As internet savvy REALTORS and NAR members who understand the huge mistake it would be to tie OUR hands to compete for buyers in the marketplace while others would be free to do so. We hereby petition NAR to accept the recommendation of their committee and reiterate with the change in their language the clear and distinct difference between search engines (such as Google) and scraper sites.
We ask both MIBOR and NAR to allow Indianapolis brokers and agents to compete for the BEST presentation of IDX data on the internet without restrictions on their content getting indexed by Google, Yahoo and similar search engines...while PROTECTING the data against those who would scrape the data for their own use.
We commend the committee for getting it right, call into questions why MIBOR is intent on holding their membership in limbo on the subject and we ask for NAR to do the right thing.
Lina Robertson,
Christine McInerney,
Matt Stigliano,
I have made it absolutely clear about my feelings on the issue at ActiveRain, my own site (rerockstar.com), AgentGenius, Twitter and several other supporter blogs.
My biggest gripe is the claim that the decision by the committee was too hasty. Was it not hasty of MIBOR to come down on Paula? Did they not get a hasty decision from Paula. NAR admits this was never the intention of the rule, so why are we even fighting for this. NAR knows it, MIBOR knows it, and the committee obviously understood it when they made their decision, only to get a slap in the face from the board of directors - now everyone is playing politics.
Knock it off and let us conduct our business and HELP our sellers. Tying my hands in the advertising realm (online) is not a benefit to my business. If I must pay dues to an association that is supposed to further the goals of business, then why are even needing to fight this.
Go Paula! You will always have a voice in me.
Samuel Ingersoll-Weng,
Andy Kaufman,
Kudos to the NAR committee for getting it right & thumbs down to MIBOR for getting in their way of acting on it.
Dena Stevens,
Tony DeLuke,
Ines Hegedus-Garcia,
Amy C. Campbel,
Margaret Woda,
Restricting consumer access to our listings is violating our own REALTOR Code of Ethics since we MUST expose and promote them to buyers. Likewise, a second violation: Preventing consumers from easily finding our listings is also a violation because our own Code of Ethics require us to represent their best interests. I cannot believe we're even having this conversation with the National Association that purports to represent the best of all real estate licensees across the country. Please stand up and enforce your own Code of Ethics in this regard!
Marchel Peterson,
This makes no sense NAR is supposed to be representing us!
Sandy Brode,
Every state s, who pays dues, hould be included and Nar should control and not lease Realtor.com too!
Cris Burlew, Broker,
Dennis Pease / Broker,
NAR should keep up with the times and change the antiquated protectionist ideas that penalize their own members and yet allow third party non-member sites to flourish online with indexed listings. Agents should have every right to compete for those rankings online. This is not the first web related decision NAR needs to address that has caused harm to members. Remember the Rasmussen –vs- SAR? Don't make me say AGAIN that I am ashamed to be a member of NAR. This decision can not be left up to individual boards where jealous, envious, small minded board members can penalize successful online agents. As dues paying members of NAR we deserve to be properly represented by NAR.
David M Childress, Realtor,
Missy Caulk,
Weichart is syndicating other Brokers listings, why can't we? This doesn't make sense.
Rita Taylor,
Dan Cummings,
This appears to be one more case were the "brokers" are trying to force their stranglehold on "agents". Hopefully someday the MLS monopoly will be broken and agents will be able to earn a living without so many hands picking our pockets.
Irina Netchaev,
It is unbelievable to me that NAR is so oblivious to the needs of their own membership. It's time to read their own data/statistical reports and gain a better understanding of how top realtors are earning their business.
There are too many entities - local MLSs, Realtor.com and others - leaching off of real estate agents.
The real estate model is changing. Lead generation is changing. Let us conduct our business in the most effective way possible.
Christine E. Tesch,
NAR not only needs to step up and accept this recommendation, they need to make a concerted effort to educate those boards that would penalize internet savvy agents.
Laurie Manny,
Times have changed, the internet rules, it is where Realtor's procure their business. If NAR doesn't understand the business of lead generation for real estate professionals then they need to step down or just get the heck out of our way. Currently the position of NAR is harmful to the business of real estate.
It strikes me that if NAR is allowing the local MLS's to get in the way of us promoting our listings and serving our clients, I have to question if they are as dumb as they seem. Is it possible that they have entered into verbal or actual contractual arrangements to reroute those leads?
