Comments on: MLS Registration Required - Not here folks!

By: Minnie Mouse Pictures

Minnie Mouse Pictures — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 17:23:27 +0000

Some real estate sites require visitors to “register” prior to getting access to the MLS search, some don’t. Registration usually entails providing your name, email address, phone number and occasionally a commitment to give up your first born child.

By: Rhonda Ladner

Rhonda Ladner — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 04:44:30 +0000

Very nice website you have.

By: Austin Real Estate Team

Austin Real Estate Team — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 07:55:54 +0000

I think with privacy concerns out there it makes sense users dont want to be giving out their information before they have picked which real estate agent they want to work with.

By: The Ultimate Real Estate Portal at The Phoenix Real Estate Guy

The Ultimate Real Estate Portal at The Phoenix Real Estate Guy — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 07:29:26 +0000

[...] Listings; with lots of photos. Sure there are lots of sites out there where people can view listings. But listings are what most real estate site visitors want to see, so my ultimate portal has to include them. No registration for this would be my choice. There are too many Trulia’s out there that don’t require it, as well as individuals sites. The ultimate real estate information portal must be a free source of information. [...]

By: Tyler

Tyler — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 22:35:37 +0000

I fully agree with the above post and comments. People like browsing the Internet for listings because it’s fast, easy, and ANONYMOUS. Forcing people to register to get information that they can easily get elsewhere (like realtor.com) not only drives traffic from your site, but leaves a bad taste in the visitor’s mouth.

I particularly like your statement, “If you provide great service, the serious buyers/sellers will identify themselves.” I’m sick of the idea that a website is just a ‘tool’ for agents to ‘capture leads’. Like somehow you’re out to trick all your potential clients into giving you their contact info (so you can presumably harrass them later). Provide valuable, accurate information for free. The client will remember that and come back to you (most of the time ;).

By: John Schneider

John Schneider — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 04:05:34 +0000

Why would anyone who is serious about buying/selling real estate, and finding someone to
help them do it, want to register - giving their REAL name, email, etc. -
BEFORE they know what you have to offer and if it suits them. Doesn’t make sense.

By: Todd Tarson

Todd Tarson — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 00:44:24 +0000

I’m in a small market and I think that there shouldn’t be too many restrictions on the Members coming fromt the Association or MLS (sometimes they are one in the same).

I’ve also invested in property in other small markets. One such market was Clovis NM. I was dealing with an agent via phone about a particular property but told her that I’ll go ahead and search on my own on her web-site after she told me she had an IDX feed.

I quickly realized that I had to ‘log in’ to her sight. So I immediately searched for other agents that had a web-site with IDX. That was my initial reaction to having to offer my info. I ran into the same thing with other IDX sites though, so I assumed that it must be an Association driven thing. I thought that sucked.

I did go back to the original agents site and did the register thingy. But I wasn’t happy about it.

To be honest, my blog is way more important to me than anything else on the Internet that I’m associated with. My website for my practice I thought was always sort of stagnate. I mean I have photos of me and some other jive about me and the various programs I offer… I also have a non log in IDX. And when the market was screaming hot I did have buyers head to my site to help ME search for a property or two. Now Greg Tracy and Greg Swann have great sites that are way better than mine (yours too I should add), and that’s great. I know I could do more, but honestly the blog is where its at for me at this time.

I want potential clients to feel free, free is the key word, to interact with me as they see fit. If they use my site to search property, great. If they just want to look at my ugly mug, great. If they want to know what’s going on in Mohave County they can check out the blog. It is totally up to them. I still get local business through many other sources (again, it’s a small community up here and it pays to hold doors open for others and being otherwise nice to folks as they remember who you are, reputation is king in this area).

I would like to get more biz from the Internet and I’m heading in that direction, just at a slower pace than others are… and again, I’m good with that.

So I put my way of doing things up against the way others do things… and let the strong survive. I’m still breathing.