Editorial: Internet killed the MLS
Public listings sites essential to MLS relevancy
By Jessica Swesey, Wednesday, May 21, 2008.Bookmarking Sites
MLSs around the country are missing out on an amazing opportunity to maintain relevance as online companies continue to build up a marketplace without them.
Public-facing Web sites are what could've saved the MLS -- and have in some markets -- but many either can't build them because of broker pressure or simply don't have the resources to do it.
Bob Hale, CEO of the Houston Association of Realtors, which stands as the poster child for an MLS Web site done right, provides a reminder of this. HAR.com delivers 600,000 leads every year to its members. That's a benefit no agent or broker can afford to ignore.
HAR's surveys show that the more consumers use the Internet to conduct their own research, the more they will use a Realtor. The more information consumers get on their own, the more they turn to agents to help wade through it.
While the debate elsewhere over the value of public real estate search sites continues to drag on, brokers and MLSs are missing a grand opportunity to work together toward a common goal.
It makes no sense.
In the past year, brokers have feverishly moved to form listings partnerships with online companies, sending millions of listings to consumer portals and search engines to gain exposure in a troubled market. Many argue the MLS was never meant to be a consumer tool, but if the same efforts were put into creating a killer MLS experience and marketing that to consumers in local markets, brokers would get the same end result -- greater exposure, more educated consumers, and, with any luck, more sales.
Rather than prop up the MLS the industry worked so hard to build, it has slowly caused its own demise by building up other online properties that now threaten the relevance of this walled garden.
Brokers built this amazing marketplace known as MLS about 100 years ago as a system of cooperation. But when it came to the Internet, this cooperative system suddenly was viewed as the enemy if leaked to the public in a venue outside brokers' own Web sandboxes.
MLSs need to take a seat and study public sites like HAR.com and make a move before it's too late. As Hale himself has said, if not for this grip on MLS information from within, sites like Zillow might never have been born. Consumers wouldn't crave this information if the industry gave it to them first.
A public site does not compete with broker sites as long as the MLS is not in the business of brokering real estate. A public site is the key to improving the Realtor image. Consumers want reliable, transparent information in an environment where they don't feel they are simply part of an agenda.
In the age of Google and Wikipedia, when nearly any bit of information can be surfaced within a few clicks, MLSs that keep listings and market data under lock and key have it backwards.
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Submitted by Anthony Gonzalez on May 21, 2008 - 1:29pm.
If all the politically driven and greedy blue hairs would retire and let us get to a national MLS we might be able to turn the MLS into a information powerhouse. A powerhouse that helps the agent in the field do business and the consumer research accurate information and values about the biggest investment they will make. There is so much opportunity here to develop a killer site with killer apps for all users at every level. C'mon who in this country doesn’t know what the MLS is…
Submitted by jack laufer on May 21, 2008 - 1:33pm.
I agree. with sites like Craigslist, it is very hard to compete for unique information. My company, Brokerlessm Inc. has been gaining internet market share recently, now that I've began to cater to Flat Fee MLS Brokers throughout the country. You may visit my sites at:
www.addalisting.com
www.mlsbrokers.net
www.bankerman.com
www.yourlocalmls.com
www.brokerlessmls.com
Submitted by Dave Keillor on May 21, 2008 - 1:43pm.
Jessica said, "It makes no sense." Truer words were never spoken, but the horse may already be out of the barn and a great opportunity lost forever. A large number of brokers simply can't get their head around the concept of "a rising tide lifts all boats". There is also a widespread disbelieve that the velocity of the market is fixed and cannot be increased. Baloney!
My company developed a killer public MLS website application that was getting 5-6 million page views per month in a community of 125,000 people. When the local association decided to go to another vendor to "dumb it down" in order to "drive people to the brokers' sites", we received lots of emails from consumers decrying the decision. Their voices were, of course, ignored.
Submitted by Diane Cipa on May 21, 2008 - 2:01pm.
Truth, absolute truth. Give consumers information and in exchange they will give you transactions.
Our collective industry had better embrace the consumer as the point of sale and the one empowered by instant access to choice.
More information is what they crave. Give it to them and give it to them for free.
Submitted by Bruce Hahn on May 21, 2008 - 2:01pm.
