Is Web 2.0 Real Estate Companies Strategy Backfiring?

If you're reading this than you are on the internet. No doubt you have seen the multitude of real estate websites such as Realtor.com, Trulia, Zillow and others. Although, Realtor.com is "OUR" site they still believe the same thing that all the other sites believe, including Active Rain, and that is, that the information should be available and free and easy for consumers to get a hold of.

Some go further and even suggest that there might not need to be a Realtor, after all, you can get all the data you want on the internet.

I truly love this!

I find it ironic that most of these companies have high "worth" but are struggling to monetize all that data. Why should Realtors pay. It's our time and effort that goes into getting the listing and putting on the MLS so that Zillow and many other can grab it and try to remove us from the picture only to have turn around and pay them for it again.

I have three words for companies that want me to pay for this: L O L

I think it's hilarious, so much so, let's run through it one more time.

"So you are telling me that you have taken my data and generated interest in it and now you want to sell it back to me."

There's not enough money at any of these companies to beat a great agent in the hyper local arena. Sure, I'm going to play the game, my seller's property will definitely be on these sites, I'll answer the questions, I'll link back to my site.

However, they won't be getting money from me until the actually bring real (not stolen or borrowed) value to the table for me or my clients.