MLS Gone Wild - Whose Interests Are Being Served?

Last night I was playing around with the IDX on my website. I was startled to see that my listing search results didn't include the Description field - just photos and the little snippets of info about size, etc. No matter how much I fiddled I couldn't get the Description to show.

I was stumped - why would anybody want to use a website without getting to see the Property Description? Not me that's for sure.

I emailed my IDX provider and was dismayed to get an email today that said the problem stems from new regulations on the part of the Massachusetts MLS, MLSpin.

Dismayed doesn't really describe how I feel. Enraged is more like it.

It turns out that MLSpin, at the end of August, instituted new rules that require registration to view the description on a property listing.

While I know there are varying views regarding whether or not to require registration I have decided from the beginning to not require registration to view listing information. And a post by Greg Smith about his results with registration vs. no-registration convinces me that I'm on the right track.

As far as I'm concerned this is a huge step backwards. We can't pull back. Buyers and sellers want access to information and trying to keep it close in a misguided attempt to maintain control just doesn't make sense.

Right now the descriptions are still on Zillow, Trulia and Yahoo - and those are just the ones I checked.

It's an outrage.

Tell me why that makes any sense? Who are MLSpin's constituents? Who pays MLSpin dues? Who provides the content that MLSpin needs to survive? What were the Board of Directors thinking?

In a day and age where lead aggregators are constantly trying to get a slice of our pie why on earth are we being hobbled by our own MLS?

Even if MLSpin creates a level playing field that's not the answer. What are we all doing this for? Aren't we trying to sell properties for homeowners? Isn't that what keeps us all in business? To make an online experience far less meaningful is not doing the job for anybody - agents or home sellers. Information wants to be free.

I am confident that online buyers are not going to register at dozens of sites. This is not a move that will benefit individual agents that's for sure.

This isn't the first time that I've been hugely aggravated by an arbitrary rules change from MLSpin. Once again I find myself asking who are these people making these decisions? How did they become the decision makers? Why aren't our voices heard, our opinions solicited? Can we have an election?

It's 2009 - not 1989. Bring back the Property Descriptions.