A colleague of mine with friends in high places clued me into the possibility that NAR may begin regulating bloggers through its Internet Compliance Memorandum. Sounds like our leadership will be discussing this further at their next meeting in Las Vegas… (But, hey, what happens there, stays there, right? So maybe nothing will come of it.)
Though not true everywhere in the US, in Northern Nevada, to belong
to the local MLS, you must join NAR. If you don’t become a Realtor,
you can’t have access to the MLS, period. So we join. Because what
good are we to clients if we don’t have access to real market data? Although I do like being a Realtor in that it carries a certain level of
brand significance, I’m not sure I’d like NAR moderating my blog.
Comments, to be sure, would be a thing of the past.
Let’s just hope this Memorandum simply covers the basics like no plagarism, no name-calling and link to your broker.
But, what if there’s more? What if there’s some Dr. Evil-esque plan to control the message and spin the data however they choose… Bwaaa-ah-aaah. Can you imagine what this blog would be like, if it were regulated by NAR?
The horror, the horror! read
13 comments
Maybe true - but …
Anyone with this URL for their blog:
WorldWideWealthPlanners.com
is someone I’m not going to take too seriously. Didn’t we just determine that mortgage brokers have less license requirements than hair cut jockeys? I’m thinking this “Wealth Planner” expert falls into the same bucket.
The “Internet Compliance Memorandum”? That sounds like something out of the Soviet Union circa 1960. If you don’t comply, what will they do? Ban you to Siberia? Getting kicked out of the NAR would be akin to getting kicked out of the Book of the Month Club.
As for the requirement that you cannot belong to the local MLS without being a member of a designated trade organization, well, I think that perhaps some of the high priced legal talent that frequents this blog and occasionally posts here might have a thought or two to offer.
Very creepy. Almost as creepy as Governor Arnold Schwarzenger’s close ties with Blackwater and the Blackwater’s recent interest in locating a facility in San Diego.
So, what is NAR afraid of?
“As for the requirement that you cannot belong to the local MLS without being a member of a designated trade organization…”
About 10 or so years ago a legal action was brought on discrimination grounds against one of our [California] local MLS which had a policy of excluding non-licensees from listing their properties. The MLS caved in and FSBOs [not a lot of them] began listing their properties for sale on local MLS. Of course those who didn’t offer a 3% sales commission were shunned but at least they weren’t excluded on a wholesale basis from participating.
But that’s California and this is Nevada. Besides, trailblazers are usually penalized for not being sheep [anyone up to the challenge?].
Actually, I don’t think MLS is necessary anymore. The internet [which is open to FSBOs and agents alike] is in the process of supplanting local MLS.
http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071024/BIZ12/710240442/1071
This is yet another step in the wrong direction for the NAR, and another nail in their coffin. It’s nothing but a futile attempt to control and spin all information available to home buyers and sellers in order to keep up the shenanigans. I believe it’s only a matter of time until the NAR no longer exists.
Someday, someone, somewhere, will create an inexpensive website where homeowners in all states, sick of the shady NAR tactics, can effectively research sales, and market their homes to buyers across the nation who, like sellers, no longer want to deal with that organizations seedy tactics. If/when it comes time to sell my house (not in NV), I will go the FSBO route.
Hey bob you dont think the mls is needed anymore? I feel the same way, plenty of other resources for finding a home for sale.. I also feel the same way about realtors… eventually they will be phased out. say goodbye to 6% commission there will be software and programs for doing the entire transaction yourself and saving you ALOT of moo laa in the process..
Cant wait!
Just become an anonymous blogger.
BTW, I’m surprised they haven’t been sued for making you become a member before you can access MLS data. Oh, and 2x BTW, what do you need the MLS for? You have Zillow and other agencies that you can use to access most info for free, and some info for a fee. I say dump the NAR.
Who needs the MLS? Zillow, Trulia, and all your “other resources” for finding homes for sale. They are getting their information from local MLS’s and/or realtor.com, the NAR’s compendium of local MLS’s listings. Do you really think these sources have little gnomes trolling Homes & Land for listings?
Is this going to change? You can bet on it. It will probably be Zillow that leads with a global, alternate, non-exclusive, listing service, though I’ve heard a lot of chatter about some of the national franchises setting up their own services. Then the brokers will have to choose where to list (I figure the NAR / MLS have exclusive listing wording in their agreements).
Someone from the NAR needs to give a call to the answering service for the NATA (National Association of Travel Agents). Change or die. Sensorship of blogs will be just one more nail in their coffin.
RE: “Governor Arnold Schwarzenger’s close ties with Blackwater and the Blackwater’s recent interest in locating a facility in San Diego.”
Not as creepy as Bush and Cheney’s secret shadow government faking 9/11!
Can we have a separate topic for kooky conspiracy theories?
So that’s how the NAR doesn’t want to circulate information? Are they going to reel in Countrywide’s REO site as well. That site had about 600 listings in NV a month ago; now its close to 3500! The bulk are still in Clark County, but Ouch!
They’re trying to close the barn door after the horses have already escaped. Get a clue, NAR.
Just change the name. “Diane’s Reno Blog” would do just fine for all your fans. Regulating trade blogs????? Internet Compliance Memorandum????? Those folks must be seriously out of touch.