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WHY SEND A LETTER WHEN A FAX OR EMAIL WILL DO?

LETTER I got beeped from my office voicemail yesterday with the receptionist saying that I had a "letter" from our Multiple Listing Service.

Wow! What did I do now, since I never get letters from our MLS. A letter usually connotes something pretty serious. eMail is kind of casual and not usually very threatening. Same could be said for fax. You probably don't want to send something that critical in an eMail or fax. A letter though, is something different.

As it turns out it was a minor issue with one of my listings. It was due for an update to change the status. Guilty as charged...I just missed it. Pretty benign stuff. Update a listing because a contingency was removed and the status changed from CNTG/NO KO to CONTRACT. This sort of thing happens all the time. I'm not trying to be excused here, just a fact. If it's not corrected in a timely manner it could result in a fine. Notification of the offense prior to a fine by the MLS is routine.

I seem to recall reading somewhere that it takes about $1.50 for a business to send a letter. Not very efficient, especially when companies all over are currently trying to trim expenses.

green earth I'm not a fanatic about going green...at least not yet, but this letter is one of those things that just shout out that a better solution needs to be found. One that's both more efficient and better for the planet.

I've had database errors in the past, but they were always identified via fax. Better than snail mail but not as good as email, in my estimation.

MRIS is a well run, technologically driven company. I can't believe that they can't come up with an email notification to replace fax and snail mail.

Come on guys, come up with a better solution than snail mail.

Richard Iarossi, REALTOR®
Long and Foster® Real Estate, Inc.
Crofton, MD 21114
410-451-6255 Office
443-995-9595 Cell
Web: http://www.RichSellsHomes.com
eMail: Rich@RichSellsHomes.com

Annapolis MD Real Estate Specialist
Bowie MD Real Estate Specialist
Crofton MD Real Estate Specialist

Posted by Richard Iarossi, Crofton MD Real Estate, Annapolis MD Real Estate on 12/02/2008 07:21 AM

Comments (19)

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19 Comments on WHY SEND A LETTER WHEN A FAX OR EMAIL WILL DO?

DEC

You are right. If they had emailed you, you would have gotten the info immediately, made the correction and saved them a lot of work.

Richard - That really doesn't make a lot of sense. Like Susan mentioned, had it been an email it would have been corrected soooner and what if the letter had been lost? Then, you'd have been in more trouble through no fault of your own.

Old school. I don't how I ever got by without email and don't understand those who have not kept up. Great post. Thank you..

We belong to the same MLS, I usually get faxes. I've gotten a letter once from them when my fax machine was out of order or not receiving. It's weird that you would get a letter.

Rich...

You're missing the point. A letter could be delayed, overlooked or ignored. And those fines keep adding up!

Susan, eMail has to be the preferred method of communication for most real estate agents.

Leesa, I've been told in the past that they don't really have an obligation to notify us of database errors. They only do it as a convenience.

Mark, On line is so simple, and cost effective.

June, Me too. That's why this was so strange. Now that I think about it though, wouldn't it be better via email?

Richard, Touche. And do they ever add up...$100 per offense if it's not corrected. I guess that pays for a lot of letters :)

I sometimes let mail pile up - it takes time to sift through all the junk. So an email is Definitely way faster in my book because I handle them the moment they come in or they go to an 'Important' folder on my computer.

Rich,

Both our board and MLS send snail mail, even for announcements and changes to the MLS fields. And even worse, they go the office address, so sometimes they sit for a day or two.

Of course, it's better than pony express used here last decade.

check to see if your MLS has a "preferred method of communication". It could be that you defaulted to US mail because you didn't check any other box.

Lisa, I hate dealing with mail.

Fred, Sometimes it takes kicking and dragging into this century.

Martin, Good suggestion but not available.

Our local Realtor Board sent me a certified letter that I had to go to the post office and pick up. It stated one of our agents was not in compliance(?). What a waste of the dues we pay...

Richard - It seems that email would be a lot more timely than sending a letter by snail mail... I would think that they would use the most "efficient" method.

I read the e-mail alot more than I do snail mail. Hopefully businesses will get a clue.

The MLS has been run more like a government--corrupt and inefficient! We need a change.

Paper mail does eliminate the excuse of I never got your email or it must have gone into my spam folder and got deleted.

Debbie, Since everybody is trying to cut expenses email would be a cheaper solution.

Steven, MRIS is well run company. Every little bit helps though.

Huiting, The inefficiencies of business are nothing compared to those of the government.

Rich, I'm not sure I agree that all snail mail gets to the intended person. There are ways to white list domains so the mail isn't rejected. After all, its in my best interest to let it through since the fines are pretty steep.

Richard - we get the snail mail from MLS too. i have to go check if I can somehow switch to paperless. Plus our HOA loves snail mail... which doesn't make any sense.~Rita

DEC

It probably has to do with legal statutes defining what is appropriate notice, especially if there is a monetary fine/penalty, loss/suspension of license, etc., involved.

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