Should Sites Like Zillow and Trulia Have The Right To Sell Me Leads For My Listings?

There has been some noise (by noise I mean quite a few posts and stories) about whether the MLS is on a downward spiral and whether 10 years from now will there even be an MLS. I can tell you this, I don’t know how I’d do the things I do without an MLS. It’s the hub for all of the information associated with a listing. Other sites may have syndicated most of the information, or allowed the listing agent to put a few more pictures up, or any number of things. But the fact still remains...when I want to know what the “real deal” is with a listing, the first place I go is the MLS.

On to the point of this post...why should I have to pay Zillow or Trulia or any other syndication site have the right to make me pay for a buyer lead that was generated from “MY” listing? Call me crazy but the last time I checked none of these websites were on the phone with my sellers working on how to get their home sold. They weren’t on hold with the seller’s lender trying to get a short sale approved. They weren’t emotionally there for the sellers when they realize that a problem with an inspection may have just cost them a sale and or a bunch of money. You get the idea...

So I’ll come right out and say it...I don’t like the idea of having to pay some middle man to forward the email or phone number of a home buyer when I’m the one who did all the work to create the lead. If refuse to pay any of them and that’s that. I think instead of getting rid of the MLS maybe we need to come together as a community and fight for our rights! If you care, you can affect a change...

Photo courtesy of Kheel Center, Cornell University at Flickr