Point 2 Technologies (providers of Point 2 Agent web sites) announced today the launch of the Point 2 NLS (National Listing Service).
It’s no secret I’m a big Point 2 Agent fan. This company is often on the bleeding edge of technology. Their web sites, blogging platform, prospecting/CRM tools and “Handshake Listings” are second to none, in my humble opinion.
The “NLS” is a service that allows real estate agents to display their properties across the Point 2 network (now over 104,000 strong). Yep, here you have it folks, another tool in the Internet advertising arsenal. Now you don’t need a Point 2 web site to utilize Point2′s most excellent listing display venues.
For the NLS rollout, Point 2 revamped their listings displays. It’s always been excellent, the new look is even better (Here’s an example). In typical P2 style, they also released other upgrades and features for their web sites.
The real estate press is beginning to pick up on this latest “listings” site…
There’s a nice review in Inman today (currently free, it’ll slip over to the pay side soon) that quotes some powerful industry voices such as the COO of Point 2, Brendan King; Saul Klien, e-Pro creator and President of Internet Crusade; and some Phoenix based real estate agent… UPDATE: You can access the full Inman article on Point 2′s site here.
Here’s the Point 2 press release.
A blog from one of the techsters at Point 2.
And Brendan King’s blog on “National MLS Part Deux“, though not directly related to the NLS rollout, is a great read.
And (ahem) just for the sake of those who won’t get to view the Inman article while it’s free, here’s the best part — and it has nothing to do with the source of the quotes 
:
Jay Thompson, a real estate agent in Mesa, Ariz., and a Point2 user since August 2005, said he has separate sections on his own Web site for posting shared property information derived from local MLS members and a separate section for posting properties from the Point2 network.
“My MLS lets me put (up to) six pictures in a listing. Point2 lets you put 36 — I get a lot more views on my Point2 listings,” he said. “I put a lot more pictures, so people tend to naturally gravitate toward the listings that have more information.”
Thompson, who works for Century 21 Aware, likens the Point2 capabilities to that of Google Base, Trulia or Zillow — “It’s just another Web venue for me to advertise listings on. It’s not going to replace the MLS; that’s not its intent.” He said he has established agreements through the Point2 network with about 1,100 real estate professionals in the area where he works, and he explains this to prospective clients during listing presentations.
Some industry participants may not embrace the concept of the Point2 NLS at first, Thompson said. But after they realize “that it’s not an attempt to take over their world then they should be OK with it,” he added.
Check it out, it should be interesting…
Full Disclosure: I am an authorized Point 2 Agent distributor. I get a small pittance if people upgrade their P2 sites through me. Click here if you’re interested in setting up a free Point 2 site.
[tags]Point 2 Agent, Point2, Point 2 NLS, National Listing Service[/tags]
I'm Jay Thompson, and I have a little blogging problem... Welcome to The Phoenix Real Estate Guy, or "TPREG" as I fondly refer to it.
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