Agents have been receiving dire warnings about our MLS, with taglines that make it sound like the end is near, and no real solutions in sight:
http://www.nsdcar.com/your-mls-is-in-jeopardy/
There are people at SDAR who are playing a perverse game of chicken with our livelihoods. The worst part is that they are choosing to battle it out in court, which will take months or years.
What will happen in the meantime?
Agents will stop using the MLS.
The existing MLS is already a dinosaur, and now that it’s running like an old Ford full of sludge, its usefulness will be compromised.
We are probably seeing the results already – today in the MLS, there are only 37 NSDCC active listings under $800,000? With the slower MLS, won’t listing agents be even more tempted to skip the input and just stick a sign in the yard?
The lower-end market is so hot, does it even need the MLS? The pocket-listing shenanigans will have a new rallying cry – “we found a buyer faster than we could input the listing!”
It appears that SDAR wants to create their own MLS, and that’s fine – they are creating a perfect disruption, and the opportunity for anyone to build a new mouse-trap. But the existing system is going to grind to a halt, mostly because there is no leadership in finding a prompt solution.
The only short-term alternative?
Brokers can join the CRMLS – it is a much better platform, they have a quality public-facing website, and it’s run by adults. Sandicor and the CRMLS have a data-share agreement, but that is only for us to read their data, not to input listings. Brokers and agents will have to spend the usual few hundred dollars per year to join the Orange County or Temecula associations.
The merger negotiations between CRMLS and Sandicor won’t go too far with SDAR objecting to everything these days, so the only choice is for brokers and agents to break away on their own. Will they do that? Probably not until it is too late.
Do you think it is tough today putting a value on a property with the limited comps we have today? How about with no comps!!
The big problem with jumping to CRMLS is that we won’t have the data history, which means no comps until all agents are at CRMLS and building a new database. In the meantime, we will have to use Zillow and other outsiders for data…..gggrreat….
What else can we do? There is no call to action or any solution mentioned by the powers that be. Agents – prepare to fend for yourself!
More background here:
http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2016/jan/21/ticker-realtor-vs-realtor/
