Homes.com called me the other day to advertise with them and when they showed me my area, only ONE company's listings came up for several pages. I told them they just wasted all the money they said they are spending on advertising because what CONSUMER is going to use a site that SELLS and FORCES consumers to ONLY VIEW ONE COMPANY'S LISTINGS???? If a CONSUMER wants one company's listings, wouldn't they go to that company site rather than this one?
All of these "outside real estate" sites are selling to Agents/Advertisers and lacking in the service they give to the consumer. CONSUMERS are probably better off going to a real REAL ESTATE site, not an advertising platform, right? THE CONSUMER DESERVES TO GET ALL OF THE ACCURATE AND FULL INFORMATION FREE OF FORCED VIEWING (SO PAID ADVERTISERS) get their product in front of them rather than what they are looking for!! Ads should go on banners and sides of pages, not be forced in the body to look like its real information! IS THIS FRAUD???? What's your take on it?
Here's Homes.com in my area - which they said if I purchased what the other Agency had purchased then all of theirs would go below mine! Then the consumer would have to wade through all of our company listings and then the other company's listings before they could get to general listings in a price range order.
As of Sept. 18, 2013 - Homes.com Hiawassee, GA
http://www.homes.com/Real_Estate/GA/City/HIAWASSEE/
If you go to Trulia.com - if the listing agent doesn't PAY then consumers are FORCED in a very sneaky way to contact ALL of the Agents that do pay. See the link below. Mountain Realty is the listing company, because they don't pay all of the PAID ADVERTISERS are above the question box for a consumer to ask for information ABOUT THIS PROPERTY. To the left are small checks so that ALL OF THE PAID ADVERTISING AGENTS get the question from the consumer UNLESS the consumer sees all of those checks and unchecks them. I tried it, it goes to all of them. NOW, TRY TO FIND THE LISTING AGENT CONTACT INFO TO ASK THEM A QUESTION ABOUT THE PROPERTY? As a consumer, I should be able to ask a question of the listing agent or at least KNOW WHAT AGENT I'M CONTACTING??? As far as the search, it is the same as Homes.com in that it comes up with all of the PAID ADVERTISERS listings first - how is this consumer friendly? Then, they can't contact the listing agent, they have to contact ALL PAID ADVERTISERS?? IS THIS FRAUD?
http://www.trulia.com/property/3131491273-725-Bearmeat-Spur-Hiawassee-GA-30546
As an Agent, I complained and told Trulia.com they do not have my permission to put paid advertisers on my listings and force consumers to go somewhere unsolicited and they don't! Unless they can mask it that way when I look at it - so I have that link below - let me know if someone else comes up on my listings and if they put any paid agents, please!
http://www.trulia.com/property/3118402143-2061-Hi-River-Rd-Hiawassee-GA-30546
Now, let's talk Zillow! They DON'T DO THAT and that is why they are the #1 site after REALTOR.COM. They have lots of other information that is incorrect, because they try to access value in our area and it is off. Is their assessment of value off in any other area? They pop up agents in front of you while you're trying to look at properties - this would make me annoyed with that agent, but at least it's not forced in a covert way like Homes.com and Trulia.com.
www.realtor.com is the best site, in my opinion, because it has ALL LISTINGS, ALL AGENTS, ALL AREAS, ALL MLS SYSTEMS!! Yes, Agents can purchase "enhanced listings" so they have a yellow screen, but the PAID ADVERTISERS do not eliminate every other listing from the consumers' view. Paid ADS go on banners and skyscrapers as it should be!
I think REALTORS should complain on those sites for BLOCKING their listings from the consumer in favor of PAID ADVERTISERS when they are presenting themselves as a consumer-based real estate forum to the public. I think CONSUMERS should complain to these sites for misleading them. Would consumers who have worked with the FORCED AGENTS and had any bad dealings, be able to hold these sites accountable? Or, if they missed a better opportunity or property because they were forced with pages and pages of only ONE companies listings?
I think there are some possible legal issues, but as REALTORS and consumers, let's be aware and protect each other from outside sources that try to not only prosper from our hard work and the American Dream, but corrupt them!
Leave a comment if you have any opinion in the matter...
