Comments on: Reviewing RPR Demo, Part 2: Brokers and Agents

By: brandie young

brandie young — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 22:56:19 +0000

Hola Robbie –

Like your points here …

I have this notion that data are just numbers on a page if the user has no idea how to interpret. (I include brokers, agents and consumers as user in this example.)

I am interested to see what evolves with RPR. With NAR and Marty at the helm it has more of a shot than others, IMHO.

That said, I’m hoping someone is trying to get the consumer to a conclusion via smart data. Offering more, deeper, prettier, brighter and shinier data isn’t it. It’s all but commoditized and the interpretation is subjective, right?

The next iteration needs to have the data provide a definitive conclusion as “what to do” at the property level. Buy or sell.

Ah, but yes, how will that impact agents and brokers?

By: brandie young

brandie young — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 17:56:19 +0000

By: Reggie Nicolay

Reggie Nicolay — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 22:53:44 +0000

You know my answer to that…the RPR will be a huge resource for REALTORS. Even to Agent-1 in my scenario….yes! My point is that having access to data doesn’t level the playing field. I believe it’s the agent’s use of their own intellectual property that will set them apart.

By: robhahn

robhahn — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 04:33:44 +0000

I see.

So if I'm a new, inexperienced Agent-1... what does the Report and RPR as a whole do for me then? Anything at all?

Or is RPR just a pretty little toy that really won't help my business at all?

-rsh

By: robhahn

robhahn — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 04:32:01 +0000

Thanks for the comment Dave!

Look, I think it's important to be fair in any criticism of RPR and NAR. What Move has done or continues to do with Realtor.com may or may not be a good thing. But that has nothing to with RPR. Even as a sometime critic and skeptic, I can say in all honesty that I really doubt that any more REALTOR dues (after the initial $25m) will go towards making RPR work. Their business plan is solid, and if enough MLS's participate, I'm sure that you will get the tools of RPR at no cost.

Now, new or poor agents will look like they have many of the skills that you have -- which is not to say that they will have those skills. They'll just look as if they do.

Or not, if you believe Reggie's last reply.

-rsh

By: Dave Miles

Dave Miles — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 23:29:37 +0000

I can only wonder how they are going to squezze agents to pay for this. After all we paid for the first attempt to pay for Realtor.com that was a total failure. Then when they finaaly got it to work (sort of) it was slow and loaded with ads. The consumers were not impressed and I know I was not either. Then they decided the way to fund it was to offer services that we had to pay for (even though we had alrady paid for it twice with our dues) and to use those to convince us if we don't have the tools then our competitors will have them and hurt our business. Then they took it a step further and raised the cost of everything substantially. That was still not enough as they raised the cost every yearI. I finally had enough with their crappy system and cancelled everything I was paying for with them.
At that point I was called and e-mailed over and over again that I really NEEDED their poor and expensive tools.
I don't need to have my dues help make new or poor agents look like they have many of the skills that I have spent 25 years to develop to say nothing of the tens of thousands of dollars I have spent on technology to help differentiate me from the crowd.

By: Michelle Drum

Michelle Drum — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 22:01:47 +0000

Any realtor data that we can access that can serve to as competition to Zilllow and other sites, that my customers use now as their yardstick , can only help us.

By: Michelle Drum

Michelle Drum — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 21:59:08 +0000

Interesting discussion. please keep me in the loop

By: Ken Brand

Ken Brand — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 17:15:53 +0000

I'm with a large broker in Houston. YES. It does level the playing field. It provides a tool that a small or independent or I-don't-have-the-money-to-create-this-for-myself-or-my-agents brokerage have access to a tool they otherwise wouldn't.

Do the benefits for big brokerage outweigh their current competitive (potential or real) advantages? I don't have enough information to decide yet.

Interesting comments, thanks.

By: Ken Brand

Ken Brand — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 17:07:53 +0000

Good point, I don't underestimate the power of brains and money. I'm not sure if I'm for it or against it yet. What I don't underestimate is that SIZE usually equals less-in-touch, communication-challenge, responsiveness, a heard voice, etc.

March On.