American Homeowners Grassroots Alliance
I agree. It's in the best interest of brokers and homeowners that comprehensive listings and other useful information be disseminated as widely as possible through every possible vehicle. Many MLS's would be better off using their resources to follow this example rather than trying various gimmicks to exclude flat fee listings.
Submitted by Dennis Blackmore on May 21, 2008 - 2:05pm.
We need a state MLS if not National. The local MLS is just so restrictive with technology it is rediculous. They are like Woolworth - gonna die, just a matter when, not if.
www.realestatevirginiabeachhomes.com
Submitted by Maurice Stewart on May 21, 2008 - 2:23pm.
An international portal is the best thing for the recovery and sustainance of the industry.
Check out www.ourcommercialspace.com and you will see what I mean.
That site connects brokers all over the world with opportunities doing transactions in the commercial arena.
Hey guys, this is the information age, and we have to clear the clutter on the hwy. and extend the hwy to span the world.
Ya better believe it!!!!
Submitted by 123Happy Street, Member on May 21, 2008 - 2:25pm.
123 Happy Street, Member
Nowadays, an MLS is a bucket of water full of holes.
http://www.123HappyStreet.com or
http://www.latinofsbo.com
Submitted by Barry Kushner on May 21, 2008 - 2:32pm.
The MLS for my market, Trend, doesn't have a public access page. But that's fine with me, because I have a killer IDX site. But unlike most agents, mine isn't simply a link on my personal Web site. My IDX page is a stand-alone site: www.Search4PA.com. There's nothing about me whatsoever -- no photo, no bio, no community info. Just the listings. Every listing within 6 counties of my MLS.
I believe the kind of site I have will become the norm rather than the exception, as buyers tell us they just want to see the listings. And Trend, like most MLSs, is okay with that, because as long as the IDX vendor complies with the MLS's rules and gets permission from the agent's broker, they can create what is essentially a public access version of the MLS.
If a site like HAR were created in my market by Trend, it wouldn't do anything for me. That's because a site like HAR has too many agent mouths to feed to make it effective for agents. Just look at the numbers. Jessica says HAR delivers about 600,000 leads per year to its members. Since the Houston Association of Realtors has 27,000 members, that's just 22 leads per agent per year. Even if we assume that only a third of those members are residential agents, that's 9,000 agents sharing 600,000 leads -- or 67 leads per agent each year.
Well, that doesn't work for me. My site generates about 3 leads a day, or more than 1,000 leads a year. So why would I be interested in sharing the leads from a public access page with all the other agents in my market?
Certainly, consumers don't care whether the public IDX site is owned by an individual agent, a broker or the entire MLS. They just want access to all the listings. But from the "selfish" agent perspective, I say let the MLSs keep everything just the way it is and let agents and brokers who really know the score find and work with vendors capable of creating individual public access sites like mine.
Submitted by Norm Biller on May 21, 2008 - 2:36pm.
Our MLS in Lexington, KY has had an informative public side for several years. I've never seen it as a threat, nor am I worried about non-MLS sites.
Motivated sellers want to be listed on the MLS, and motivated buyers go there to find their home. Why? It's the most comprehensive information available, and they know that's where the action is.
And who benefits from all this consumer action? The Realtors who contribute the most well-priced listings, because we get the leads from our listings. This is the same rule that applies in all of life: "You reap in proportion to what you sow."
Norm Biller
The Biller Homes Team
Keller Williams Bluegrass Realty
2424 Harrodsburg Rd, Suite 101
Lexington, KY 40503
(859) 223-8373
www.BillerHomes.com
Norm@BillerHomes.com
Submitted by Norm Biller on May 21, 2008 - 2:37pm.
Norm Biller
The Biller Homes Team
Keller Williams Bluegrass Realty
2424 Harrodsburg Rd, Suite 101
Lexington, KY 40503
(859) 223-8373
www.BillerHomes.com
Norm@BillerHomes.com
Submitted by Michael Espiritu on May 21, 2008 - 2:44pm.
I agree w/ some of the comments. Zillow is a site a lot of consumers go to but the valuations are skewed. Values are not correct. Its that simple.
The MLS was set up as a cooperating entity for brokers. The public has access to the MLS in SoCal and it is just another tool for the consumer to use.
I want up-to-date information and a lot of these sites are not accurate in the information they are dispersing.I have had inquiries about properties that are still on various sites that the transactions have closed three months ago???
