While much has been made of the recent decision to not continue the IDX feed for Diverse Solutions from Metrolist, a decision which leaves many REALTORS scrambling for a new IDX provider and website solution, Santa Barbara MLS has also decided NOT to renew the IDX feed. They cite "concerns over misuse", which is being denied and not tied to any specific misuse but rather the concern over potential misuse.To many REALTORS who are customers of Diverse Solutions, these feel like they have been … [Read more...]
UPDATE: Santa Barbara MLS also dumps Diverse Solutions after Zillow aquisition
February 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Metrolist Ends Relationship with Diverse Solutions over Zillow Ownership
February 6, 2012 By 4 Comments
In an email sent out to Denver area customers of Diverse Solutions, Metrolist said the following:As you may be aware, your IDX vendor, Diverse Solutions, was recently purchased by Zillow and no longer holds a valid Agreement for Internet Data eXchange (IDX) with Metrolist. This means that they will no longer be allowed to provide you with Metrolist IDX on your website.Diverse Solutions (Zillow) will be able to continue receiving IDX data from Metrolist until April 2, 2012 to allow you … [Read more...]
NAR forms Technology and Emerging Issues Sub-committee for IDX and MLS issues
December 21, 2011 By 1 Comment
Blogger and Broker Jay Thompson announced that NAR has formed a subcommittee of the MLS committe, specifically for dealing with Technology and Emerging Issues (read: IDX issues) and that he is one of 17 people who are members and are participating on that sub-committee.While no formal announcement has been made yet on the NAR website, hopes are that subcommittee focused directly on resolving emerging technology issues and more specifically looking at IDX and applying it to … [Read more...]
NAR double counting sales? Yes says Yun…
December 19, 2011 By 1 Comment
Money magazine reported that existing home sales will be revised lower due to "double counting" of sales across multiple MLS's and NAR is revising figures back to 2007.According to NAR economist Lawrence Yun, "For the real estate business, this means the housing market's downturn was deeper than what was initially thought," Yun said.Other reasons for revising the data include old assumptions based on aged census information, and some assumptions about FSBO listings which do not … [Read more...]
Redfin scraps Agent Scouting Reports
October 5, 2011 By 1 Comment
Redfin has decided to take down the "Agent Scouting Reports" from their website. Over the last few days since the start of the program, various parts of the data have proven inaccurate and troublesome and each of these parts has been pulled down as needed. Ostensibly the w eight of trying to deal with all of it has made it more trouble than it is worth.While many in the industry were against the Agent Scouting Reports, many welcome them as long as the data was accurate. One of the biggest … [Read more...]
Redfin Scouting Report – disruptive? Bloggers chime in.
September 30, 2011 By 1 Comment
Redfin's announcement that they will be providing "scouting report" statistics on Real Estate agents in 14 national markets is making waves in the real estate industry. They are providing agent statistics in a convenient package on their site showing everything from currently active listings to number of dual agency transactions, all of which a pretty good kindling to ignite issues with the REALTOR community.This new step in rating other REALTORS (including those not working for them) is … [Read more...]
Realty Executives International in turmoil?
July 24, 2011 By 2 Comments
BREAKING NEWS - While we at RealEstateIndustryWatch were aware of the dispute that a former Realty Executives International president was having with his former employers, we were not aware that there may well be more turmoil going on there.According to this post in AgentGenius, Realty Executives International has moved offices, has laid off a large number of their executives, and had a major franchisee move over to Keller Williams. This was kept fairly quiet presumably due to the fact that … [Read more...]
Strategic Default is the new mortgage payment
May 17, 2011 By 2 Comments
In a recent survey by the Palm Beach Post in Palm Beach County Florida, strategic default is on the rise. A local reporter even had some feedback from an anomymos and willing individual who explained that when she bought her waterfront home in 2004 for $583,000 everything was fine. She later decided to strategically default even though she can continue making the $5,200 mortgage payment. This news should not come suprising to some of us.75% of homeowner's in Palm Beach County who are … [Read more...]
NAR plans $40 mandatory political fund fee increase
March 23, 2011 By 9 Comments
NAR has announced that they intend to raise dues by $40 per year in 2012 and in 2013 to fund more political donations and clout. This has been met with mixed reviews and generally negative reactions from the real estate blogging community. A great overall analysis of the proposed fee hike is done here by Rob Hahn and an excellent op ed was written by Jay Thompson.The sticking point for many of the bloggers seems to be that the fees are MANDATORY. For years, REALTORS can contribute via RPAC … [Read more...]
Real Estate Blogs – Their role in Media
February 8, 2011 By 6 Comments
The Orange County Register's real estate blog recently turned 5 years old. As part of that was a simple post and an observation or two.Real estate blogs have morphed in some ways in that they are more sophisticated now. They are less cauldrons of heat filled rhetoric about the bubble (since that argument is a foregone conclusion), yet they still provide relevant information for the consumer.As real estate blogs and blogging ages and matures (?) we invite your comments on where you … [Read more...]
