have been difficult to swallow. This is my perspective of course.

Well Suzi, time to get off the speakers box and let someone else have a go. I thank you for your efforts in making your blog one of the more enlightening ones in Activerain. Your candidness about the many issues confronting your profession is refreshing and helps to remind me that not all real estate pros are jack-legs out for a quick buck.

Kind regards,

Harold

P.S. To Lady in Red:

Tough economic times are at our front door. I don’t have to tell you that many real estate agents are having hard times right now. Combine this with the many tools available for consumers to market, or locate, property on the Internet (I have bought two houses and one piece of vacant land this way – without using a real estate agency) and the end result may be the extinction of your profession. You may want to reconsider spending the extra minute. I certainly know that should I need assistance with real estate in Mesa, Arizona, your office will most likely be towards the bottom of my list.

Well, Suzi... I think Harold just confirmed what many already knew... buyers are NOT uneducated. Skewed market data doesn't help any of us. In fact it does just the opposite... it damages our credibility.

FEB

2008

Harold, It is rare that we get consumer feedback REALTOR post, even with it public. Actually, it is rare that we get consumer feedback at all. You have re-taught us all a valuable lesson. The Lady in Red is a friend and a person that I respect. If you visit her website, and go through her past blogs you will see that she is a caring and trustworthy professional. If agents develop a history together, we sometimes develop a "banter" among us, perhaps forgetting from time to time that a future client may be reading not only our blogs, but our responses--and be at a disadvantage for not understanding the history we have with one another, or the group within a group dynamics that develops over time.

This isn't my first rant about MLS. Since you are already into the agent side of AR blogs, you should visit the MLS group. You will see that many agents are frustrated over the accuracy. Figures are only as good as the person who enters the data. Still, even with all of its faults, the local MLS which is turned over to NAR, REALTOR.com and countless other entities is the best tool we have right now. The error which was focus of this blog is small in comparison to other errors we all find on a daily basis.

The MS Gulf Coast MLS takes care of reported errors promptly when reported. I now have the conviction after reading your response to never "wonder" if I should do something about it, but do something about it without question. We do not get fined at present for errors., nor do we get "in trouble".So, my plan of action for the future is to email the local MLS and let them take care of it. Then I can avoid additional frustration when I run into a cavalier attitude--Which intensely frustrates me. The agent is probably a "Good Joe", but doesn't realize how a small error in a data field such as sq ft can have a far reaching impact. Most likely he is thinking, "Anyone could figure out what he meant."

Who knows how much time is wasted and the $DOLLAR$ toll that MLS inaccuracies cause? There is one way that this works in favor of the local, buyer agent. We know there is so much garbage in the MLS that our main ace in the hole is to preview properties before scheduling appointments, especially if we have an out of town buyer prospect, or if we are serving a client with limited time. Any one will realize that if they want the truth about a property they need to go directly to a person who will investigate and validate the MLS.

Probably the most frustrating complaint area for MLS members is accuracy of description. i.e., Water front, water view--we often preview the property and can't find the water.

2 reasons I am a MLS maniac: 1) I remember being in the buyer's shoes and being excited about a relocation. I contacted a listing agent because of an MLS description. I was so excited about the "Home on the River" that I flew to Arkansas ready to buy. I found a dried up creek bed in a ravine at the bottom of a hill far away from view of the home. That was a VERY expensive and unforgettable lesson! I was SO ticked off, I decided to study for licensing and become a crusader for truth and accuracy in listings.

2) My attitude comes from outside real estate to statistics, psychology and sociology classes where the quality of data is a big issue--if you base a hypothesis or an action on skewed data, you have accomplished nothing and made a fool of yourself.

The errors go further. If you are a researcher, you already know to question county tax information, hence any data source that uses county information, (i.e., http://realquest.com ). Believe me, we all have stories about trying to get tax data corrected, starting at addresses so properties will be mapped correctly! If you want to make a home owner angry on the spot, show them the data on the Internet regarding their home.

*RuthMarie, Jesse and Kathy: thank you for stopping by to comment.

**:I checked on the listing. It had not been changed, so I emailed the mls. It should be changed in a couple of days. This listing is pathetic. Almost $700,000 property, beach front, it has 1 photo and 1 line of description.

Suzi: Of course you knew I was just trying to get you to lighten up, but I failed to remember that sometimes someone from the outside of our little group does look inside.

Harold, should you ever need help in Mesa, Arizona, I would be all over it. I don't take lightly inaccuracies on the MLS, but since we're all friends here - and Suzi Q was stressed - I tried to lighten things up a bit. That happens to go along with my personality.