CARETS (California Real Estate Technology Services)and CAR (California Association of Realtors) are on the verge of a statewide MLS but only if the individual MLS's want to participate.
I believe the more information out there for the consumer to utilize the better. I just want the information to be accurate. Agents should not be afraid of new technology that helps their clients and should embrace all tools at their disposal.
As a broker, the MLS continues to be the most accurate source of data for my business.
Submitted by Terry Shortt on May 21, 2008 - 3:35pm.
The MlS (any MLS) has only two purposes:
1) To share information between member brokers.
2) To offer compensation to member brokers.
It’s never been the role of an MLS to generate leads for members. I've never considered the MLS as a lead generation source.
You (the broker) are responsible for your own lead generation.
It’s time to stop trying to claim that someone destroyed the MLS and face the fact that the MLS works fine as long as it isn't loaded down with anti-competitive rules.
Remax and a bunch of other brands have done exactly what they should have..they created a lead generating web site for the benefit of its member brokers.
We don't need a playing field where the REALTOR association and the MLS sets the price of the service and feed them (members) business too.
How about if we each get up every day and attract business based on our unique offer to consumers (if we actually had one).
Let's put the "independence" back in "independent contractor"
Terry Shortt, CRS, GRI
Broker, Instructor
TW Shortt and Associates
Fl. Real Estate School
And Training Company
Key West,Florida, USA
Terry Shortt, CRS, GRI
Broker, Instructor
TW Shortt and Associates
Fl. Real Estate SChool
And Training Company
Key West,Florida, USA
Submitted by Richard Greenwood on May 21, 2008 - 3:55pm.
A quick visit to www.BetterHomeSelling.com will show you how more and more companies ARE adjusting to the realities of the internet.
Submitted by Kevin Sorbo on May 21, 2008 - 6:50pm.
A state wide MLS would be a much better idea, and help with things like this. Localized ones just dont get it.
Kevin Sorbo
Home Mortgage Loans
Submitted by Joe Hildebrand on May 21, 2008 - 6:56pm.
Internet killed the MLS but NAR is telling us we cant use the term in our URL's!?!?! If it is dead, who cares!
Submitted by Richard Dale-Mesaros on May 21, 2008 - 7:24pm.
Wowzah! Jessica opened a huge can of worms!
Pretty soon, the MLS, including comps (which ARE PUBLIC INFORMATION ANYWAY!!!!!!!)will be freely available to the general public. Realtors have attempted to protect their closely guarded MLS and now it's biting them in the butt.
....and while we're complaining about the MLS, isn't it about time someone told Realtors to fill out all fields in their own listings?! It's SO annoying when you print out a listing and said "professional" couldn't be bothered to mention how much road frontage the property has, or what kind of foundation etc. Such integrity.
... and don't get me going on Craig's List! Now THAT'S become the MLS - flooded with Realtor's listings, in most of which, the poster fails to mention they happen to be a Realtor; how is this kind of deception going to do them any good when trying to build trust with clients?
Don't get me wrong, there are some GREAT Realtors out there, but they're few and far between.
Ahhhh, I feel better now..... I'm off to see if I can actually find a FSBO on Craig's List.
Richard :)
Chief Deal Weaver
www.BlackWidowNetwork.com - STRIKE FAST!
Submitted by Wenceslao Fernandez Jr on May 21, 2008 - 8:42pm.
The world is no longer what it once was. MLS and Realtors need to find an amicable way to share information with potential buyers worldwide.
Being from Miami, Florida, an international portal to the USA, a tool to help get our economy moving by providing opportunities to local and foreign buyers alike, is a must.
Trully, we must learn to get with the program, adapt to a changing world, and proceed accordintly.
Restrictions are like communism, and in the long run, they don't work. Just ask East Germans, Cubans, former Soviets or Chinese.
www.MiamiRealEstateKing.com
Certified Distressed Property Expert
Miami-Dade County, Florida.
Submitted by Roberta Murphy on May 21, 2008 - 9:00pm.
I think the HAR has the right idea--and the right solution.
Even though our sites at http://www.SanDiegoPreviews.com and http://www.LuxuryHomeDigest.com deliver solid leads, we would like to see our local Sandicor deliver leads from their centralized site.
Better that than some offshore or distant aggregator!
