Thu
Can new technology make some MLS rules unenforceable?
Posted by Marlow Harris under Real Estate
[13] Comments
It could be that technology will trump all of these new NWMLS rules, and blogging/comments/AVM restrictions will become ineffective and impossible to enforce with the new Google Toolbar application called Sidewiki.
Sidewiki is part of the Google Toolbar and is built directly into Firefox and IE and will be in Google’s Chrome browser in the future. Users activate the service by clicking on a button and a sidebar appears to the left of whatever website is being viewed. The user can then leave a comment on the entire page or a selected piece of text, and share the URL via email, Twitter or Facebook.
This will mean that anyone who installs the Sidewiki will be able to add comments to your real estate webpage, including individual property pages that you may have created to help market your properties.
There is no “opt-out” tab, no way to eliminate the sidebar comments, no way to edit out objectionable material, porn, spam links, comments on the personal character of the sellers or the agent or the home or the neighborhood.
While the owner of the page will be able to have the first comment viewed, other users can read and vote comments up or down. All those votes will create a user ranking for each individual that will determine where their comments fall on the Sidewiki. The higher the ranking, the higher comments appear. So if allowed by the tool, website owners will have to spend time voting down the bad, spammy, untrue or inflammatory comments, just to get them to the bottom of the page.
Obviously, comments will be impossible to enforce and hapless agents and entire brokerages could find themselves in violation of their MLS rules regarding commenting on individual listings as mischievous websurfers write virtual graffiti on the wall next to their webpage.
There is no “opt out” button that prevents random people from commenting on and discussing your listing offline (as in, in real life) either.
The NWMLS should get on that and make another rule. It’s only fair to sellers after all that they maintain 100% control of how anyone talks about their listing in any context anywhere.
Awesome, this is a great development if the Google sidewiki gets enough momentum. So many of these MLS rules are from a different era, change is good in my mind!
Google releases a lot of stuff that goes nowhere. Sidewiki, might be one of those products. I personally find no use to it so far.
All your points are valid and I can see how an “opt-out” would be very helpful. I wish I could opt-out of a lot of things on the web, but you just can’t do it. There is a difference though when you are talking about personal compared to business services… You are marketing a home for a third party, which opens up all kinds of issues
Yeah, Tim. Well. You can be as sarcastic as you want about this, but you know you’d be PO’d if someone was writing smack about your website, practically ON your website, right adjacent to it in a little pop-up Googley box and there was nothing you could do about it. What’s to stop them from writing about you personally, dissecting your personality or character, discussing confidential items or just fabricating lies altogether? This thing sounds like a good idea but can really be a drag if spammers and trouble-makers decide to run with it.
You’re right, people should be free to speak their mind only when I agree with them.
People do that already, today. It’s called comments, which I almost never moderate. People come on there all the time and “write smack about my website” and I am happy to let them do so.
Trying to stop spam is one thing. Stifling free speech just because it’s uncomfortable or disagreeable is something else entirely.
As a little aside and to be pitchy about it, some one attacked both my Real Estate site and over loaded my blog site with spam. It happens from time to time when things get heated in the blogosphere.
In my opinion there should be a place where people can search for properties without the commentary. Other sites should be free to do what they like with information, and let the consumers sort it out.
What I am objecting to specifically is that some people are just mean and will do anything to vent.
I’m not sure individuals should be subjected to criticism simply because they list a property for sale.
There’s a difference between what we do and some one selling a property.
Another case on point is the older couple who have lived in the house for forty years. Yes it is over priced and yes the kitchen is sun flower yellow.
They just don’t want to “give away” the family home. Is it fair to point out the hand crochet blankets on the recliners in the living room? How does that help?
This is the first I have heard of Sidewiki. If this application takes hold and the search engines actually review comments SEO will have a hold new dimension. For years the local MLS services have been unable to enforce the rules and regulations regarding internet advertising and comments. The web is like the wild Wild West in this regard. I guess only the strong cowboys survive. I guess I need a horse and 6 shooter
Where are the Board of REALTORS at to protect the agents. We all pay dues, and the BOARD happily accepts payment. They need to do their job by enforcing the rules and staying up to date. No different than a REALTOR having to do continuing Ed.
Absolutely true, Marlow. Kutano also allows people to make comments on website pages, even if the owner of the site prohibits comments. I wrote about Kutano here
http://bit.ly/36WMBg
I must have missed that. Great info. What a can of worms!
Of course, if this happens, you know someone will invent an application that counteracts anything that Google tries to do! LOL..Someone is probably already working on it.
The MLS is in a hot race with technology. It’s just a matter of time before it is a thing of the past. It might not happen in the next few years, but we need to be planning for when it does happen.