Suzi, you are so sweet. Thanks for sticking up for me. ;-)

My Fair Lady, it is the only right thing to do. Thinking as someone dropping in out of the Blue, I may have interpreted as Harold did. But, I have visited your blog, and your website and know you micromanage your listings beyond the call of duty.

From the Sociological stand point--we have to remember that dropping in on a "society" is like visiting a cocktail party and not knowing anyone or the history between people already there. Others are welcome--they just are not privy to inside jokes, banter and buzzwords.

For instance, even in talking with my clients, I will use a term familiar in our industry, but that I need to explain to them. Fortunately, they ask:-)

You know, speaking of MLS inaccuracies...I sold a home recently and a few days after contract the listing agent called to say that her measure was a little off and her square footage was a little over (100 sq ft, no big deal). When we had the appraisal done the sq ft was 10% off not just the piddly 100 sq ft. This inaccuracy cost the agent and the seller a good bit of money!! They are lucky the inaccuracy didn't cost them a sale! These inaccuracies are very annoysome. We are professionals and have earned the right to be held to the higher standard of being correct. We have to police ourselves to make out industry better!!

Hello, Virginia. Obviously, I agree. However, I wish I didn't see what I see sometimes. I guess if I am doing a report and notice an error that will seriously skew results, I can just not do the report. Nobody requires that I do reports. I can try to not think of people all over the world using bad figures and quoting NAR which get their figures from us. We can assume that all statistical reports based on MLS entries and coutny tax data is *Rubbish*. As far as our business interest, when it is vitally important we can personally investigate each issue if a client is relying on figures. There is always plan B.

A few months ago I went up against another agent for a listing. She won by overpricing the listing. While I was disappointed I failed, I took pleasure in the fact that the agent made a huge error with her MLS data input. She made the home 2000 square feet more than it was. It took 25 days for her to figure it out.

I can imagine the buyers walking through, all excited to be looking at a home that was a "great deal", only to find the great deal wasn't anymore because the home was smaller than advertised. My real concern was for the owner, who had no idea this happened. The first month on the market was tainted by wrong data. Unfortunately, licensing laws don't allow for us to contact a home owner and inform them of the problem. But I also didn't' feel it was right to contact the agent, and do her job for her.

Jennifer--2000 sf.? That's like a totally different house. You would think she would have figured that one out sooner if she had any showings at all. You are right about not contacting the home owner--but, don't you think he/she should have noticed the error? I always send my listings directly to sellers the minute I release. My sellers in fact, have found a few typos in my entries. With a check and balance system with owners any wrong data will likely be called to attention. Some agents will say, "that's our job, not theirs". My experience has been that sellers like being included in this process, its still their home, and we become more like team members or partners.

1 local REALTOR emailed me once because I had the wrong HOA dues listed--again, as most common--a 0 digit was the culprit. Of course I immediately changed it.

There are local agents I alerted to a listing error and received a professional response as we would receive here at AR.

Suzi, I think I'm about to start a rant with my local MLS. Out of nearly 200 expired listings, almost half had been up for lease or purchase...leased out first, withdrawn on the sale side to then let expire. Hope that made sense.

Anyhow, talk about messing up stats. I think I am actually going to take the time and figure out what it would have been without those in there and email it to MLS here. There really needs to be a better way to go about any inaccuracies..

BTW, I would refer clients to both YOU and The Lady in Red (Teri) any day.

Suzi - you would be correct that the home owner would have caught it IFthe LA had sent it to them. But I find time and time again that listing agents do not include the seller in anything, and never send them a copy of the MLS sheet for review. If anything, the sellers need to look and see what kind, what quality, and what quantity of photos are on the listing.

One listing I recently had was were a seller, previously listed with another agent, asked me why I thought her home didn't sell. I asked her if she had read the public notes on her MLS entry....no big surprise, but she hadn't. He never showed it to her. After I pointed out how negative his comments were about the home, and how most likely the way he worded things kept people away, she was amazed. He also didn't' have any photos of the inside of the home on the MLS. MLS 101...buyers want multiple photos!

As for the 2000 sf difference and taking 25 days for the agent to see this major flaw, I wait for the chance to see the listing expire, so I can call the home owner and tell her at least one reason why her home didn't sell. Most likely she has no idea the mistake was ever there.

Stephanie, that is a mutual for referrals.

Maybe one of these days we will find a solution--now wouldn't that rock the real estate world? Still, as imperfect as the MLS is, its better than no system. If part of our dues could go towards monitoring--that would be a good thing.

