Good, because you need to know
What if I told you that your use of IDX is about to be severely limited in a world where agents have been left to compete with the likes of Trulia, Zillow, et al within Google? It’s true if a rule up for debate is solidified next week in DC.
If you haven’t read this post, you should do it now- don’t let the already 240 plus comments overwhelm you, stick to the post.
Now that you’ve read that post, and have some understanding of what’s going on, what you need to know is that this greatly impacts all of our ability to compete in the global community if other local boards pick up this ruling and adopt it in your local city- and they will. We already know that our local MLSs/Boards compete with us for use of keywords and key terms in our local markets, and this power grab only solidifies that you will inevitably be buying your own leads back from someone else without a single drop of compensation for your hard work.
The ramifications are absolutely endless, but a few examples of the immediate impact are those folks who have spent several years building local community blogs around their niche markets, use craigslist, or allows any search engine to index and promote all local listings within their site, could be forced to cease or risk penalty- there are so many more examples, I cannot list them all.
All is not lost
This issue is huge, and unfortunately a few Realtors have been drug to the forefront of this issue to defend your use of Google as a tool to promote listings, and they’ll soon be on their way to DC to stand before the committee, the question is, will you stand with them? I know Agent Genius readers will, but what about your friends?
Here’s what you can do NOW
- Read the thread of comments to the post for suggestions (some are as follows)
- Bring this post to the attention of your local board leaders
- Email, blog to fellow Realtors with this link and ask them to weigh in with their thoughts
- Simply trackback with excerpt to this post with this link
- Call MIBOR and ask them to reverse or suspend actions until NAR can fully weigh their decision on ’scraping’ – MIBOR CEO Stephen J Sullivan (317) 956-5000 x237 or email here stevesullivan@mibor.com (be professional)
- Email Cliff Niersbach cniersbach@realtors.org and politely ask Cliff to please reconsider the Google is a scraper issue.
- Go to DC if you can and attend the committee hearing on this issue to lend support.
- Have a look at local issues in committees now locally and get on committees that you feel you can add expertise that is forward thinking- help them!
I realize that we all wanted at one time to keep MLS data in the MLS, but that fight was lost (and in some cases given up freely), however, what you must now understand is that that train has left the station, and your only ability to compete with those same media companies is being threatened.
We thank all who will participate, and want everyone to know that we believe that issue can be resolved, but it will take your constructive voice to make it happen.
If you have further suggestions, drop them in the comments, if you know of a way this will impact your business, drop it in the comments.
Blog about this issue on your local blog, let us know in comments, we’ll link to you in this post.
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Consumerism, Geo-mapping columnist
Marketing columnist
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My 2cent sharing – Blog, FB & Twitter – http://www.brandcandid.com/2009/05/09/2665/
Thursday morning, I’ll be there!
Maybe someone can create a little badge for us to wear?
-doug
Doug, I’ll make up the kick me signs and send them to you, all you need to do is add tape and attach to the backs of anyone you feel needs one, namely @jaythompson
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Btw Ken, thanks, good to see you back in the fray.
Attention NAR: It’s a new place called the World Wide Web. You should check it out, it may become useful.
Benn – you’ve got my email address, please send a “kick me” badge before Wednesday morning.
Great summary post. What’s really frightening is: 1) the vast majority of agents out there have no idea this is even happening; and 2) many that may be aware of it don’t understand the potential ramifications.
The only thing I’d add to your list is to reach out and contact your states MLS Committee members as Jim Duncan mentioned in the comments on the original post.
If ever there was a time and a need for a “grass roots” movement, that time is now.
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Ah I knew I missed something Jay, thanks, kick me sign on the way
The fact of the matter is this is truly a non-issue for NAR. The fact that they ruled in favor of MIBOR against Free Trade should have every Realtor concerned. This is a huge anti-trust issue that has damage suits written all over it. To that extent NAR has left itself open to legal action and damages does not serve the interests of NAR’s members and this is certainly NOT what a professional trade organization is for.
I’ll be damned if I am going to allow the representatives of our Nation’s Realtors to essentially throw a sack of cement on our backs as we try and stay a float while NAR issues the Queen Mary to Realtor.com, Trulia.com and other listing sites who are seeing Dollar Signs a pleanty.
All kidding aside about Jay’s “kick me” badge, anyone got ideas for a button/ribbon/icon and slogan to help enlighten those unaware of the issue and to rally support? For those who’ll be in DC, please join us (including two people invited to speak) on Wednesday evening May 13th at a “REALTOR Mixer” to share ideas and insight. Please check Facebook for event details.
It’s a complex issue — creating fair, lasting policies and interpretations which won’t be irrelevant with the next rounds of technology innovations. Thanks Benn and Jay for your issue-illuminating and support-rallying suggestions. May many act on them.
Presented with a CLEAR, reasonable “campaign” message, more folks may participate in the issue and its solutions (beyond the DC Mid-Year meeting) if it’s EASY to do — like wear a button, forward e-mail, follow links and feature an icon on sites.
Slogan ideas: “IDX Rules, for Now!” or “I support Killer IDX, not IDX Killers” or “IDX & Indexing, Please” Anyone?
Jay, any ideas?
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Yeah, it’s a little late for me to try and attend, anyone else?
I’ll wear a “Kick Me” badge or anything else we come up with. I like IDX, For Now! I may not be proud of the NAR decision, but I am proud to be a member along side all of you. Alone, I could not make a difference.
Together, we can!
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Just posted on it on AR, I agree Benn, most agents don’t know it is happening or even understand the implications.
I am trying to get a flight to go.
Kind of funny that at the top of all the Agent Genius posts is – “Yay, you found us! Google’s cool, isn’t it?”
For some reason I think Listing Clients would want their listings popping up all over the place – “Yay, you found our house for sale! I’m glad my listing agent has tech savvy buyer agents that are getting our property to show up on Google!”
If you rely on any tool to acquire comments, you are clueless, stupid, and need to be bailed out. IDX whatever, it matters not. Raise your ability to acquire and serve clients.
GenuineChris – having more pages indexed in google, if done the right way does increase the ability to acquire and serve clients. There continues to be this argument that agents who get business through lead generation are often percieved differently – it’s just prospecting.
For people familiar with the Sarasota MLS issue Knox, an SEO, was helpful in keeping the pressure on that board.
Too many scary rules that appear to becoming into the horizon!
Here’s a thought, but what if Google was also indexing all of your information along with the property information and that raised your overall Google ranking? Now I have you attention. I am not sure that would be the case, but it’s possible.