Here’s what I mean. This is a search I’m doing right now for a client:
Active listings only
MLS grids l32, k32 and j32 only (3 x 9 miles)
Minimum of 3, maximum of 4 bedrooms
Single-family detached homes only
Minimum of $350,000, maximum of $450,000 list price
Single-level homes only
3- or 4-car garage only
Only homes with formal dining rooms
Only homes with all tile roofs
Only neighborhoods with homeowner’s associations
Only homes where the land is owned in fee simple
There are two desired criteria that I’m omitting because they’re not reliably entered into the MLS system:
North/south exposure only
Only homes with pantries
But even with all those highly exclusive criteria, I’m still getting 25 possible candidates, way too many to work with. Probably we’ll end up isolating by particular subdivisions.
There is nothing in any computer system other than the Arizona Regional Multiple Listings Service that can search at this level of detail. But this is the only appropriate level of detail for a true home search. We campaign constantly for more power.
If you have visions of replacing MLS systems, please enlarge you vision to at least this size…
Technorati Tags: arizona, arizona real estate, blogging, compensation for buyer representation, disintermediation, phoenix, phoenix real estate, real estate marketing
Jamie says:
Greg,
Jamie from Trulia here – thanks for thinking of us as cool. Fortunately, many users have told us that our site has been useful in their searches and we are constantly integrating their feedback into our product roadmap.
What we see from our users is that they are usually early on in their search process when using our service, have not yet engaged an agent, and have not narrowed down to the extent of the example that you point out. They want an overview of what’s on the market and what the local market is doing. As you know, our model is to provide home buyers with listings and useful local market information, then to connect them directly with a broker or agent. Once buyers engage someone like you, I would expect their search to be much more refined as they physically go and view properties and you provide them with rich local information, experience, counsel, etc.
Having the capability for advanced searches is also a great feature and is one of the reasons we have launched an advanced search functionality where a user can search by county, school district, nearby cities as well as multiple neighborhoods; in addition to different property types, price ranges, square footage etc.
That’s not to say that we aren’t always looking for more ways to enhance our search. I like your suggestions of searching by garage, roof type and land ownership. I also think tackling the north/south exposure, pantries as well as two sinks in master bath, etc. could be quite useful. Send me your address and I will drop some pens in the mail for the great ideas!
We are constantly working to make our experience a better one both for home buyers and agents. We look forward to your ongoing feedback.
Jamie
VP Product
Trulia
October 16, 2006 — 7:53 pm
Greg Swann says:
I’m not criticizing what you do. What I’m saying is that outsiders to the real estate business should not confuse what you do with what an MLS systems does, nor should anyone be in a hurry to ditch MLS systems in favor of cute but fundamentally inefficacious realty.bots.
Exhibited below are the 213 fields I get in my low-tech MLS feed. Is that a lot of fields? Not really. Missing from this list are the lead-based paint disclosure, the photos and their captions and the virtual tour links and their captions. Is all that enough? Well, we don’t have the ability to search for a double-vanity in the master bathroom, so clearly we need more power.
But: Your users don’t need this much power and wouldn’t kow how to take advantage of it. What you offer is window-shopping for homes, and there is nothing wrng with that.
An MLS system does home searches.
