Kristin Noll-Marsh

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Awesome advice! I love it!! Thanks for tips! http://bestmilwaukeehomes.com http://blog.bestmilwaukeehomes.com

I still haven't figured out Twitter completely and I'm not the best blogger, but Facebook has helped me overcome one of my biggest weaknesses - past client follow-up. I found as many of my past clients as I could and now converse with them daily - through my and their status updates - a far cry from the few calls and yearly calendars in the past. This year it led to an old friend remembering to message me on Facebook when he and his new wife started condo hunting. We had lost touch for a few years and he could easily have found some random agent at an open house! And now past clients contact me through Facebook with various questions that they may not otherwise have - I love it! I think it helps if you enjoy what you are doing and I really enjoy answering questions and dispelling misconceptions about real estate. Trulia Voices is a place I often feel at home and find my online voice. And after only a few months, I got in a debate with a local buyer/seller. After making a comment about writing off Realtors altogether, he said he appreciated my honest and forthright comments and asked to meet with me about selling his house. He had already met with two other agents - one a big, high-end producer, with signs all over. This is a meeting I know I would not have otherwise had, if not for social media. Oh - I got offered the listing! http://bestmilwaukeehomes.com http://blog.bestmilwaukeehomes.com

Just a note: Corey, I hope you know that I do respect you and feel your are one of the "good guys" out there in limited service. Please, I hope you take my comments in the spirit of debate and not personally. "What you describe is very VERY deceptive! If the "same disclaimer" can be used, confusing and vague, does NOT accurately identify when a broker "removes" listings from the IDX compilation, then it is absolutely essential for consumers that the government regulate this industry on the proper use of disclosures as it would appear that we as Realtors cannot regulate ourselves effectively. I hope that is not true and what you describe is not the path taken by those who are involved." I think you misunderstand my comments. The problem is, our MLS has a rule that NO ONE can call the search that they have on their broker site "MLS" because it ISN'T the MLS. It doesn't have ALL of the listings from MLS, as some brokers do not participate in IDX and their listings do not appear on other broker's sites. It also doesn't include sold and offers of compensation. My broker (an active member on the MLS board) has made clear that we cannot say on our sites that we offer a "MLS Search." We can call it "home search" or "property search" but not "MLS search" or "MLS." If a broker/agent calls their site's property search the "MLS," they are breaking our MLS rules. So, NO ONE can claim to have ALL of the properties from MLS, even those that don't actively block anyone. So, that means that EVERYONE has to have a disclaimer that they don't have ALL of the listings, because that is the real truth. In reality, the search that you have on buyhomes.com called "MLS" is not accurate. You are NOT giving ALL listings in MLS to your visitors - only those participating in IDX. So, you should have a disclaimer saying that, too. Now, on top of that, we'd have to have an ADDITIONAL disclaimer about how some IDX participants don't provide all of the listings available through IDX - which is not 100% the same as MLS. See how that could be even more confusing to buyers? I am a consumer advocate, as well. But I have a different take beyond "saving" them a commission - I educate them, so they can make an informed decision. Maybe we just have different views on what is best for the consumer. By the way...I'm moving to a different market, so my web site may be coming up for sale soon. Interested? ;) http://bestmilwaukeehomes.com http://blog.bestmilwaukeehomes.com