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Thankful for the MLS Online
Thankful for the MLS Online
 
When I bought my first home, the MLS online did not exist. All homes that were listed by a real estate agent were bound together in "the book." This was a paper book that came out each week, about the size of a telephone book (another publication soon to be forgotten). Each home had one black and white photograph and a short description.
To find a house, a buyer had to connect with a real estate brokerage. There were few buyers' agents back then, so typically a buyer would have to go to each brokerage that held each listing. It was quite time consuming, and geared toward seller agency.
I remember telling one agent that I wanted a two-story home. It was important to me to have two stories in the house. He showed me his listing: a ranch-style home. An orange ranch-style home.  I didn't understand why he would not show me other homes that were not his brokerage's listings. 
The listing process certainly has changed since that time! Now an agent can represent a buyer and can show a buyer any home that is listed on the market. Buyers are able to view homes rather thoroughly prior to scheduling ... more

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