NAR BUYING PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT FROM MOVE, INC (REALTOR.COM)? WHY? WHERE IS THE INSTITUTIONAL MEMORY?

                                  * * * * WARNING!  HARD CORE REAL ESTATE TALK * * * *

SOME OF US HAVE MEMORIES LIKE AN ELEPHANT!  THANK GOODNESS!

• THANKS TO INMAN FOR HELPING US STAY ON TOP OF THE LATEST REAL ESTATE NEWS.   
• THANKS TO ACTIVERAIN FOR THIS PLATFORM FROM WHICH WE CAN DISCUSS IMPORTANT MATTERS.

AM I THE ONLY ONE SEEING A PARALLEL?

• U.S. Treasury gives $700Billion to U.S. Banks.
• NAR gives $Millions to Move, Inc.

SEE: NAR teams with Move Inc. on database.  Nationwide property information project moves ahead. . . .

SEE ALSO:  GET YOUR MONEY HERE!!!  NAR IS GIVING AWAY MONEY.   I wondered at the time when I learned about the "SECOND CENTURY" project which includes a small assessment through increased dues on every NAR member, just where the money would go. 

I THINK WE NOW KNOW WHERE THE MONEY WILL GO.  The money, some part of the $20,000,000 raised by the NAR through a $16 fee to each member will go to MOVE, INC.  We REALTORS® all know Move, Inc. as the operators of Realtor.com. 

Not unlike RIN and it's numerous permutations, the NAR attempts again to circumvent the concept of free market innovation and development by pushing the "Gateway", then dubbed "National Real Estate Gateway", now the "Realtors Property Resource".   I may not have the names and chronology correct.  This attempt to funnel money from the NAR treasury to Move, Inc. is a bit of a moving target.  Moreove, it's a stealth target, buried in the NAR archives. 

Only a news junkie would even attempt to follow this project.  What I couldn't find in the NAR archives is any text of proposals from Move, Inc. to the NAR for this product development, which, I would assume would include cost and benefit projections.  Could it be that the announcement of this expenditure of money by NAR will be disseminated to the membership as an feit accompli?  Of course, the NAR has budgetary discretion.  However, when it comes to contracting for money or "grants" to Move, Inc., the membership has an abiding interest.  ActiveRain members have even more interest. 

See:  ActiveRain v. Move, Inc.

As stated in the NAR "White Paper" of May 6, 2008: 

"A number of technology companies are actively working to aggregate property data and provide such information to consumers, with the potential of creating an "information gap" between content available to consumers and reliable information available to REALTORS®."  More. . .

QUESTION #1:  If "a number of technology companies are actively working to aggregate property data and provide such information to consumers, . . . . .   Why does the NAR need to re-invent, duplicate, compete with the efforts of private technology companies with NAR money? 

QUESTION #2:  If the NAR is going to pay Move, Inc to develop the "Realtors Property Resource", will Move, Inc. then use that information database to sell more product to NAR members? 

QUESTION #3:  Have the NAR management read the ActiveRain v. Move, Inc. pleading?

ALERT:  DON'T BE SWAYED BY MOVE, INC. IF THEY SAY THEY WILL NOT SELL ACCESS TO THIS DATABASE TO REALTORS®.  The history of Move, Inc., previously Homestore, Inc, cannot give any comfort to rank and file REALTORS®. 

QUESTION #3:  If, as stated in the NAR White Paper of May 6, 2008, some of the key features of the library will include by will not be limited to:

• The database covers the whole country.
• It includes commentary and unique, timely information on individual properties and areas input by REALTOR®. 

"Input by REALTOR®"??  It would appear that much of what Move, Inc. is being paid big money to develop, aggregate has been"input by REALTOR®".  Just as Move, Inc. now sells product, placement, enhancement, advertisement, features, etc. to REALTOR®, for listing information "input by REALTORS®" The NAR is now funding development of another product for Move, Inc. to sell access to these products to REALTORS®.

CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING: 

FACT:  The housing industry is in recession and REALTORS® are finding it increasingly difficult to maintain a living wage as REALTORS®. 

FACT:  The NAR and local association offices are losing membership daily.  

FACT:  Consumer confidence in the necessity of REALTORS® for real estate transactions is waning. 

FACT:  Real estate brokerage practice is becoming ever more complicated due to the plethora of consumer protection laws and regulations.

FACT:  Local MLSs provide an abundance of information for REALTORS® in our day to day practice, only a small percentage of which is used. 

FACT:  By funding a product development by Move, Inc., the NAR gives it's imprimatur to Move, Inc. giving Move, Inc. an advantage over competition in public acceptance.

FACT:  Move, Inc. is a public for profit company.  What is the projected ROI to the NAR (and the membership) for this "investment" in product development by Move, Inc?

FACT:  With the number of private entities providing national housing data on the Internet, this expenditure of NAR funds to Move, Inc. will surely be redundant. 

FACT:  Goggle will probably have the same housing information online and free to all before Move, Inc.

TIMES ARE TOUGH FOR REALTORS®.  When times get tough in our market, we focus on those tasks and expenditures that make us more effecient and productive. 

Will NAR funding this product development by Move, Inc. make the average REALTOR® more efficient and productive?  What type of accountibility by Move, Inc. is included in this project?

So many questions.  So few answers.