COMMENT OF THE DAY: YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE DATA VISUALIZATION “I think this tool is wonderful for home buyers, now they can actually do research that us agents do. However there are still some very important reports available only to agent. What my clients see so useful is a map/grid type of report. I can take a certain section of a neighborhood and include criteria like … sqft 2000-2500, bedrooms 3-4, counter = granite, built between 2000-2005, one story homes only, lot size 5000-7000, located on a cul de sac, and the house faces WEST…. Realtors have AMAZING TOOLS AVAILABLE TO THEM.. the only problem is some realtors DO NOT know how to use them. Hence our slogan is “Leave Realty to The Pros†…hahahahhaha… Well hope this info helps, if you have any questions please let me know.. IM HERE TO HELP.” [texasrealtypros.com, commenting on New Real Estate Listings Website Reveals Hidden Price Histories]
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I think any realtor (or anybody in any profession) whose big value-add is having access to a report that somebody else doesn’t is, sooner or later, going to be roadkill.
Getting and visualizing data has gotten a lot easier over the last 10-15 years for everyone, everywhere. That’s only going to continue. Locking up data isn’t a sustainable business advantage.
I swear 99% of Realtors (don’t forget the circled ‘r’ after Realtor. And make sure you capitalize that R!) are such tools. Those that assign high levels of grandeur to what they do are even worse.
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At best their claims of what they can do are based on artificial limited data access. But guess what? That data is becoming more and more public. The curtain is being pulled back.
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Skills that make a good agents have nothing to do with what that guy said. It’s about working hard for your client. Making your clients goals your own. Know the contracts inside and out. Know how to negotiate a good price. Knowing the market and staying connected so you can bring your sellers real buyers rather than just posting on HAR, setting out cookies at an open house, and crossing your fingers. If you’re representing a buyer have the people skills to get a deal done.Â
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Clicking around on the agent side of HAR to generate a report is something a monkey could do. Â I’m thrilled to see this data starting to be made more available directly to the public and I’m a Realtor (r!) myself.
OK, you’ve just mentioned one of my pet peeves.
Any time you have to remind people to CAPITALIZE THAT JOB TITLE and DON’T FORGET THE REGISTRATION MARK, you have become too ridiculous to exist. The shame of hearing these words out loud or seeing them in print should make your head implode.
The ability to make a map of properties based on price, size, and other attributes is, after all, just a database query. Any competent GIS tech, IT person, engineer, or accountant could do it if you gave them the database.
When I bought my house, the value of the Realtor was to expedite the process. I did the searches myself, made a list of properties, and asked my Realtor to set up viewings. I picked one and the Realtor handled all the paperwork, title, insurance, deed, conveyance, etc. etc. It *was* worth the money, but it’s a different skill set.
John (another one),
I’m pretty sure that’s what “Realtor” was getting at. Real estate is one of those things that some people are good at and alot
rely on the industry monopolies to feed them.
So simple GIS analysis is pretty big deal….I should charge for this apparently.
There is nothing “PRO” about something I could build in Access in a few hours…
“sqft 2000-2500, bedrooms 3-4, counter = granite, built between 2000-2005, one story homes only, lot size 5000-7000, located on a cul de sac, and the house faces WEST…. Realtors have AMAZING TOOLS AVAILABLE TO THEM..”
Realtors have arcgis, access, and/or excel, and at least a bare minimum competence with them?
I think ‘texasrealtypros’ should have realized by now that Swamplot is not exactly a prime soliciting environment for themselves. Co-opting comments into LOOK HOW AMAZING I AM I’M HERE TO HELP, doesn’t exactly work here.
Like that house on Pecore that they had listed for 2 years and never showed a single interior picture, even though they stated it as being nice in the description… PRO!