Home Buyers, that Information is just a Urine Specimen & Retina Scan Away.

Hi Craig -- I agree and dont' require registration, but history has proven that one gets more leads, and hopefully, more clients by doing so.  Depends on what one's priorities and viewpoints are I suppose.

Agents use their websites for racking up leads.   That's obvious.  What's not so obvious is are the sellers aware that their agent is restricting the number of viewers and potential buyers?

Where is the, as I've blogged about before, fiduciary responsibility ?

Hi Craig,  As usual, i just love how you present your info... I feel that my own listings should be able to be looked at without signing on, but other listings, I feel should have a sign in - so that you can get their lead information.  I do well with my sign in website.

You are right about that.  If I were a shopper and I had to fill in personal info to get info, I'd go to the next site that gives me instant access. 

First, I have open search on my site... 

But, from what I understand of the people that have actually studied it, the conversion ratios for people that have registered search is higher...

I have sites that require registration and sites that don't.  The ones that do actually have several leads from them but are also pay per click and other, so that may be the difference. On my non-registration website, I have had a few leads. One of them did say he liked the fact that I didn't require registration.  I've been thinking about requiring registration a few steps in to the process.

From the comments, here's some questions:

If you require registration, WHEN do you require it?  And what does one get for registering (that they can't get elsewhere)?

What do you consider a lead? I don't think I'd consider every person that registered on my site a real lead.

How are you comparing non-register sites to register sites?  Everyone says that they get more leads (and so, more sales) through their register sites.  So how do you gauge this (traffic from one vs. the other) and do both sites provide the same level of access (as far as getting to them) AND do YOU provide the same level of service for each?

There is no single "right" answer because it depends on the agent's goals.  Are the IDX listings intended to market their own listings?  To capture qualified buyer leads?  To attract return visitors to their website who will hopefully explore other pages of the website?  I've done both (and currently do both, through the great Growth Leader experiment) and no IDX site has ever produced the real life commission-producing buyers and sellers that my blogging has - and that requires no registration. 

My choice... no registration because I'd rather have people contact me at the point of purchase or listing (which they do) than register them and have to nurture them for months until they're ready to do business.  Just my preference.

Amen to that! It continues to puzzle me why some Realtors make their job so much harder than they need to. Either they want to sell their listings or they don't.

This is a really good debate.

There is certainly relevance to generating leads and collecting information from the lead.  This is after all part of our business - to generate and then convert these leads.

I'm not sure if requiring information prior to getting access to properties is the way to do it.  There is no unique selling point with this when there are dozens of other agents that will provide the same information for free.

Obviously you made it over to my post.  I have been kicking that idea around for a while now... but I need to amp up my market reports to really make it worth it for a consumer. 

I think the key is to have information or insight that others are not offering... that is worth the price or admission (fee, registration, etc.).  It doesn't matter if you are a newspaper or a real estate agent.  I just don't think listings are unique... and search is everywhere... unless you have a search that is like no other.

Craig!!!!! Glad to see you back!  Another one of your well written - thought out blogs, for sure!

My former broker was of the mind that buyers had to provide contact info before accessing the MLS.

Would not listen to my suggestion to remove that limit.

Broker is now out of business for various reasons, but I wonder..would they have had more real leads had they opened up the listings sooner?

Craig - It is great to have you back in the RAIN.  Kind of like a reunion without traveling!

I always wondered why you had to register on Realtors websites to view their listings.  After reading some of the above comments I can understand why they have a registration.  Still not sure I agree with it but to each his own!

I have a confession to make.......I was checking the listing of one of the Realtors I work with.....I wanted to make sure he was using good pictures of the property I staged.  I didn't want him to know I was "spying" on him so for the registration name I entered Mickey Mouse.....email address  MM@disneyland.com...etc.  :)   Not saying this is what one should do if they don't want to give out their information...but it worked on his site.

PS - I felt guilty and told him it was me!  Guilty as charged. 

Craig - I know many that require registration early in the process, before much information is received at all. Personally, I don't. I don't stay on sites that I have to register, I expect those that come to my site are of similar ilk.

I'm late to the party on this one, but I really needed to read this. 

When I read the title, I was 100% all... "What is he thinking... I pay for this!  They have to register so I can lead capture!"

BUT, after reading the comment thread, I'm having second thoughts.  Who cares if someone looks at my IDX link?  Maybe they'll call me when they are ready to buy.  Plus, I can stop getting angry about the buyers who come to my site because their own agents are too cheap/lazy to supply their own link to their site.

Besides, can't anybody just go to Realtor.com and find what they want anyway?

Capture leads - that is what is pushed in agent training and that is why you want them to sign in and donate a kidney.

My search is open - let them look - I hope they find something and call me when they want to view it.

Hi Craig..I think most Realtors also miss the point that Web sites are also listing tools, Sellers want to see what and how you are gong to show case their home online, such as how many pictures do you post, Brochures, Virtual Tours, Aerial maps, etc etc.

Great Post, congratulations on your Feature again :O))

Hope to see you soon here again :O))

I use a junk email address most of the time that will never make it over to my computer only because I don't know exactly what kind of garbage I'm going to get.  If I find that I really do want and like the information that you send me then I will hit the submit button with my good email address.  I think folks are just overwhelmed with all the junk that their less likely to hit submit.  But like some others said it really does help qualify the leads..~Bonnie-The Home Inspectors Wife~