Greetings Suzi

Well, it’s time for me to order a large helping of humble pie. As long as I have been reading blogs, I should have known better to make an observation based on a small snapshot of a much larger picture. My remark to Lady In Red was off the mark. I should have taken into consideration the relationships that exist between bloggers who share a common profession.

Lady In Red: Please accept my apology for the hasty comment. My intention wasn’t to belittle or condemn, rather; I was expressing my thoughts on what I perceived (in this case, a misperception) as a ‘Why worry about the little things” type reply. I will surely look up your office should I ever need assistance in your neck of the woods.

I wish you both the greatest success and will try to not dip my foot into your swimming hole again ;)

Kind regards,

Harold

I don't get my boxers in a bunch over the little stuff. I find that most of the listings are reasonably accurate, but there are some freaky numbers that slink in every once in a while... and they are usually easy to spot. Of course, personally I think that any real estate agent that thinks 20 x 24 is a 4 car garage needs to get a car that is slightly bigger than a refrigerator box.

And, now I guess I'm kind of glad that square footages aren't included in listings here.

FEB

2008

Harold, on the contrary, you re-taught us all a huge lesson. Many more agents were following this blog than you would ever guess by the comments. (273 Views, 275 Clicks). We do tend to get in our comfort zone. Actually, yesterday and today this blog was used by some trainers. So, at the end of the road, we are all happy, we are all still friends, we are all reminded of a fundamental Internet Blog concept. Actually, the lemonade from the lemons was quite tasty. What began as an MLS whine ended up testing the character of the 3 of us, You, Terri, and I--and we all passed.

Lane, its always the garage with you. By the way, when you have time--could you tell me the size of a standard 2 car attached because I'm alway seeing "oversized garage".

Great post and reminders to keep what we write or comment in check.

Suzi, just so Henry is aware, I accept his humble apology. As always, you, as a true lady, handled it with class. And Henry? I look forward to hearing form you. ;-) Arizona is a fabulous place to live and invest.

By the Way, One of my clients just received Top Secret DOD transfer orders. They have a wonderful home in a Lake Community in NW Gulfport... Great access to Keesler AFB, Seabee base, Stennis, Golf, Casinos, fishing, boating. Sellers told me to spread the word about generous referral fee. Pass it on!

While we were minding business at the Rain yesterday, My son's car had a bad day!

He is ok. I am blessed.

Ohhhh Suzi, that's hard when your kids have problems. So glad he's okay. ;-)

OMG Suzi, I'm so glad that he is ok!

On a lighter note, I'm glad to see that we have a happy family again over here. Harold brought up such an amazing point in regards to comments....which really is a good thing.

FEB

2008

Suzi: It's always disheartening to see inaccurate data on the MLS. It is similarly disheartening as a listing agent to have completely filled out the listing data form with the client only to have an admin carelessly input the data. My staff is instructed to review everyone of my listings for data accuracy as soon as they are placed on the MLS. We're not in the great beyond yet so things are less than perfect.

If I see an agent from our office or a branch has a mistake in their listing data I'll often e-mail them. They often thank me and it can start a friendship. I'm hesitant to do it with other agents in outside offices unless I am showing the listing, or they call me for feedback, as i don't want to be pedantic, and frankly just don't have the time.

Great post!

Matt, I appreciate your opinion. As far as alerting agents outside "the company", I do that sometimes when I run into a listing that really sticks out with an error. I guess I thought that because I would like for someone to call my attention to an error that I made, that others would appreciate it as well. Some have, some haven't:-) I don't spend a great deal of time doing this either. REgards

I just wandered into this post, but I'm very glad I did. The comments are all right on the mark, except one thing - giving the listing broker the benefit of the doubt.

Again, I want to reiterate that those posting to this page reassure me that they are true professionals who represent our industry well. However, the broker in question that "seemed like he was aware of it and did not give me an indication he would change it." is another matter, and I feel that his error may indicate more harm than simply creating a statisical deviation or frustration on the part of a seller. There is an old Irish saying: "You are known by the company you keep."

An agent who mis-represents the property he/she is selling; the broker who allows (encourages?) the misrepresentation; the other agents in the office. Why woud someone knowingly mis-represent the square footage of the listing? To get more showings, and thus more offers, of course. In California, this is fraud, and punishable by fines and the loss of a license. If an agent and his/her broker are willing to misrepresent the square footage of a house to bring in more potential buyers, what else are they willing to do or say to 'lubricate' the purchase. What are they willing to do or say to get a listing?

