We all want information.  We can't get enough of it.  

The internet has given us the incredible ability to find information efficiently and quickly.  Sometimes, though, we don't get quality or complete information.  It's important to be critical of the information that we receive, whatever the source. There is some quality about getting information from the internet that creates a belief that it is flawless.  

Buyers and sellers, of course, want all the available information about the market.  The internet is a natural resource to get information and as everyone knows, most buyers and sellers use the internet to review home prices and available homes even before becoming serious and motivated to buy or sell.

There is a wealth of information out there, but how dependable is it?   I have numerous buyers that I send listing to, show them available homes and help them make sense of the market before they make an offer. Something that frequently happens, however, is that my clients will go to sites such as Trulia, Redfin, Zillow, and others, and will send me homes that the site shows as being currently for sale.  Without fail, the homes that they send are not currently available.  They will be homes that previously transferred through foreclosure, have been cancelled or are already in escrow.  The sites show them as still being available but they aren't.   

Licensed real estate agents have access to the official Multiple Listing Service (MLS), and one of the greatest reasons to only allow licensed agents to access and change data in the MLS is for data integrity.  Like any other profession where reliability of information is imperative, the more people who have the unrestricted ability to change the information the greater the likelihood of poor data being included.  

Whether a buyer a seller, working with a Realtor has incredible benefits.  One of those benefits is being able to get the most up to date and accurate information available.  Sites outside of the MLS have some great information, but only a licensed agent can provide the best data available.