The Wild World Web

We get calls rom consumers, about our listings, posted on sites we have often not even heard of, much less have any control of. This is part of the reason many large & medium sized brokers are looking to start their own MLS... The problem is made worse when our sellers see an outdated list price, but we have no way to correct these sites. The webmasters pulled a "feed" once, and simply want to generate lots of hits... They are just looking to steal our bait and fish upstream...

I'm back.  Let's have coffee.  I'd like to talk to you about "finding buyers".  What if you've brought 60 buyers and none want the house?  Don't think it is my job to keep bringing more and more of them.

Gerhard, Here your allowed to advertise another listing and all that is required to make it legal is you have to leave the listing brokers name on the listing.....not their phone number! You don't even have to ask for permission. Sometimes it does make the phones ring in the office.

What has happened to being an ethical person and in this case an ethical real estate agent? We as real estate professionals are supposed to be above such underhanded tricks as Gerhard has described. Would these unethical agents like their listings twisted around and misrepresented? I think not. So why do this to one of your fellow agents? We all know that we must have the permission of the listing agent to put a listing on our own web sites. It is really stretching this permission when you put someone elses listing up on a third parties web site. You, the listing agent did not give permission for you to put the listing on a third parties web site. I wonder, what motivates someone to do something like this? is it greed, wanting to look good to ones peers, or to ones broker? The NWMLS and the Association of Realtor's should be helping to police this and other issues. Unfortunately, they seem to busy trying to preserve their own jobs rather than serving the industry they claim to be supporting. I think it is time for those of us that value what is right and wrong to start yelling loud and clear that we want ethics to become an important part of our profession. 

Gerhard,

I sent my feed to Trulia and took a couple email for them to adjust the info and put me on the map.  It looks like the site is a work still in progress.

Are you promoting other listings in your area?  Do you post FSBO's as well?

Very interesting post, Gerhard.  As an exclusive buyer broker, I do not accept listings.  Prior to the advent of IDX, I requested permission from a couple of agents to advertise selected listings on my highly trafficked website.  They treated me (who was at the time new to the real estate brokerage business) as if I were from outer space.  At that time, I didn't realize that fiduciary duties oftentimes take a back seat to a listing agent's own pecuniary interests.  Real estate, you gotta love it!   

The old way of thinking that any advertising is good advertising, yes, that is now old thinking, has to be rethought. With so many business models out there we have to be sure exactly what is in out clients best interest.

Gerhard ~ you good intentions turned into a nightmare.  I wonder why that happened and who is responsible.  Too bad for all.

kk

Wow...what a great post and a great story. I was wondering how advertising others listings would work. that would be simply horrible.

In Ohio, the rules read like this:

• (G) A licensee shall not advertise or alter any informational part of a listing of any property, that is not listed for sale, lease, or exchange with the licensee's broker or brokerage, unless:
• (1) The licensee has first secured written permission of the owner or the owner's authorized agent and fully discloses in the advertisement the name of the listing broker or brokerage as provided in paragraph (G)(2) of this rule.
• (2) Where such permission is granted, a licensee advertising property, that is not listed with the licensee's broker or brokerage, shall disclose that fact, in the same or larger size type as the type used to describe the property, and the name of the listing broker or brokerage.

It's difficult to talk about a new property on the market that maybe you've shown or you know will interest lots of potential buyers on your own blog if it's not your listing. In Columbus, other Realtors are very likely to NOT allow you to do anything with their listing for reasons mentioned above. While I can't blame them to a degree, I would like the ability to say something like: "Take a look at this three bedroom brick home that just came on the market this morning. It's a great location and it's priced fairly" --with an accompanying picture of the house.

The picture itself, oddly enough, is fine if taken by me from a public street but the rest is a no-no unless you've got permission.

Excellent advice, probably need to review the information carefully as well!!!

Gerhard,

I tend to work both sides of the fence on this. I do a lot of advertising of other agents listings (of course I get their written permission first). However, I almost always stick with agents that I know.

I usually only grant permission to agents that I know as well. This does limit my exposure a bit, but I had a similar experience with someone that advertised my listing, but then didn't keep it up to date, even when I informed them of a price change.

I say "Stick to the familiar peple in your world and things will be good... and you'll get free exposure for your listing..."

Best regards,

-Bill
Bill@Sauneuf.com
http://www.Sauneuf.com

 

You not only need to know WHERE they are going to post/advertise/expose your listing, but HOW. I'd ask for a copy of everything they publish, just to be sure everything is portrayed correctly. There could be a liability issue if you allow them to publicize it, but don't verify the accuracy.

There is one Company who always sends an auto generated email every time you list a property asking if they can advertise it.  Based on bad comments from consumers about how they harass anyone who shows an interest in the property, I do not give that permission. 

You have to know who is asking and trust they will not only respect your seller by advertising it well, but also respect the callers who ask about it.  If they get the call instead of you, will your seller be represented well by that company when a buyer calls?  Not always.