Broker launches 'Wiki MLS' site
Agents, consumers can upload comments, photos
By Glenn Roberts Jr., Friday, April 11, 2008.Bookmarking Sites
Photos of roach poison, missing tiles and taped-up toilets may not paint the picture of a dream home.
But they do inject more reality into the real estate market.
Frank Borges LLosa, a real estate broker for Frankly Real Estate Inc., in Alexandria, Va., is hoping to save agents and buyers alike the time, headache and heartache of traveling to properties that are like counterfeit gems, with overly glowing descriptions or gross omissions in photos and information that could present a false picture about their condition.
Likewise, LLosa hopes his FranklyMLS.com site, which he refers to as an MLS "wiki," will help buyers find diamonds in the rough that may otherwise be overlooked in online searches.
While wikis, like the wikipedia.com Web site, allow users to generate and amend site content, the core MLS data at the site will remain unchanged while users will have the ability to add content around that MLS data. The MLS data is supplied by participating brokers through an online sharing agreement.
The Web site incorporates data from the Metropolitan Regional Information Systems multiple listing service in the Greater Washington, D.C., area, the largest MLS in the nation with about 56,000 subscribers.
Real estate professionals and consumers can add content, including photo galleries and comments about the properties, that is displayed below the MLS-derived information. This additional information carries the disclaimer: "The following listing enhancements may not have been reviewed or approved by the listing broker."
David Charron, president and CEO for MRIS, said MLS rules and regulations do not prohibit blogs or comments, though they do "prohibit any change or modification of other brokers' listings content."
Rules related to new online content surrounding MLS property information are evolving, he said, and "in the case of blogs or user-generated content I believe the bloggers' risk is less about monitoring that we might do (let alone enforce) than it is about any impact and consequence within the professional community in which they operate."
LLosa said the site opens the door to more cooperation among agents who are working with buyers and provides consumers with more options to narrow their searches. The Web site features a keyword-based search of MLS information, and properties with added information are highlighted in yellow.
"It's the world of 'coopetition.' While you are competing with these other people, we all work together," LLosa said. "Everyone can save hours."
Some agents already snap photos of properties that they visit to compile albums for their clients to view, LLosa said, and the Web site takes that a step farther by sharing it with an Internet audience.
"The more information they have -- both good and bad -- will actually increase the chance of someone making a purchase," he said.
Users can flag objectionable content for removal, and LLosa said he will review whether it is appropriate to remove content.
LLosa said that the site can shed light on some property assets or weaknesses that may not be included in the listing agent's description. For example, a property may be very close to a freeway or busy street, and a new high-rise development planned in the area could potentially block views.
He cited the example of a property he visited in which he discovered a container of cockroach poison within a home.
"Beware!! This place was (maybe is) infested with roaches," he wrote in a property comment at the FranklyMLS.com site. "Also, the wood floors are rolling to one side and they are laid in mixing directions." He also uploaded images that include the roach bait and a roughly patched window hole.
Even so, he noted that the property, in Falls Church, Va., may be a "perfect place for an investor to fix and flip."
Such comments and photos could potentially rile a home seller or an agent. LLosa has not been one to shy from controversy, and earlier this year he shut down a real estate Facebook site at the request of the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors -- a local trade group of which he is a member.
The site could be designed to work with MLSs in other market areas, LLosa said, though he hasn't announced any future plans for the site and it's completely free to use at this point.
Karen Kaufman, an agent with Long & Foster Real Estate Inc. told Inman News she was surprised to hear that the FranklyMLS.com site allows users other than the listing agent to supply interior property photos.
A for-sale property that Kaufman is handling in Woodbridge, Va., has attracted comments and a photo gallery from Vipul Pawani, an agent with Exit 1st Choice Realty in Woodridge, Va.
Pawani also included his contact information with his comments.
"As for my private clients, to think that an agent is showing my home when I'm not there and taking photos and submitting those online would make me, as a homeowner, extremely uncomfortable," Kaufman said, adding that in some cases sellers "do not want us to take pictures."
