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Jan

19
2009

Money questions surface on MLS proposal

By Inman News, Monday, January 19, 2009.

Re: 'CALMLS plans to acquire one or more MLSs' (Jan. 16)

Dear Editor:

A quote: "Ed Krafchow, CEO for Prudential California/Nevada/Texas Realty, commented Friday, 'I do think that CAR is smart enough to recognize they lack institutional memory of the MLS business and need to seek support. How they do that is anybody's best guess.' " This is a very keen observation that I concur with.  more...

Part-timers can provide full-service, too

By Inman News, Monday, January 19, 2009.

Re: 'Part-timers a 'blight on the industry' (Jan. 16)

Dear Editor:

In reading this article written by a broker in Charlotte, N.C., I was compelled to respond. Her opinions are quite vividly spoken and a little one-sided.

I have been a licensed agent since 1983 and have been a Realtor, both full-time and part-time. Now I'm sure we can all admit there are professional, knowledgeable and qualified agents and then the opposite -- we have all had to work with both kinds.  more...

Jan

16
2009

Part-timers a 'blight on the industry'

By Inman News, Friday, January 16, 2009.

Re: 'Defining real estate part-timers' (Jan. 14)

Dear Editor:

I do not know how anyone can think they can do this job part time. I have been doing it for more than 30 years and I wish I could get it all done in only 40 hours per week.

If one would really do their research they would find that 20 percent of agents in the United States make 80 percent of the money.  more...

Ad shift represents industry milestone

By Inman News, Friday, January 16, 2009.

Re: 'Century 21 bids adieu to TV ads' (Jan. 14)

Dear Editor:

This move by Century 21 signals the beginning of the most dynamic shift in real estate since the beginning of real estate brokerage.

As companies begin to actively put dollars into online marketing, they will expect return on investment. The company will now become the major generator of leads. Agents will morph into transaction specialists.  more...

Jan

14
2009

The pros and cons of builder incentives

By Inman News, Wednesday, January 14, 2009.

Re: 'Builders get reprieve on incentives' (Jan. 12)

Dear Editor:

There is in fact much evidence to support the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department's charge that builders have been over-offering incentives and then "charging a higher interest rate, increasing a home's price, or inflating closing costs."

On the flip side, there is much to be said for using a builder's preferred lender, particularly when it comes to condominiums and condo conversions, since lending has become all but impossible on some of these projects.  more...

Jan

13
2009

'Real estate is not like wine'

By Inman News, Tuesday, January 13, 2009.

Re: ' Three things the real estate industry needs to do in 2009' (Jan. 8)

Dear Editor:

I had the good fortune of being on a panel at the Inman Connect '09 in New York City last week. I saw most of the general sessions but missed the one featuring Gary Vaynerchuk, aka Gary Vee of winelibrary.tv. I heard all sorts of buzz about it, so when I saw the video posted on Facebook today I thought I would invest the time to watch the 30-plus-minute stage show. Being a relative neophyte to all the nooks and crannies of social media marketing, I hadn't heard of Gary Vee before so I watched it with fresh eyes.  more...

The cost of free real estate information

By Inman News, Tuesday, January 13, 2009.

Re: 'Experts predict major change for MLSs' (Jan. 9)

Having licenses in two states currently, and having been in the business for 20 some years, I have the same question regarding this issue as I always have had.

I don't disagree that information to the public is key and important.

What I do take issue with is that as practitioners, we provide the data used in multiple listing services and then we pay to have that data disseminated.  more...

Jan

12
2009

IDX best for national MLS

By Inman News, Monday, January 12, 2009.

Re: 'Experts predict major change for MLSs' (Jan. 9)

Dear Editor:

Any plans for a national MLS should be based upon IDX.

Participants should expect their percentage of exposure on a national MLS to be based on rotational selection as participants within their local MLSs, not upon the quantity of listings (if any) they hold.  more...

Jan

9
2009

The 'emperor has no clothes'

By Inman News, Friday, January 9, 2009.

Re: 'Panel: Little optimism for 2009' (Jan. 8)

Dear Editor:

Kudos to your realistic and informative article. It's not easy listening to all of the bad news, but I would rather hear the "emperor has no clothes" than go on pretending that this market is going to correct anytime soon.  more...

Jan

7
2009

Blaming agents for home-price run-up

By Inman News, Wednesday, January 7, 2009.

Re: 'Real estate wake-up call' (Jan. 7)

Dear Editor:

All that I can say is WOW! That article should be mandatory reading for anyone who wonders how the real estate market "tanked." I can't believe that a broker/owner would actually write something like that, and be proud.

I especially like the paragraph that starts "During the tween years, preparing a price opinion involved taking the last sale price and adding a big, random number …" and "getting our buyer clients a 'good deal' involved simply getting them the home -- writing the offer with the biggest number at the top."  more...

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