Here’s the PR, which the vendor cheerleaders will have reported:*
Leading real estate Web site Zillow.com and MLS Property Information Network today announced a partnership to feed listings from the New England area MLS to Zillow.com on a daily basis. This partnership initiates the first participation at the MLS level in Zillow’s Listings Feed program, which launched in November 2007. To date, the Zillow Listings Feed program has attracted several top brokerages for participation, and now allows all customers of MLS PIN to automatically gain free marketing exposure for their listings on one of the most-visited real estate sites in the country, while providing Zillow’s users with a more robust search experience.
That is, rather than having made yet another feed agreement from a brokerage or a franchise of brokerages, Zillow will be taking a feed of every listing from MLS PIN — a fairly big MLS system.
Okayfine. Now here’s the actual news:
Each listing will include a description of the property with multiple photos and contact information for the listing agent, including links back to the listing brokerage’s Web site where they can find more information and connect with a sales associate to guide them through the home buying and selling experience.
That is to say, whatever form the IDX agreement takes at MLS PIN, it is being cast aside for the Zillowfied listings. The IDX-like policy of concealing the listing broker’s and agent’s contact information will not be the policy for Zillow’s echo of the MLS PIN feed. (I find this so amazing that I’m avidly listening for some back-peddaling.)
There’s more. If a listing agent creates a profile on Zillow.com, that will be linked through from that agent’s listings. The MLS PIN feed will provide information for Zillow’s Virtual Sold Sign program, which is another way of promoting individual listing agents. This is all of a piece with Zillow’s general policy of promoting individuals rather than organizations.
But the important fact is that Zillow’s agreement with MLS PIN splits up the clubby conspiracy against the consumer that is the MLS philosophy. If buyer’s agents are squealing in Massachusetts today, the proper target of their Read more
I’ve had little luck selling the idea that REALTORS® should embrace an Internet rating system. Local associations, individual REALTORS®, other association executives, NAR, and even other bloggers have rejected the idea of allowing clients to rate their agent. Twice last week I pitched it to influential leaders in the industry, but both times the conversation died with no support. Here are a few typical “reasons” this idea is rejected by the industry:
