If Inman Blog sent you here, here is our side of the story so far:
- Welcome to Race Piracy 2.0: Zillow.com is targetted for the crime of having deep pockets…
- Zillow.com shake-down: This is the first shoe dropping…
- Zillow.com shake-down: Creeping disclaimerism as a subject-changing gambit…
- The Zillow.com shake-down: How the other shoe will drop…
A question might arise in a thoughtful mind: Why am I defending Zillow.com from this outrage?
First, because they have the right to run their business however they choose. If I can persuade them to add a disclaimer to their front page, that’s great. If not, it’s still their business, their private property.
Second, and of much greater importance, if Zillow.com caves in to extortion, that will open the net up for raids by every flavor of “non-profit” piracy. It is very rare that anyone can make any difference at all in the way things are done. This is one of those times, a transition point, and what Zillow.com does may have decisive impact on future events. Will the net become another corporate cash-box for “non-profit” groups who will — for a fee — “protect” you from legislation they got passed? Or will the net remain the exception to the way business is done in America?
The Future of Real Estate Marketing has more today, as does Realty Thoughts. For my own part, I believe the crux of the issue is racial politics and Fair Housing legislation, rather than the plights of starving appraisers or disgruntled Realtors. These groups may have their own axes to grind, but every NCRC shake-down I have been able to uncover has been related to Fair Housing law or the Community Reinvestment Act.
These are the three instances I have found, having invested less then ten minutes’ research time:
- NCRC routinely shakes-down banks.
- NCRC shakes-down lender for red-lining. Note that the article reads like the lender was fined, but the payment actually went to NCRC.
- NRT hires NCRC to teach its Fair Housing classes. In this instance, NCRC was the white-hat protector called in to fend off the black-hat protectors.
My belief is that fleas don’t come in threes: If every story I found about NCRC resulted in NCRC getting paid off, my bet is that there are plenty more stories with essentially the same plot line. If you can dig one up, let me know by email and I’ll send you a BloodhoundRealty.com Tee Shirt. All the Tee Shirt Contest ideas we got were great, but this is my kind of game…
Our story so far:
- Welcome to Race Piracy 2.0: Zillow.com is targetted for the crime of having deep pockets…
- Zillow.com shake-down: This is the first shoe dropping…
- Zillow.com shake-down: Creeping disclaimerism as a subject-changing gambit…
- The Zillow.com shake-down: How the other shoe will drop…
- The Zillow.com shake-down: BloodhoundBlog’s take so far — and a chance to win a BloodhoundRealty.com Tee Shirt…
- The Zillow.com shake-down: Preparing for the denouement…
- The Zillow.com shake-down: The piling on begins — and Spencer Tracy is nowhere to be found…
- Defending Zillow.com…
- The Zillow.com shake-down: At last a discouraging word about NCRC…
- Avid AVM aversion extends only to Zillow.com: NCRC off-shoot starts competing on-line valuation service…
- The Zillow.com shake-down: Deconstructing the NCRC complaint…
Technorati Tags: blogging, disintermediation, real estate marketing
CJ, Broker in L A, CA says:
This info may not be Tee-Shirt-Winning quality… But isn’t interesting that Realogy owned real estate companys (Century 21, Sotheby’s, etc.) carry this little paragraph on their web sites
“As an adjunct to the foregoing commitment, both Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. and Realogy Corporation actively promote, and are committed to, creating and fostering an environment of diversity throughout their respective organizations and franchise systems, and each views such a concept as a critical component to the on-going success of their business operations. Each of the Realogy Corporation real estate brands are also a proud signatory to a national alliance agreement with the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) which provides for links to NCRC’s fair housing information on each of the real estate brand websites.”
Are we seeing evidence of a shakedown settlement?
http://www.ncrc.org/pressandpubs/press_releases/documents/2006/2006-5-15NRTNCRC.pdf
http://www.century21.com/learn/content.aspx?refstr=6.18
http://www.sothebysrealty.com/ServicesDisclaimer.aspx
October 30, 2006 — 8:34 pm
CJ, Broker in L A, CA says:
This info may not be Tee-Shirt-Winning qaulity, but isn’t it interesting that Realogy owned companys (Sotheby’s, Century 21, etc. are carrying this paragraph on their web sites:
“Each of the Realogy Corporation real estate brands are also a proud signatory to a national alliance agreement with the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) which provides for links to NCRC’s fair housing information on each of the real estate brand websites.”
http://www.century21.com/learn/content.aspx?refstr=6.18
http://www.sothebysrealty.com/ServicesDisclaimer.aspx
http://www.ncrc.org/pressandpubs/press_releases/documents/2006/2006-5-15NRTNCRC.pdf
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=PRNI2&STORY=/www/story/10-05-2006/0004446631&EDATE=
October 30, 2006 — 8:41 pm
Chris Guldi says:
Zillow defended by an unlikely source…
October 31, 2006 — 5:30 am
Patch Tuesday says:
Greg, you guys just don’t get it. You should be turning your real estate companies into nonprofits, so you can also can help the public. Then, you simply make yourself employees and write-off everything.
CEO Pay: $174,588
View the evil NCRC tax return here:
http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2004/521/766/2004-521766126-01ca1202-9.pdf
November 1, 2006 — 6:35 am
GMartin says:
Zillow.com helped me to prove the square footage of my condo that was for sale. My buyer had a drunken appraiser who shorted me in square footage.
Anyone who takes a websites price estimate as hard fact is not doing their homework. Zillow usually gives a broadrange estimate anyhow.
June 5, 2007 — 1:31 pm