National Association of Realtors Feeling Threatened

Can you say FEAR? The NAR’s latest ad campaign is motivated by fear of a changing market!

And it doesn’t stop there. Matt Carter of Inman News has word that Realtor.com (the NAR’s official website) honcho Allan Dalton is giving talks along these lines:

"The real estate industry is being attacked by non-real estate, cyberspace carpetbaggers who are working to become the first point of contact for buyers and sellers. It is more important than ever that we weave a bigger web on the web to attract more consumers to Realtors."

Their attack of Zillow and similar information gathering internet companies is just more fear!

The NAR wants to control all of the listing information so that the public is “forced” to use agents and brokers as a means of selling or buying property.

They are going to kick and scream all the way as information becomes increasingly more available to the public. As I have always maintained, public access to property information is not only inevitable but a necessary step towards a more efficient and ethical real estate industry. As soon as information is no longer held hostage, real estate agents will be forced to step up to the plate and deliver real, helpful skills and services in addition to listing information.

Many will leave this industry, which scary as it may sound is clearly due for a shakeout.  (For instance, a Haitian warlord has reportedly recently been a licensed real estate agent in New York City! via GrowaBrain) Those who remain in the industry (I will and I am quite excited by these changes) will be able to provide a range of services for buyers and sellers that have less to do with providing information and much more to do with marketing, negotiating, and weaving through the plethora of bad information that is often part of any of these services. I frankly believe that for many, the amount of information placed before them will be so overwhelming that most will still choose to hire a professional to help them with their sale or purchase. Only time will tell.