Roberta Murphy
Villa Sotheby's International Realty
http://www/SanDiegoPreviews.com
http://www.LuxuryHomeDigest.com
877-818-8197/760-402-9101
Submitted by Catherine Read on May 21, 2008 - 9:48pm.
Read Chapter 2 of "Freakonomics." It's helped to shape the public perception of real estate agents. The consumer experience is what matters. Real estate professionals can debate this topic ad nauseum, but what matters is how the consumer thinks, how they perform, and how they process their experience. If you don't walk a mile in their moccasins, you don't know how it feels or what informs that experience. Even when you make the MLS accessible to the public, it doesn't mean they understand what that means or what the value is to them. Agents have the opportunity to be subject matter experts in a variety of ways, but the focus is on sales. And that is not what the consumer wants - they want information.
Submitted by Walter Boomsma on May 22, 2008 - 2:26am.
Richard's post strikes a cord. One of the major frustrations I have with MLS is inaccurate and missing information, including "work-arounds" to avoid entering required fields. If we aren't going to use a tool we deserve to lose it.
I'd serve up a piece of apple pie and remind folks that the American Way includes opportunity. There will always be people finding better ways, or filling gaps. I think the original article somewhat makes that point.
Protectionism only works in the short term. When the MLS gurus wake up and realize they are in the business of providing information instead of protecting it, things will change. If they don't, somebody will (maybe is) fill the void.
Submitted by Ralph M on May 22, 2008 - 3:55am.
No, Realtor.com is killing the mls.
No video capability. What is this...Dinosaur technology they can not derive????? Spare me with the jumping photos.
No sharing or publicizing a logo even though you pay for those rights.
Making money off its members and resticting those same member capabilities.
Creating tension between members.
Can not create 1 mls system due to its too big....but increases its own fees even though they promote themselves as a fortune 500 company...
AARSTEAM.COM @ WWW.AARSTEAM.COM
Watch how a new real estate assoiciation slowly rises to the top and leads the real estate industry.
Submitted by Ralph M on May 22, 2008 - 3:56am.
Criticize the competition, but watch the technology that comes from AARSTEAM.COM within the next 8 months. Google, Msn, and Yahoo have nothing on AARSTEAM CORP
Submitted by Phillip Jones on May 22, 2008 - 6:18am.
It's time to go sell something!
Submitted by jack laufer on May 22, 2008 - 6:43am.
Full service keeps the MLS alive. Although the MLS is still the best tool in real estate, the value of the MLS has substantially declined due to unlicensed activity and intense competition in the Flat Fee MLS arena. Flat Fee Brokers who engage in such relationships should think twice. Relationships between Flat Fee MLS Brokers and unlicensed individuals could potentially destroy the value of the MLS in the future. I believe there are possible claims against unlicensed individuals who simply refer sellers to brokers for a fee. In Florida, for example, individuals who take part in the procuring of sellers and buyers for a fee fall within the definition of Broker. I consider it unlawful for any company that simply hosts a web site, but has no license, to offer MLS simply because a licensee agreed to the practice.
My whole point is that we are the membership contingency. keeping 3rd parties who are not licensed and/or members from soliciting MLS service is paramount.
Submitted by Ralph M on May 22, 2008 - 7:10am.
"Although the MLS is still the best tool in real estate"WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The best tool in real estate is a knowledgeable real estate associate.....
If the MLS was so great, why don't ANY of the above members have a link posted to www.realtor.com??????
Submitted by jack laufer on May 22, 2008 - 7:56am.
Ralph:
The same thing that happened in the stock market with internet trading is taking place in real estate.
Other, more efficient, systems are starting to compete with the MLS. The MLS is not efficient simply because there are way to many MLSs in the country and its to costly to keep it running. in other words, too much FAT.
Alls you need is a company like Microsoft to create a better and more efficient system and there goes the MLS.
Although knowledge is paramount, the industry will never gain the knowledge it needs because entry into the marketplace is to easy.
Submitted by adrian sherwood on May 22, 2008 - 10:50am.
The MLS is not dead, it needs revamping:
The problem is that the information is flowing one way-think about it, a buyer selects the area and features he/she likes and a list populates. From this point on its the agents responsibility to market/sell the home and this is where the meltdown occurs. There is no way to effectively:
1. set your listing apart
2. align your personal/professional life
3. lower fixed costs associated with this task
Agents are the ONLY ones that should benefit from listing information and that's not happening b/c of a fossilized linear workflow. This allows predictability(ie. lead resellers)and forces consumers to question an agents value.