There were plenty of examples above of honest mistakes, and the agents who made those mistakes showed their ethics by correcting the mistake. It is the lack of concern by the listing broker that gets my shorts in a bunch. Real Estate professionals fight every day to improve our image, and yet it only takes one to set us back again.

Give the broker or agent a chance to correct their mistake, but if they are indifferent or irresolute, then they should be disciplined by the local board. It is as much our responsibility to police our profession as anyone else.

Andrew Kirwin

Pacific Auction Exchange

San Diego, California

I had to do this the other day - a new property came on the market, cute as a button little cabin on 12 acres? for $89,000?

Shoot, you can't find 12 acres of land, let alone with a nice cabin on it, for that...so I called the listing agent.

He was astonished - he thought he put in 1/2 acre.

Oops.

He not only fixed it, but he called me to let me know he fixed it and thanked me for calling him about it.

It's important to get errors corrected.

Andrew, I appreciate your response. I believe the listing agent of the original "sound off" made an honest mistake. Obviously he did not feel it important enough to fix. I believe even consumers who pick up on this listing at realtor.com will realize something is amiss. As a consumer, and as a REALTOR I simply do not want to do business with people who are willing to let a digit slide in our business.

Again, I am not looking for errors, however, when I am assimilating comps for sellers, buyers, or reports--they do tend to jump out at me. With our MLS system it only takes a few seconds to email the listing agent or the MLS and ask "Is this right?" or to point out what I know is an error. I certainly hope someone in my area will care enough to alert me if I have an obvious data error.

Karen, That's exactly what I'm talking about. You understood that there was an apparent error because you know the area. Someone else may not have "gotten it" and ended up irritated, angry and inconvenienced. You helped the other agent save face and correct it. His attitude is great (yours too)

Recently I spotted this error while REsearching: the listing price was $4, 500,000. It puzzled me because it was so "outside" the norm. I called the Listing agent (about 60seconds of my time). They changed the price right away to $450,000.00 unfortunately it had been on the market awhile...

One time I was scrutinizing an MLS listing and noticed it had a virtual tour. When I clicked on the Virtual Tour I noticed the listing agent info was on it. You guys know that is a no-no, right? So I called him and let him know that I was interested in calling a client's attention to his listing, but that I felt a little strange sending that particular video tour. He was embarrassed, and changed it. As far as my time involved in this--I save a lot of time by not commuting to an office. I would say it takes 60 sec to 3 minutes to get someone started fixing an error. It can take longer if you strike up a rapport with the other agent. Its worth my time.

RE: virtual tours - In our MLS, you can upload two virtual tours - a scrubbed one for public view, and a branded one for agents.

If you look at virtual tours while logged into your MLS as an agent, you will see the agent info. This also allows you to provide your branded tour when you send listings to your clients.

If you are just a member of the public, you will not see the "private" tour. Is your MLS set up a similar way?

I have come across agents who put pictures on the MLS that clearly and distinctly show their for sale sign with their brokerage and name on it - EVERYONE KNOWS that you DO NOT do that. Some still try though!

We upload only unbranded to our MLS. We also can't advertise our website on our local MLS listings unless the website is an unbranded virtual tour (I KNOW that did not make sense...), signs, and agent # happen occasionally--I would rather see disregard for marketing rules than for data.

FEB

2008

Suzi, I see what you are saying, but I still would prefer to work with a broker who is committed to doing the right thing, especially as you say it only takes a moment to fix. I guess I've dealt with too many sharks to think the best of someone who is not ... motivated? ... to take honest marketing seriously.

Thanks for leading this discussion, and all it's threads.

Part of our marketing requires that we, at least, read what we are putting out for Realtors, the public and researchers (which is what I am) to read and rely upon. Harold, in his first statement was, down deep, expressing his "first impression" about what he read.

I feel the same way since there are far to many in this business that are beyond negligent sometimes when they attempt to play at this business rather than take it dead seriously.

Now we all make mistakes on a fairly regular basis, but with such an important tool as the MLS, our MAIN marketing outlet, you would think that those using it would be accurate in the facts they present. It only takes less time to re-read their listing than it took for me to write this comment.

If all of us would take the attitude that protecting the accuracy of the MLS data was critical, we would then begin to deserve the title of Professionals. If we are forgiving of all the mistakes we see , then who IS the responsible party?

Policing the MLS should be a duty that we all take seriously. That is why we have MLS Rules & Regulations and this precious thing called the REALTOR"S Code of Ethics.