The Web site rules do state that photos should only be submitted for vacant homes, or of the exteriors of homes if they are occupied: "No photos are allowed of interiors that are being lived in."
Kaufman said that it's also questionable for an agent to place their contact information in the comments section at the site, even though she noted that her contact information is include in the MLS-provided data at the site.
"I find this to be extremely uncomfortable and an invasion of privacy," she said.
Property comments are a topic of controversy for the real estate industry, with some real estate professionals opposed to the idea that others could potentially steer business away from them based on negative comments about a home. Supporters say that such comments can better inform consumers and industry professionals about a property's condition. There is a similar debate over sites that allow ratings and reviews of individual agents.
In Washington state, Seattle-based online brokerage company Redfin was fined $50,000 by the Northwest MLS for blog reviews of for-sale properties that were listed for sale by other companies. The MLS held that the property reviews violated regulations that prohibit the advertisement of other brokers' listed properties.
Meanwhile, property valuation and marketing site Zillow.com and brokerage company ZipRealty are among the companies that allow users, including consumers, to offer up information about properties. Zillow.com allows users to participate in question-and-answer discussions about specific properties with other users and to submit property photos.
Samuel Jacknin, a broker for Fairfax, Va.-based Green Dot Realty, said he believes in the FranklyMLS.com concept. "I think it's fantastic to get additional information on the Internet. I think it's well-suited for any buyer. The more information, the better."
Even if the comments are negative about the property condition, that will help to identify and fix problems, he said. "If a property needs renovation ... that's helpful, too."
Cindy Jones, an associate broker for RE/MAX Allegiance in Burke, Va., who has shared comments and uploaded photos at the FranklyMLS.com site, commented and submitted photos to FranklyMLS.com for a property listed by Jacknin's company.
"Nice place. Water issue in bathrooms?" she asked in her comment. The photos included some unflattering shots of scraped-away bathroom tile and taped up fixtures.
Jones said the new Web site seems to be a useful tool for both agents and buyers.
"Obviously buyers are on the Internet and they're looking for as much information about a property as they can get before they hit the road," she said.
There are glaring omissions in property descriptions sometimes, Jones said, citing the example of bank-owned foreclosure property she visited this week with a client that had problems with mold or water damage. "If I had known that upfront we probably would not have put those on our list," she said.
While Jones said the cooperative element of the site is positive, in that agents can share information with one another, she acknowledged that in some cases it may be best to hold off in sharing photos of a property if the client plans to submit an offer on that property, for example.
Generally, though, the site should be helpful in "moving these properties on the market," she said.
"I just see it as: 'Let's keep the lines of communication open and keep people educated about what's out there."
***
What's your opinion? Leave your comments below or send a letter to the editor. To contact the writer, click the byline at the top of the story.
All rights reserved. This article may not be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever, in part or in whole, without written permission of Inman News. Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright law.
Add A Comment
You must login or register to post a comment.
Submitted by Chris von Nieda on April 11, 2008 - 12:56pm.
I think this is an excellent idea and a great use of emerging Internet technologies like Wiki's. Great job Frank! Although I am not at all surprised his Facebook page got shut down. Either way I like Frank's creativity and drive towards embracing social media as a way to build his business and reputation.
Chris von Nieda
NotaryBids.com
http://www.notarybids.com
http://blog.notarybids.com
Submitted by Missy Caulk on April 11, 2008 - 2:08pm.
I took a look at his site from an AR post, looks great. Good job Frank.
Missy Caulk
Ann Arbor, MI
Missy@MissyCaulk.com
www.AnnArborRealEstateTalk.com
www.SearchAnnArborHouses.com
Submitted by Madeleine Romanello on April 11, 2008 - 4:17pm.
I think it is a great idea and fills a real need. I get annoyed daily by agents not even posting photos in our MLS. I do not send listings without photos to clients, which really hurts the sellers. Buyers want all the info and this will force sellers get the property looking its best.