The internet is billed as the informaton superhighway, and I agree. But that highway is litterd with the hopes and dreams of thousands who found out they couldn't operate their business efficiently enough to thrive. MLS associatons should take notice or they might end up being more like roadkill than roadwarrior.
Submitted by philip birmelin on May 22, 2008 - 12:30pm.
If the local MLs systems die then how long before the local independent real estate brokers die too?
The big brokerage houses along with the big franchise brokers would love to see this happen, they can out spend you, create anything they want and can advertise on TV and print along with paying for clicks etc.
Give me valid reasons for a national mls and I may change my mind, but I for one don't want some faceless corp. setting rules and regulations that go against the way I do business. IDX and your own web site should get you what you need.
Look what happened when NAR tried to develope Realtor.com, how many millions went into that failed venture and to give it away! Now we feed Realtor.com with free listings and then they charge us back or you have to upgrade to gain any type of leads or presence.
Don't be so hard to judge those "blue hairs" they have the experience and the history, sure some don't want tech or are afraid of it, but they were the same people who started the MLS system, 30 years ago local brokers kept their own listings and didn't want to co broke, MLS destroyed that way of thinking. A national MLS serves no purpose and takes away local control. Check where your leads are coming from and you may be suprised that the internet is a small percentage, I'll wager that over 60% of incoming leads come from your yard sign.
Submitted by jack laufer on May 22, 2008 - 1:51pm.
If the MLSs would just join forces and create one centralized location, similar to a securities exchange, the real estate industry will have finally transformed to a true internet based industry. Until then, we are in limbo as realtors. For example, the MLSs should allow customers to input real property information directly. This way, those business models catering to the Flat Fee MLS Brokers can flourish.
I'm a fan of Flat Fee MLS. Flat Fee MLS is the beginning of the next generation business model in. I look foward to the new generation of companies as they will host a series of services that will provide the consumer a centralized location to list, entertain bids, finance, and close the transaction.
Submitted by Ruthmarie Hicks on May 22, 2008 - 6:38pm.
If the MLS allowed anyone to input their information it would cease to have value. One of the reasons the MLS is an important resource is that only licensed individuals can input data into the MLS. An "open" MLS would destroy what is left of the MLS by destroying the one thing it really does have to offer: consistently reliable information. Further, if you "open the mls" and let anyone use it - it is no longer a proprietary business tool - so who would PAY for it? I'm not forking up money for something I can get for FREE?
Submitted by jack laufer on May 22, 2008 - 7:55pm.
Ruthmarie:
I disagree on the important resource comment you made (first sentence). The MLS is an important recourse because millions of people use it. That's it. Human participation is paramount. Buyers and Sellers of real property are educated enough to input accurate information into a computerized system these days. How many people in the use ebay, google, credit cards, atm machines, etc? You are living in the dark ages with those thoughts. We are on the verge of revolutionary change in the real estate industry. Don't ever underestimate the intelligence of the consumer!
Submitted by James Shore on May 23, 2008 - 12:10pm.
Absolute Interactive Marketing - Realtor SEO
I used to work for Move, Inc, the 'managers' of Realtor.com, the only "licensed" website to provide a national MLS listing service. I can tell you they have done a terrible job of providing a valuable end-user experience for the web consumer, they have resisted integrating their listing info into the search engines for years - killing themselves in the process - all the while seriously overcharging the brokers and agents who wish to participate.
I am an SEO specialist - I make websites show up at the top of the engines, and all my clients dominate their local markets. NAR reports that +70% of every home search begins with a search engine, this is why zillow, trulia and the countless independents are killing the MLS and RDC.
Most internet users don't care about all the free tools and market data they provide - they know its inaccurate, and that they have to talk to a trustworthy agent to find out the truth!!! All they want is a fast and easy-to-use interface that lets them see homes in their geo-targeted area and price range.
Those are the issues - transparency and facilitation. Both of which RDC and the MLS's fail so miserably at. Then on top of it all - they are invisible, because most don't know how to optimize their sites to show up #1 in the Search Engines.
