One of the most technical web techs from Zi llow was drafted into the military.
While at boot camp he went to the rifle range where he was given some instructions, handed a rifle, and a couple rounds of ammo.
He loaded the rifle and fired several shots at the target.
The report of his in-accuracy came from the target area. All of his attempts had completely missed the target.
The tech looked at his rifle, and then at the target.
He looked at the rifle again, and then once more at the target.
He placed his finger over the end of the rifle barrel and squeezed the trigger with his other hand.
The end of his finger was blown off -- whereupon he yelled toward the target area...
"It's leaving here just fine; the trouble must be at your end!"
This is how the aggregators are treating listing agents and brokers.
We listing agents and brokers are what is not operating correctly, certainly it can't be the aggregators.
Well, maybe we shouldn't be giving them their guns and ammo.
REindex.com, The Site Enginesm For Listers. By a Lister. Free.Heath Coker, Owner of Cape Group Real Estate
www.CapeGroup.com / capegroup@capegroup.com
508-548-8888 Licensed in MA
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Hi Mike. It depends on which blogger or reporter you listen to. All the money behind those sites is paying for press and blogs that say they are. I am still showing houses on the Cape, though.
PS - I have looked at your site and I'll be inking you from REindex in the towns of Hamilton, Keansburg, Plumstead, Robbinsville, and Trenton, NJ later today
Heath I can see where you are coming from. But my responsibility as a listing broker is to advertise and market a listing where buyers can find them and to of course to the seller to sell his or her house. I agree with you that if all buyers could find my website (which of course is like finding a needle in a haystack) I wouldnt need zillow.com or any other aggregators. The real estate flood gates are wide open, so its sink or swim. But I just dont think that putting listings on zillow or any other sites is "Giving it away" as you say. It is free of course and any sale wouldnt be paying any referral fees towards zillow correct?
You said the other day that Zillow is trying to put the local MLS's out of business. I agree with you that if all the MLS's in the country give them their listings that they are enlarging their already huge population of daily surfers. Why would they bite the hand that feeds them? how in the world could they possibly do that? Im betting that they probably could exist without the MLS's right now! but putting the local MLS's out of business is impossible!
Steve White
Thanx for the note Steve. In our personal conversations, you state that you aren't concerned with whether you sell your listing or someone else does. And you think that having your listings in as many places as possible helps your listings sell.
I prefer to sell my own listings. I do this by getting people to contact me through my physical office and through my online office. So, while you are adding and updating your listings all over the net, I'm selling my listings, and helping people that I met through one of my offices buy your listings. No prob.
As for not hurting MLSs, consider how large an influence Zill ow has on real estate and the Internet in so short a time. It is made up of techies whose time and job focus is to turn opinion (like yours) in their favor. You seem most comfortable endorsing their efforts. They offer nothing we can't do on our own sites whether it is maps, estimates of value, pictures, blogs, or whatever. They only offer us competition for search terms.
Heath I can empathize with you that we are both small offices and I like you find it difficult to compete wth Foley RE and Century 21 locally never mind zillow or any other national aggregrates. I would prefer to sell my own listings as well as you do and make more money but as you know that's not always possible, so I welcome other agents and you to show my properties as well
But again my responsibility is to my seller as his listing agent to sell his property. I understand that zillow is a huge aggregrate that makes a lot of money using our listings to sell advertising which you could do too if you wanted to with your reindex.com website if you wanted to. I respect that you dont wish to and that is not your purpose. I dont endorse zillow or any other website just because I use them. To me my primary responsiblity is to my seller and to sell his property by using as many marketing channels as possible. You know as I do that a sign in the front yard and the old fashioned word-of-mouth advertising in a small town like Falmouth can work just as well as a listing on the internet. To me the internet is another free alternative that isnt always as good or better and is just another option to help me do my job.
Steve White
Hi Gary, thanx for the note. Zillo w is even less accurate in areas where the MLS doesn't feed them content and data.
Steve, Sorry for the delayed response. I was out showing property. I sell my own listings more than 1/2 the time - not always but more often than not. You are mistaken to think that you are not endorsing zill ow when you use them. By the way - they are using you more than you are willing to admit.
Duane, Thanx for the note. I got the emails about ThemThem on active rain. Thanx again.
Heath, no problem, it's the toughest part of moderating a group because there are so many excellent posts. Thanks for understanding.
Duane
Hey Heath I happen to find a zillow person right here on activerain.com. Search and check out Sara Bonert's profile right here on this website active rain.com Her profile will fill you in on everything you ever wanted to know about your favorite aggregate ZILLOW.COM!!!!
Steve White
There is even a zillow discussion group where you can vent your frustration http://www.activerain.com/groups/zillowdiscussion or something to that affect
Steve White
Sorry http://www.activerain.com/groups/zillow
Steve White
Hi Denise. I looked at your site and if you will use the Point2 system to add the "My Listings" button to your pages so people can see that you list property, I'll add you to REindex.com . It looks like your listing right now is in Chesapeake, VA, but the other listings in your "featured listings" button are from other companies. Send me a note when you are ready and I'll look again.
Hi Steve (again). I am starting to think that you work for Zill ow. Zill-etes can be found in any blog, commet area, real estate discussion site,... . It is part of their effort to squelch anti conversation and reporting.