Recently in In the News Category

Last week, in "Broker proposes new real estate marketing platform: Universal MLS", Inman News Writer Glenn Roberts discussed a "Universal MLS" that is the brainchild of Colorado real estate broker Creed Smith, a specialist in bank-owned foreclosure properties. A real estate broker since 1987 who has a master's degree in marketing, Smith said his vision for a new breed of MLS is based on his belief that real estate agents and brokers will inevitably play a lesser role in real estate transactions as Web-based services become increasingly popular with consumers.

Mollie, Merv and Paula will attend the Inman News "Real Estate Connect" conference in San Francisco July 30th through August 3rd.

The Inman conferences are the premier networking, information, and technology conferences for the real estate industry.

Executive-level real estate professionals, opinion leaders, technology giants, industry experts, and press gather each year at Connect Conferences to discuss a broad cross-section of traditional and cutting-edge topics critical to the real estate industry, opening the door to a wealth of opportunities for business development, information and idea exchange, discussion and debate.

My colleague and good friend Allyson Hoffman, like many of us, was dismayed by the incredible slant and half-truths that filled this past Sunday's 60 minutes segment Chipping Away At Realtors' Six Percent. But, in her blog, she focused on something that I also believe needs some clarification - the issue of the minimum service requirements that some states, including Ally's home state of Illinois, require. There was so much misinformation and lack of full reporting in this story that I could easily blog on different aspects for weeks, but like Ally, I would like to focus on the concept of minimum service requirements.

Zillow is now offering a "great deal" to agents: you can post your listings for FREE! What great exposure, and how kind of Zillow to offer such a wonderful service to agents without taking a dime-what a nice company!