I want ownership of each MLS to be made public. It is my understanding that most of the MLS's are actually owned by brokers. Are the brokers getting in our way in an effort to reroute leads?
I am disgusted by all of this.
Genea Riede,
Don't vote on something you haven't taken the time to understand. Google is NOT a scraper. Unfortunately, NAR has SOLD the souls of the Realtor for many years and it's time to STOP.
Clint Miller,
I truly hope that NAR and MIBOR will realize how incredibly misguided this whole thing truly is...
Steve Mattison,
Todd Carpenter understands this, NAR, please ask his advice before making these calls!
Thesa Chambers,
NAR - shame on you! I do not know how many publications from YOU I have read that tell us we need to have a great web presence and now you cut off Paula and others at the knees.
Kathy McGraw,
Ashley Drake Gephart,
Sandi Rodrick,
This is like having the car gassed up and ready to go but not being able to get out of the garage. Come on NAR, keep your REALTORS on upfront and on the road to productivity!
Katherine Arrendale,
The job of NAR/MIBOR is to HELP us to maintain our industry and expand our outreach, NOT stifle us.
Justin Smith | Searching Solutions,
Search engines are not "scrapers"... this whole thing is ridiculous...
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Tisha Gay,
NAR needs a good explanation of the difference between scraping and indexing. Check out http://blog.metrobrokers.com. If NAR and MIBOR does not allow Google and other search engines to index broker sites, the broker and consumer will lose out.
Brokers will end up paying for leads from sites like Trulia, Zillow, etc. because they will be immune from the ruling since they’re not a broker and rank higher in Google than the broker who actually owns the listing.
The consumer loses out because they will probably use sites that rank higher in Google’s search engines…many of which will not have all of the listing information and will not provide the same level of service as a true broker. Looking ahead, that consumer will probably be shuffled out to the highest bidder of the leads.
I thought NAR was supposed to look out for the best interests of its members (i.e. Realtors) as well as the buying/selling public?
Tyler Brenner,
It's pretty obvious that someone does NOT know the implications of scraping. If this comes to fruition, all brokers will lose out, plain and simple.
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I thought NRA was here to help us sell our Sellers homes and not hinder the process.
The public speaks every day loud and clear on what they want, let’s give it to them otherwise NAR will be left behind in the technology race.
Ben Roberts,
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Nar needs to wake up and realize they are being left out of the technoloyg age
Peter Toner,
NAR needs to get a clue about how the internet works in the real world and how the interests of sellers should be considered before dinosaur Brokers.
xxxxxxxx,
I don’t know who this broker is, but focusing on the source of the problem is very important in solving the problem.
Listing brokers and their old school business model is the problem. Listing brokers must look for their sellers' best interest first instead of leveraging listings to generate visibility, market positioning and leads.
Focusing on scraping and indexing rules is busy-work. If the current stone-age brokerage model is fixed then scraping or indexing would seize to be a problem.
HOWEVER in the short-run STOP classifying Google as a scrapper. Google is indeed a monopoly without competition, but it is not a scrapper.
Gregg Camp,
NAR is behind the technology curve once again. The public wants the listings and the easiest way for them to find them is by being indexed by search engines,Google being the biggest and most successful, but the public choice. NAR smell the coffee, indexing gives the public easier access the the listings we are trying to sell for our clients.
Pat & Wayne Harriman,
It's seems to be easier for NAR to listen to the voice of one and act hastily, than the voices of many and act with reason. Please reconsider your position, and do what needs to be done.
Bruce Wagg,
This is nothing short of a travesty.
Knox Richards,
Hoping that "doing the right thing" isn't as difficult a concept as understanding how Google works.
Brett Tousley,
Please focus your efforts on helping Realtors not the Corporate brokerages. Competition breeds excellence.
Paula Henry,
NAR and MIBOR - hear the voice of REALTORS!
Jay Thompson, Broker / Owner,
Our local and national associations need to HELP us, not HINDER us when it comes to competing with third part aggregators.
Eric Blackwell,
NAR- Please do the right thing and allow your agents and brokers to compete in giving the public what they want.
Joe Pryor,
Don't let the technological Luddites win!
Lee Ellis, REALTOR e-PRO,