I could tell you how long this home's been on the market, but then I'd have to kill you

A Rhode Island Realtor lodged a complaint with the state Realtors association and the state Department of Business over listings information collected by the MLS that he said could be harmful to consumers, according to an article in the Providence Journal.

East Greenwich Realtor Dave Zartarian said the state's multiple listing service reveals information to agents that could unfairly harm sellers during negotiations by revealing how long a property has been on the market and how many times the price has been cut.

Zartarian reportedly said the information could be used by buyers' agents to strengthen a buyer's bargaining position. His complaints were heard, but ultimately dismissed, the paper said.

Susan Arnold, CEO and general counsel for the Rhode Island Association of Realtors, told the Journal that the MLS offers a set of information "that could be collected by anybody."

Inman News looked at a related issue last fall in which agents were attempting to bypass the leak of information like days on market by using a technique known as "re-listing." Some say re-entering a property into the MLS to mask days on market can be a good strategy, while others say it's a deceptive practice. Read more at, "MLSs attack for-sale home 're-listing' practices."

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