I recently showed a house where the description in the MLS stated " updated 3/2 owned by basketball player " and the house had no kitchen or bathroom yet, termite damage and was a 2/1. I called the listing agent and politely asked him if he had actually seen the house to which he responded " yes ". After I recovered my speech, I told him he should probably revise his description of the home. Anyway, this is why this Wiki MLS is a great idea.
I am concerned though that it could shy potential buyers away from some great buys if they see some scary photos. realtors are definitely some of the worst photographers out there and will probably make a small water stain look like the biblical flood. When an agent actually shows the property to a potential buyer and if the agent knows a bit about renovations, repairs etc as an experienced agent should, you can guide the buyer as to what repairs are minor and which ones are a nighmare. This knowledge can help you negotiate a great deal especially if the listing agent has no clue. My point being that some comments and photos on the internet should be taken with a grain of salt and not deter buyers from maybe picking up a fabulous steal.
Madeleine Romanello
Broker Associate
Douglas Elliman Florida
www.realmiamibeach.com
305-282-2133
Submitted by Frank LLosa on April 11, 2008 - 4:46pm.
Madeleine,
I agree with you, in part.
Blog comments (like these) should always be taken with a grain of salt. A buyer would be a fool to make a decision exclusively based on a buyer agent photo album or comment. But they would be equally foolish if they took the listing agent's description and view it as gospel. Why shouldn't both sides have a voice?
As for not showing photoless listings, I do the opposite. I know they are 5x harder to deal with as a buyer's agent (time wasted in showings), but I find that photoless properties sell for $15,000 less. Poor marketing= lower price= better for my client.
----
As for "Kaufman said that it's also questionable for an agent to place their contact information in the comments section at the site..."
It is Virginia law for any agent that leaves comments online to disclose their name and brokerage.
I would also like to direct people to http://tinyurl.com/487q7c where my listing has her name all over it and the listing agent name and number is nowhere to be found, and the brokerage is buried. How is this any different?
My site shows both the listing agent's name and number, while also showing the name of a buyer agent that has been inside the property, and reviewed it. Consumers want MORE information, from both sides.
(Also my vertical photos are smashed into horizontals on her site.)
Sure, some people won't like it, but this is much like the debate
whether or not to move the MLS from a book in the broker's office to the... Internet!
The listing agent has always had the final say when representing their client, the seller. Now the buyer's can have representation.
Frank Borges LLosa
Broker FranklyRealty.com
Owner FranklyMLS.com
Submitted by Real Estate Web Critic on April 11, 2008 - 10:07pm.
Kudos to Frank. More transparency is sorely needed regarding real estate listing descriptions. Nothing is more frustrating to buyer agents or customers than showing or viewing a home that is much different than described in the listing.
The Real Estate Web Critic
www.RealEstateWebCritic.com
Submitted by Marvin Corea - OpportunisticInvestment.com on April 11, 2008 - 10:59pm.
Congrats Frank! I wish I woulda thunk it... :)
But who says that you can't have competing MLS wikis ;-).
Marvin Corea
I wish this were a MLS wiki, but it isn't
Submitted by Joe Boylan on April 12, 2008 - 5:46am.
I love this concept and have struggled with implementing it on my own site. The descriptions don't concern me as much as the photos do. I always ask for permission before taking video or stills inside someone's home.
I think paparazzi would have been a horrible career choice for me!
Joe Boylan
http://www.SpringsHomes.com
Submitted by john mazzara on April 13, 2008 - 7:44pm.
I like the idea but I would be afraid of the liability. I can't believe that some overzealous attorney couldn't attribute liability to the wiki for his/her clients home not selling and therefore damages. Maybe I'm just paranoid. If you can create a wiki and have zero liability for the content posted, then I'm all for it. If there is an insurance policy for this type of thing, let me know. I think the need for more "truth in advertising" is obvious so the concept is sound.
Submitted by StaceyN on April 14, 2008 - 12:34am.
I agree that the more information you have the more competent desision you make. But I see week moment: today one client said the property is good because of something, tomorrow another will say that because of the same thing it is awful. Which opinion should the administrator believe? Should we also expect "listing wars" because of high market competition?
