Butch Cassidy

Psuf

ExKiwilass

I don't think it's a worry. Not everyone wants the same thing. Though I agree that it doesn't tell you much about the feel and community sense of a neighbourhood. You need to visit/spend time to get a really good sense of a place.

Butch Cassidy

LOL, no it isnt a worry to me either. Anyone who doesnt want to live near 'us' cos we earn too little (really????) or we're the wrong ethnicity can go fork them selves with a baseball bat. (or to put it more PC- isnt worth my time anyway)

Rob_999

Oh man, oh man, why can't realtors accept that you're paid for by either the buyer, the seller or in some cases both. As a buying agent your services are paid for by the buyer, as a selling agent your services are paid for by the seller. Cash comes from the solicitors.

As for deciding to discount by 25% - why not? You're operating a business, right? As a customer do you walk into sears and ask to pay full sticker price if they're offering a discount?

ray1968

i think one of the issues for Google to consider before they do the same thing in Canada or the US is that they do get a lot of advertising dollars from Realtors and pissing off or putting realtors out of business would be costly to them...just my 2c.

(and as a realtor myslef - yes I discount ...its my business model - it generates business and to be honest I really can't in all honesty justify the full price fees in expensive market like Mississauga)

Alan2005

I would assume realtors would just list with google rather than or as well as mls. It's not really a threat to their business in the near term imo.

dbd33

What is a discount? The standard fee here seems to be 5% or 4% if the listing agent finds the buyer. Would a discounted rate be 5% on only the first n dollars?

ray1968

discount on selling depends on price of property and past business/relationship from the client I normally charge 0.5 -1.5% ( the "norm" is 2.5% ....+ you have to add 2.5% for buying agent)

On buying - I was asked once by a friend to 'introduce' them to a new home site - we split the commission I made 50% as I didn't do too much
I have also given incentives when buying resale ie paying lawyers fees, home inspections , etc etc

MB-Realtor

I don't think google will have any great effect on the MLS, the big problem with google or any site like it, is that there is no control over the quality of the content. Most of the properties listed on google in Winnipeg have sold, some many months ago, prospective buyers are going to get very frustrated by this. Google is automatically populated by many different web sites through Google Base, it not regulated in any way.

Remember that the MLS existed long before computers were invented. The MLS is not designed for the consumer, it's main purpose is to provide detailed and accurate information about houses currently for sale, and just as importantly what price houses have actually sold at , for Realtor members. It is vigorously policed and there are fines for providing inaccurate or late information.

Alan2005

It is this disregard for the needs of consumers that will do for mls. It won't be google.

Butch Cassidy

Careful Stu, you're beginning to sound like a Cochrane realtor.
I'd recommend the careful re-reading and editing of the above.

MB-Realtor

What I am trying to say is that it was never designed to be a consumers tool, its a Realtors tool, with a badly designed consumer portal.

Its not a deliberate disregard for consumers, there is not a nationwide MLS, what you see on Realtor.ca is cobbled together from all the different local MLS systems, each running different software.

Even if Google became super good and had strict listing guidelines the MLS will continue to exist because it is the only comprehensive (there is far more information about a property held on our systems than is made public on Realtor.ca), and more importantly accurate information, that Realtors maintain for our own use.

MB-Realtor

I can also see the time when the MLS feeds Google with its listings, I believe this is happening in some US markets already.

I doubt this would pose any problems for Realtors as the more marketing a property gets the better. All of my listings have been syndicated to several dozen internet sites, including Google Base, since I started in Real estate.

MB-Realtor

Realtor.ca is not the only portal to the MLS Listings, here in Winnipeg we have a direct entry into our MLS its at:-

http://www.winnipegrealtors.ca/Search.aspx

The search method and speed is different to Realtor.ca and it is updated instantly unlike the update to realtor.ca that can take up to 48 hours.

I expect your own local Real Estate Board will have something similar.


This is the sort of information we give out locally, from one of my listings:-


http://www.winnipegrealtors.ca/viewe...52&direct=true

Almost Canadian

I have to chuckle to myself at the above posts.

In Canada or the UK, all realtors/estate agents really do is put those that are sellling houses in touch with those that wish to purchase them. Canadian realtors may pick their clients up, drive them around, open the front door, advise their clients to sign poorly drafted contracts and provide pens and cookies for their clients. However they dress it up. I accept that, as this is all they have ever known, North Americans are happy to pay very high commissions to their realtors to provide such services.

But, in light of the fact that listings on MLS and realtor.ca, to purchasers rather than realtors, are way out of date, the fact that Google's listing may or may not be right up to date is unlikely to significantly sway purchasers. Kijiji no doubt suffers with this but people still use it.

A system that is user friendly and convenient will rival what realtors actually do when push comes to shove. I am very happy that the realtors don't feel threatened by this, time will tell if such faith is justified.

As I said above, I would love to know how realtors acting for purchasers will react to showing their clients houses that are so listed, knowing full well it is likely that the vendor will not pay their commission. The whole "I will act in your best interest and your's alone", will be put to the test then. I suggest that at least one realtor that has commented on this thread would not show his/her clients to that house, no matter how well it fits their requirements. Non existent professional ethics me thinks