Purley

Yes MB-Realtor - that is just fine if you live in Canada, but I don't know how someone who lives in England and wants to move to Canada would possibly be able to look up a postal code for a particular area. And - who would bother trying to figure it out.

I would find it kind of complicated to look up a post code in England. I know the post code of my sister's house in Kent. So I could look up houses in her area, but I have not the vaguest idea of codes in other areas -- oh yes I do - I know that Purley where I used to live has a CR0 code!

dbd33

Besides which, providing a map based website which requires reference to an unrelated map based website in order to use it is absolutely moose before cart.

MB-Realtor

Here are all the 3 character prefixes for Post Codes through Canada.

http://www.canadapost.ca/business/to...pdf/Canada.pdf


Best I can do to help.


I'm pleased I wasn't involved in the design of it, its a P.O.S.

Steve_P

Would a comment to the powers that be along the same lines as ^^^ coming from you a realtor have any more weight than one from us potential customers?

mjwalker007

Hi ,

i visited the ''contact'' page on the new MLS site to tell them what i thought about the new site.

They have sent me a reply asking for suggestions on how the site can be improved and some navigation tips.

I suggest more people go to the ''contact'' section and give them their view on the new site.

Only if people are telling them what is wrong, can they do something about it !!

Anyway, here is the reply I got.....................





''Thanks for your comments about the new REALTOR.ca website. If you can provide details of why you find the site inconvenient to use, we’ll provide suggestions to how to use the interactive features to find the properties you’re looking for.



Remember you can use the site two ways to search for properties. First is by map, and second by name. If you enter the name of the city, township or area in the box labeled "Location" on the page with the green map, and select listing type in the box above that (residential, agricultural, etc) then click search, the interactive mapping will focus on the area you have specified, and the system will tell you how many of your specific property type are located in that area. This number is stated at the upper right side of the map.



You may see the message that there are more than 500 properties that match your search. If you do, it means you should close in on the area specified even more. We only display 500 properties or less at any one time because of legal requirements, and to prevent data scraping.



You can zoom or close in by clicking on the map, or using the + and – signs at the left of the map. The plus sign zooms in, the minus sign zooms out.



Because of the amount of data involved, it may take a moment or two for the system to respond to your selection.



The interactive mapping allows you to search using real geography. You can search by putting Etobicoke, or Markham, or Richmond Hill etc. in the location box on the page with the green map.



Hope that helps. Again, if you can provide details of why you find the site inconvenient to use, we’ll provide suggestions to how to use the interactive features to find the properties you’re looking for.



Bob Linney

Communications Director

Canadian Real Estate Association

seanyg

That's what I did and it didn't work! I put in 'River Heights' (cos I know it's a good area of Winnipeg) and it flashed up a part of the map which I assumed was R.H., for like 1 second, and then it disappeared and reverted back to the part of the map I was looking at previously (which definitely wasn't R.H. as I know one of the street names, luckily).

You could quite easily end up thinking houses are affordable, without realising they're in the scummy parts of town, and that decent neighbourhoods may be out of reach financially cos you're looking in the wrong area

Good idea about us all complaining though - will email them if I get a chance

Novocastrian

I'm afraid this is one of those "New Coke" moments. How long before we get "Classic MLS" back?

Steve_P

Ah yes "New Coke" what a marketing disaster that was.

Or was it?

Certainly raised Cokes profile.

Mikey B

Mate the majority of people are easily confused so thats not saying much!

MB-Realtor

Steve have you ever belonged to a trade association, or a Union for that matter, they are run by the Staff that the members hired many years ago and are now so well established everyone is scared of them. If a mere member calls them out on a bad job, well, its like being in student in Tinman Square, China, they just roll right over you.

Steve_P

I fully understand and yes I was a member of an "association" read union.

I was hopeful that as it possibly impacts how you interact with clients they might listen to you, misplaced as it was.

MB-Realtor

Not all our members are "progressive", Manitoba voted against allowing Realtor.ca to map the properties, thereby forcing any interested parties to contact a Realtor to find out the address of any property.

I feel the majority opinion is that the site is not for the use or benefit of the general public but to drive business to Realtors. I think the mentality is "Its our Ball, you only get to play with it by our rules "

I've said too much, my battered dead body will no doubt end up in "The Red" later tonight....... Must Flee...............

Steve_P

If it helps in any small way I appreciate your honesty.

Purley

Well MJWalker -- I don't suppose it will come as any surprise to you that my son also wrote to them and he got the same letter back!!

I assume whatever you write to them - you get the same letter! So I don't really think its worth it.