The limited subset of ARMLS fields:
ADOM
Agent1Email
Agent2Email
AgentCoList
AgentList
AgentSell
Architecture
ArchiveStamp
Area
AssessBookNumInt
AssessMapNumInt
AssocFee
AssocFeePaid
AssocFeesInclude
AssocInfo
AssocName
AssocPhone
BackonMarketDate
BathsMasterDesc
BathsPartialYN
BathsTotal
BathsYear
BathsYN
Bed1Desc
Bed1Dim
Bed2Dim
Bed3Dim
Bed4Dim
Bed5Dim
Beds
Block
BookPage
Builder
BuildingNum
BuyerBroker
CDOM
City
CloseCostSplit
ClosedDate
CommunityName
CompBuy
CompOther
CompSell
CompVariable
Construction
ConstructionStatus
Contingent_CO
Contingent_EOTP
Contingent_SWI
ContractDate
CoolSystem
County
CrossSt
DaysOnMarket
Directions
Disclosure
Downpayment
Energy
Equity
ExpireDateDisplay
Exterior
ExternalMarketing
FaxOffice
FeatureCode
Features
Fence
Fenced
FireplaceDesc
FlooringPartialYN
FlooringYear
FlooringYN
GarageDesc
Grid
Handicap
HeatCoolPartialYN
HeatCoolYear
HeatCoolYN
HeatSystem
HomeOwnersAssoc
HorseDesc
Horses
HundredBlock
HundredBlockCompass
InternetList
ItemsUpdated
KitchenPartialYN
KitchenYear
KitchenYN
LandLeaseFee
LandLeaseFeePaid
Level
ListDate
ListPrice
ListPriceOrig
ListStatus
ListType
LoanExist
LoanTerms
LoanType
LoanYears
LotNum
LotSize
MarketingName
Miscellaneous
MLSNUM
MobileHomeFeat
Model
Modified
NewFinancing
Occupant
OfficeList
OfficeSell
OffMarketDate
OwnerName
OwnerPhone
Ownership
PadFee
PadFeePaid
PaymentType
PendingDate
PhoneHome1
PhoneHome2
PhoneMobile1
PhoneMobile2
PhoneOfOther
PhonePager1
PhonePager2
PhotoCount
PhotoInstr
PhotoReal
Plat
PlumbingPartialYN
PlumbingYear
PlumbingYN
PointBuyer
PointsSeller
Pool
PoolCommunity
PoolPartialYN
PoolPrivate
PoolYear
PropDesc
PropSubType
PropType
Range
RealRemarks
RecCenter
RecCenterFee
RecCenterPaid
Remarks
Restrictions
Roof
RoofPartialYN
RoofYear
RoofYN
RoomAddPartialYN
RoomAddYear
RoomAddYN
RoomDenDim
RoomDiningDesc
RoomDiningDim
RoomFamDim
RoomKitchenDesc
RoomKitchenDim
RoomLaundryDesc
RoomLivingDim
RoomOtherDesc
RVParking
SalePriceDisplay
salesprice
SchoolDistrictElem
SchoolDistrictHigh
SchoolElem
SchoolHigh
SchoolJunior
Section
Services
Sewer
ShowInstr
Siding
SpaPrivate
SqFtRange
SqFtSource
SqFtTotal
StatusChangeDate
StreetDir
StreetName
StreetNum
StreetNumDisplay
StreetType
Style
Subagents
Subdivision
TaxAmount
TaxLetter
TaxParcelInt
TaxYear
Technology
TotalAssumablePay
TotalEncumbrance
Town
UidPrp
UnitNum
UnitStyle
Utilities
Water
WeekAvailable
WiringPartialYN
WiringYear
WiringYN
YearBuilt
zip4
ZipCode
October 16, 2006 — 8:29 pm
Condo Blog says:
Bloodhound we could not agree with you more. Actually we just live by one of your older post…the one with Microsoft Exec’s heli pad in the back yard floating on top of the boat….remember that! How detaied can search get…i guess we will see.
October 18, 2006 — 5:03 pm
Ed Kohler says:
It seems like consumers may search using different criteria than Realtors. For example, they don’t use MLS descriptions of regions. Rather, they know them by their neighborhood names, cities, etc.
I imagine some of the challenges faces by sites like PropSmart and Trulia is access to MLS information. There is information in the MLS that isn’t publicly available, making it hard for consumers to search in the level of detail you describe. Given that, wouldn’t your gripe with websites more aptly be directed at MLS systems?
October 22, 2006 — 5:12 pm
Greg Swann says:
> Given that, wouldn’t your gripe with websites more aptly be directed at MLS systems?
Keep reading. There’s lots more.
October 22, 2006 — 6:01 pm