You probably have read on line or seen on television the stories about how the internet is doing away with the need for real estate agents. I know that I have. I'm seriously thinking about finding out who it is that does FSBO.com's pr work and hiring them! They seem to be the Johnny Cash of the real estate world, they've been everywhere man!
That said, I've been working on my web site as some of you know from my posts and one thing that I've noticed is that, while it is easier to look for homes online now and people are doing that more and more, that the FSBO market is extremely fragmented. I bet that there are at least 1000 sites out there dedicated to advertising FSBOs. Hell, I'm putting my listings on at least a dozen sites other than the MLS and Realtor.com (which is basically useless in my opinion). I'd say that 90% of my showings come from the MLS still.
I'm sure that FSBO's will think that the internet has leveled the playing field for them in the quest to sell their homes, but I just don't see this as being the case. Large internet sites like Zillow.com seem to do a good job of providing useful information, but they only have a small percentage of the listings available out there and they are not automatically updated when the properties status changes. That can be frustrating for a buyer when he finds a house that excites him, only to find that it really isn't available anymore.
While a lot of these articles that I've mentioned are pretty negative, that news cycle will run it's course. Being a Realtor and having the MLS is still the most concise and focused way of selling a home and I don't see anything on the horizon that is going to change that.
So, don't throw in the towel and keep your chin up!
R.B. "Bob" Mitchell
ValueList Real Estate Services, Inc.
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