FEB

2008

Suzi and Teri: I have a question. In several of the above comments, the writer mentioned about emailing the MLS to fix an error... square footage, pricing, or whatever. Is it common practive in your MLS to have to email the MLS to get an error fixed ? I am in Fort Worth, and if I discover an error on one of my listings, or if someone else lets me know about one, all I have to do is pull up the listing, hit the "edit" button, and change it myself... whatever it is.

It takes thirty seconds. I assumed that every MLS had this ability. Do listing agents in other MLS's not have the ability to pull up their own lisings and edit them ? I was just wondering ? Thanks...

Also, if one of my listings is not getting very many showings, sometimes I will go into my MLS edit functon and totally re-write the comments, or add to them, or perhaps mention something helpful in the "Realtors only" section of the listing comments... a section that only other Realtors can see.

Suzi if it is an honest mistake I will give the agent a courtesy call and wait to see if they fix it. If they don't or if it is an agent that makes they "typos" often I will just police them.

Melonie Haag

Don, Thanks for commenting. I believe you know where I stand on data integrity. You are right, others' blatant and minor errors reflect on all of us.

Karen, that is the frustrating point. The listing agent is able to easily correct the error in a matter of seconds. However, they have to notice the error, or be willing to correct the error once an MLS fanatic-compulsive like me contacts them in a spirit of good will. Karen, you think to check your MLS listing if you aren't getting showings---I don't know what the other agents do... For instance the good natured agent I contacted about the $4, 500,000 that was actually $450,000.00 . (Gee, it must be a sign of our stinky economy:-) They were willing to correct the error once it was called to their attention--but don't you think they should have noticed something was amiss?

Melonie, we are in agreement for procedure. I do not purposefully police a specific agent for typos. But if I pull a specific agent up in listing searches and that agent regularly has typos, I know I will need to re-verify all information by phone before adding it to my preview list.

Thank you all for your interest in Improving our MLS and our reputations.

How's this for a beauty.

A gal in my office got a listing that had expired with another agent. As she was looking at the listing she noticed something very odd.

The listing fields said it had no garage, and no basement. Even though in the picture you can clearly see that there is a basement, with a two car garage. Problem is...people searching the MLS for homes with a garage and a basement will never see that house.

I was secretly happy about the whole thing, as I told the gal that i had a buyer who may very well buy her new listing....she'd been looking for a house JUST like that with a basement and a garage, and we had found several that just weren't right.

It was under contract in less than two weeks and we closed on it 30 days later. The poor seller could have sold it months before (I had been working with my buyer for a LONG time) had the original agent bothered to put the correct info in....we would have found that listing a lot sooner.

I really have no sympathy for these agents and frankly wish they'd just give it up, retire their license or become a referral agent or something... and let the agents who take their jobs seriously and treat it as a true profession handle it. LOL

Karen, I am happy that it turned out well. It makes me wonder how things would have changed all up and down the chain had the data been right. Would your buyer have bought sooner? Would the sellers have started their new lives sooner? Would the seller have made more money? If you had sold the house sooner, would you have spent your commission differently? ... Our actions can have an effect on the futures of many people. (I wonder how many other agents and consumers searching realtor.com and other mls aggregators did not include that property in their searches?)

MLS Integrity and MLS Accuracy requires so little from us. We don't have to be "Rocket Scientists", We don't have to have alphabet soup after our name, We don't have to have years of experience, We don't have to have a "big name", we don't even have to write dynamic copy. All we have to do is care enough to proof read, then care enough to make corrections.

You know what I think might work better than fines to get listing agents' attention? Not fines. Expel them. Or put them on probation after an error has gone uncorrected for an x # of days.

FEB

2008

Suzi, the funny thing is...I don't think my buyer WOULD actually have bought it sooner, as by this time she had all but given up on finding "the" house. There were so many that we had looked at and she actually made offers on some but then backed out. I think she needed this house to come in at the end of her search, if that makes sense.

I am a big believer in things all working out for the best - the seller may or may not have sold it sooner...but the fact remains that by that original agent's negligence, that house was invisible to scores of buyers who wanted a house with a 2 car garage and a full basement...most buyers in our area really want a basement.

Did the seller find out about the original Listing Agent's errors? If so, how did he or she feel?

I don't know if the agent told her or not; I do know that she was SHOCKED that it got an offer so quickly (12 days after it went on the market again).

MAR

2008

As originator of this post I give us permission to discuss other MLS related topics. Kudos to the Gulf Coast MLS for recent upgrades that makes research and client care easier. RESEARCHERS, did you know you can search our mls at a link I did not even know I had? You don't have to sign in or anything--search to your hearts content at: http://search.listings.mgc.mlxchange.com . REgards, Suzi

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