Online Marketing Specialist
PropertyMinder
www.PropertyMinder.com
800-743-5820
Submitted by Christi Borden, CIPS, ABR, GRI on April 14, 2008 - 7:22am.
As a listing agent, I think this could create a huge liability for an overzealous buyer's agent whose comments could possibly cross the line into inspector, appraiser, etc. Plus, what is to keep an unscrupulous agent denegrating his competitor's property listings to enhance his own?
I always present factual information but certainly show all of my listings in their best light. I am after all hired to do so.
I recently had nasty feedback from an showing agent upset that I did not go into depth about the fact that the swimming pool took up most of the backyard. Of course, she would have discovered this by actually looking at my very detailed photos and lot description. One important service as a buyer's agent is to preview properties in advance to make sure that the home meets the clients' basic needs. I would hate to have this particular (lazy) agent get a hold of my listing online and bash it before a buyer gets a chance to see it. And do not kid yourself, the general public puts an incredible amount of credence in what they read online. One man's opinion is simply that... an opinion. But when placed on the web, to many it becomes fact.
Finally, I imagine that sellers will have a huge issue with lack of control of content and photographs. Perhaps if there were an opt-out when taking the listing so that the seller can control all marketing content of his listing, then this might satisfy the arguments listed above.
Certainly, this will be a hot topic for discussion.
Your Katy, TX Realtor,
Christi Borden, CIPS, GRI, ABR
Prudential Gary Greene, Realtors
Email: Christi@ChristiBorden.com
Web: www.ChristiBorden.com
Cell: 832-372-7470
Submitted by Matthew Rathbun on April 14, 2008 - 1:47pm.
I think that Frank's invention is like any other innovation. It will have it's critics and growing pains. I applaud the courage it takes to roll this type of progressive program out. There are a lot of unknowns, but we have to start somewhere.
There will be some fine tuning over time, and since little to no laws have yet been developed for social media and interactive internet services as of yet, only time will tell.
The only point I do want to make to the comments above is that the fear of an agent acting against the scope of their training and provide inaccurate or untrue information is a valid concern. However; if they are doing this on the webpage, then they are doing it with their clients already. Doing it on a venue of this type, just gives undeniable evidence of the improper behavior.
It's complicated, for sure; but I think everyone's hope is that listing agents will do such a good job of promoting their listings, that this tool will only enhance the marketing efforts.
For those who are uneasy, I understand. All new innovations have come with caution, and should. In 1995, 96 and 97 there were a lot of concerns about buyer agency, before that it was MLS in general. Both of those things have turned out to be good for the consumer.
Submitted by Kenneth Hamric on April 15, 2008 - 8:17am.
Great job Frank. Maybe this will force some agents to do a better job of marketing their property. It annoys me that agents hold themselves out as "marketing professionals" and "property marketing experts"... but as mentioned above, many cannot (or will not) even take decent photos of a home. It's time they learned to use the Internet to better market properties, rather than rely on a simple (poorly documented) MLS listing, and other agents, to sell their listing for them. And it's time that they stop wasting other agents and buyers time by making them visit properties to discover the true condition.
We provide a For Sale By Owner web site, and it's amazing that many FSBO sellers take better photos and provide more detailed descriptions than many agents would. Buyers want all the info they can get their hands on, and it's time for some agents to understand that it's not in their (or the seller's) best interest to try to limit the information that they make available.
While maybe not the perfect solution, Wiki's like this can make a long-term positive impact in the way that property is bought and sold.
Wayne Strobel
Ken Hamric
HomesByOwner.com
Web: www.HomesByOwner.com
Submitted by Victor Lund on April 18, 2008 - 6:04am.
This site should emerge out of the google sandbox with excellent SEO - but having performed a number of google searches, the listings have not been indexed yet.
I expect that Frank's site will skyrocket in search engine ranking as it gets indexed, visited, linked to and grows older.
Smart move to get the listings out of the 'database'
Victor Lund
Partner
WAV Group
http://waves.wavgroup.com
http://www.wavgroup.com