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Looking for a house online now a bit easier
By adamg on Tue, 09/30/2008 - 10:58pm
MLS no longer requires a login to see addresses of available homes on maps. Try searching Boston Redfin, for example (you'll still need to log in to see details of specific listings).
Via Anthony Longo at Condo Domain, who says he'll be dropping his address registration ASAP.
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Comments
GREAT move on the part of
GREAT move on the part of the MLS people. Without crucial information like address or at least street name people dont have the information they need/want before contacting a real estate agent about a property. This will be very very good for people selling property in nice areas, or if you happen to be next to a pond/lake/hill, although it may not be so great for those of you that are selling property (even if its very nice) that is in a congested part of any town.
I did notice that sites like Zillow seem to allow real estate agents to skip around this rule already by posting secondary info on their website, and many times they include the address. I always figured it was random people that did that, but then I began recognizing some of the screenames of the posters (I have some friends in real estate, dont we all their everywhere!) and realized that many of them were actually real estate agents.
they're desperate
GREAT move on the part of the MLS people. Without crucial information like address or at least street name people dont have the information they need/want before contacting a real estate agent about a property.
It helps drive nails into the coffins of the profession called "real estate agent". I think it was Phil Greenspun who said recently that it's a profession useless to anyone with a brain and Google Maps.
Remember a year or two back, maybe more, that agents could "get" you into MLS if you signed up with them? This is just further loosening as the profession (and MLS) try to compete with Craigslist and other sites.
If all an agent did was tell
If all an agent did was tell you the address we would have been rid of the profession years ago. A good real estate agent will do more then just tell you what is available on street X, they will know the area and tell you why you should buy on street X. They also take care of allot of the work that you dont know how to handle.
Sure if you know exactly what you want, and know everything about an area, and know how to handle everything yourself then your golden. I just wonder why Isoldmyhouse.com only has 5 houses in the city Im looking at while MLS has 500?
Just remember who the agent works for
That listing agent works for the seller. Not the buyer. While a good agent will facillitate a sale by making life easy for the buyer, the distinction is important.
A good real estate agent
A good real estate agent will do more then just tell you what is available on street X, they will know the area and tell you why you should buy on street X.
Google Maps. Neighborhood descriptions. Census data. Crime stats. All online. Greenspun's point stands: the functions of a realtor can be easily replaced by anyone with a "how to buy a house" book, a lawyer to handle the legal stuff, an internet connection, and a BRAIN.
And time.
Which is something not everyone has in excess to spend on learning all the ins and outs of buying a house.
Theres something about that
Theres something about that human presence, a person who knows an area well, working for you. They should know what the pitfalls and to be honest will sell the house over your minor objections. Lets say you insist on getting a place with 2 full bathrooms and think its possible because at some point someone you knew bought something for the same price. Maybe there arent any on the market in your price, maybe the best you can do is 1 and .5 baths. The real estate agent is the person who pushes you to do it.
I was talking about the sellers agent and the buyers agent as well. I honestly think a buyers agent is a very good thing to have, and a good one will have your back, those people live on references.
listings
It really wasnt that hard to sign up to any of those real estate websites to see the listing before. All you needed was a login name and a password.
Followup on MLS no-reg story
Neither Condo Domain nor Redfin have dropped registration requirements. Or "ASAP" means "weeks later"....