Ron LaMee

Chris, for years I've thought you were great and know I know it! You just offered the most thoughtful argument I've heard against agent ratings. I'm leaning, but I'm still not convinced... I agree that analytics won't get it done. After all, Amazon raters don't include figures on copies in print or box-office takes - it's about how they feel. It can get messy, but somehow eBay, TripAdvisor, Amazon, and other sites with customer feedback systems manage to take care of weird ratings with back-comments and rebuttals. I understand the fears agents and brokers have for these things: buyer/seller road rage, shills unfairly boosting ratings and competitors loading up for bear. However, I don't see consumers relying on performance-rating systems to select an agent; other things like social capital, reputation, who-knows-who, and street cred will outweigh "three stars out of five." I think consumers will tend to use ratings the way I do Amazon, to confirm my initial opinion or give me insight into asking more questions. Yes, I'm probably making bad comparisons, but the most compelling argument I have is, "It's already happening and it'll probably get bigger, so we must have a say in how it works." Ron LaMee VP Information Services Arizona Assn of REALTORS

Marcie, you blew it on this piece - the rationale is slim and doesn't even appeal on an emotional basis. Everyone has their own ways to "release grief and anger," but it doesn't come down to either "hit the kids" or "trash the house." I'm certain that trashing a foreclosed home is not unique to this day and age, just more common. I empathize with the feelings, but basic human dignity and integrity would focus these energies into more appropriate channels. Ron LaMee VP Information Svcs Arizona Assn of REALTORS®

You are right Allan; using transaction management (TM) to shortcut interaction with clients is unwise. It’s not only poor risk management, but undermines important relationship building. However, TM systems can actually free brokers and agents from tiresome paper-shuffling and allow them to pay more attention to these essential activities. A good TM system reduces risk by making office procedures more consistent and transparent. It alerts key parties when critical events are pending and creates a secure, unalterable log of all activity. TM systems help build client relationships and foster trust – documents can be accessed 24 hours a day and there are fewer escrow-signing “surprises.” It seems amazing to me that people can buy and sell stock, pay bills, and buy nearly everything under the sun, yet not be able to use the Internet to check the status of a major event like buying or selling a home. After just eight months, our association’s TM member benefit accounts for 38% of all AAR members. I estimate that over 15% of all the listings and closings in Maricopa County move through AAR TM… and the number is growing.