Content and usability are king - solve these two issues and anyone can compete. The MLS's have more content than any independents can provide - therefore all they have to do is structure their websites to be attractive and fast (think platforms like Joomla!) and with SEO, they can easily retake the market.
Hear that MLS's? The game is not over, and I can show you how.
Thanks!
James Shore
www.AbsoluteIM.com
Realtor SEO
414-810-1028
Submitted by Michael Espiritu on May 23, 2008 - 4:04pm.
To the guy who stated that "realtor.com does not have video" -you're wrong. If you have a virtual tour on the MLS it can and should be linked to the listing on realtor.com. The link must be unbranded.
There are a lot of very good arguments on this issue but it is not the MLS's job to make sure an agent lists how much frontage a property has, or what kind of foundation it has. An aerial map (Pinpoint, for example) will show the frontage and has a measuring tool also. Foundation questions can be answered by viewing the tax rolls. Have you heard of due diligence? That doesn't mean you may need a few more steps to obtain the information looking for. C'mon people it's called a "job" because you have to "work".
The more information available the better. Don't kill the messenger because you don't like the message!
I don't like when an agent fails to mention SF or lot size on a listing. Good agents disclose as much information with the caveat that "all information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed."
The MLS remains a viable "tool" in an agents "toolbag", if you will.The key to all this is that the MLS is one of MANY sources to obtain comparable data. I would rely more heavily on our MLS than Zillow.I place my listings on Zillow. But when I see the valuation for a specific property and it is off by $300,000 or more that is a huge issue.
When the seller of a property states that "Zillow shows my property is worth $1,000,000" but everything in the area is selling for $700,000 with data backed up tax information, MLS data, etc.I am not listing at $1,000,000.
My argument remains that the information given to the consumer must be accurate.
Submitted by Peter Fugiel on May 27, 2008 - 3:50pm.
The MLS system is like our system of state and local governments. This is NOT a unitary system of government, so don't expect real estate regulation to be under one big tent. Have you watched the Democrats nominate a candidate? In Montana? Yes Montana! I know you are asking: why do we need a Montana? 'Cause this is America, not Russia.
I agree with the techno-geeks who wish that American real estate was at least more transparent, like other 'capital' markets. But as we found out in the mortgage-backed fiasco, local conditions, local trends, local values, are, like Montana, tricky at best. The guy in New York does not know, or care, that Cleveland is still losing population and that the Bay Area remains market number one. He doesn't even KNOW what's in the pool he is trading.
Transparency of real estate value trends and market activity in some place like Bozeman (that's Montana,) is one thing. The interpretation of curernt values in western Montana is something else. Is this the TOP of that market, as in so many once-favored markets, or is there still value out there? That's a value call that a buyer deserves to know.
The middle position in all this dinosaurs-versus-the geeks is this. Real estate research. That is a professional's job. Getting good data, and watching it and watching it. Then you should have something original to say, as with stock values. Buy GM, it's always been a big company. Ok, it that a value play? Sell Cleveland and buy Palo Alto. It that a better value play?
The MLS system should at least raise property standards for disclosure, no doubt. The MLS systems should also begin to standardize their data and make it available for analysis, to whomever wants to use it. They might learn something themselves about their local market, without the rose colored glasses.
If you don't think we are in for some profound changes in local trends, then you won't see the need for the Services to produce better data for market trend analysis.
Once the professionals can study reliable stats, they will know where value calls them. It is going to happen in the markets anyway; it is just whether anyone knows it is happening in the first place. Some locals will know, but fast capital will bump along looking for a new home. Money always thinks it has a right to the next big play. As if.
Just as all real estate is local; all value trends are knowable. That is true, if the poohbahs of the current system want to make some real money out of what is, still, a remarkable raw data empire.
Submitted by Corey Scholtka on May 28, 2008 - 11:04am.
IMHO
1) The purpose of an MLS may be modified to fit "whatever the members want it to be" whether it be an offer of commission/compensation between members, or providing data services to it's membership. ((It's the old-schoolers who stick to just one clearly defined role for their MLS all the while redefining agency, negotiations, and disclosures at the state house.))
2) Internet didn't kill anything - it changed it. New models which interpret the data and offer services on a different basis are developing, experimenting and growing in some cases. Last time I checked the RELO companies still had a stranglehold on corporate real estate services... the more things change the more they stay the same!
3) there sure are a lot of comments on this topic!