OK, time for a little rant. It was kind of funny the first time this happened, but now it's getting so old it's just annoying. On almost a daily basis, sometimes multiple times in a day, we are called by agents asking about one of our listings. Only it's not one of our listings, it's someone else's listing. So why are they calling us?
It goes a little something like this:
[Ring ring...]
Me: Intown Elite, this is Mike, can I help you?
Agent: "Hi, this is Suzy Agent with XYZ Realty calling about Oxford."
Me: "You're calling about Oxford? I don't undesrstand, we're a real estate company in Atlanta, GA, USA."
Agent: "No, I mean your listing on Oxford Street."
Me: "I'm sorry, we don't have a listing on Oxford Street. I don't even think there is an Oxford Street in Atlanta. Do you have a street address or MLS number?"
Agent: "No, it's on Oxford Street in Douglasville."
Me: "No, that's definitely not our listing, Douglasville is outside of our service area. We're an Intown Atlanta real estate company. We focus on properties inside of the perimeter."
Agent: "Well, I'm looking right here and it says it's your listing."
Me: "Where is 'right here?' When you says 'it' says it's my listing, what is 'it?' Are you looking in the MLS?"
Agent: "Well, I searched for it, and it came up as yours."
Me: "You searched what? GAMLS? FMLS?"
Agent: "No, Google."
Me: "You need to check GAMLS or FMLS to find out the listing agent."
Agent: "But I'm on your website, and this listing is right here on your site."
Me: "All of the listings in FMLS can be found on our site, we have IDX. That doesn't mean it's our listing."
Agent: "Well, I don't know what IDX is, but I just Googled it because I'm not in the office so I can't access the MLS. I'm on the way to show the house and I just need the showing instructions. Can you look it up in the MLS for me?"
Me: Speechless.
Seriously? This is a licensed real estate "professional?" I don't know where to begin:
- It's 2013, and you don't know what IDX is?
- Even if you don't know the term "IDX", surely you must know that most real estate websites have an MLS search feature.
- If you Google a property, there will be thousands of results. Do you think they're all the listing agent? Did you call me just because our site happened to be first for that particular listing?
- The first time you look up a listing is when you're on your way to show it to a client??? How do you know it's even available?
- If you can Google from the road, then you can also access the MLS. How are you an agent in 2013 and not know how to access the MLS from your mobile device?
Today we received a voicemail that just said, "Hi, it's John Doe of Doe Realty, I want to show unit 116 and some of these other units. Call me back." Unit 116 of what? Even if this was listed with our brokerage, give me a little more information than that. How 'bout a community name, or maybe at least a city? Of course, this wasn't our listing either, it was another Google-is-my-MLS search. And you're a broker of your own company and you don't understand this? Now, I totally get consumers not understanding how the industry works, but there's no excuse for real estate agents and brokers, unless you're brand new.
Repeat until it sinks in: Google is not the MLS.
Thanks for letting me vent. I feel better now! ;-)
Mike McGee,
Broker / Owner, Intown Elite Real Estate
Atlanta GA
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