There is a photo bug on Realtor.ca… many new listings from Edmonton don't have photos on Realtor.ca. In other words, if you've just listed your home there is a good chance there won't be any photos on Realtor.ca. They are working on a solution.
Just how do listings and photos get to Realtor.ca? The brokerage submits the listing by fax and the Edmonton MLS department enters it into the database OR the brokerage submits the data directly online. The brokerage then forwards the photos to the MLS department OR the brokerage submits them directly online (obviously submitting directly gets the listing and the photos into the database more quickly). Now the listing and photos are in the EDMONTON database.
All the new information that is submitted to the Edmonton database is batch uploaded to the national database daily and then appears on Realtor.ca. Sometimes there are problems getting the info and photos to the national database and that is what is happening right now.
The good news is, you can search the Edmonton database directly – it is more up to date than Realtor.ca and in some cases contains more information. There are many web sites that use the Edmonton data instead of the national one, including www.findmyedmontonhome.com.
“Realtors may soon go the way of travel agents. Already weakened by the sour housing market, the profession faces increasing challenges from Internet-based services that help people save thousands on a home purchase.”
Source LA Times
In the US anti-trust regulators mandated that minimum service providers be granted access to the Multiple Listing Service down there (it would be like com-free posting listings on our MLS), this has resulted in limited service brokerages offering MLS listings at a low flat fee but not providing the same range of services as a Realtor. In Canada the MLS is still the exclusive domain of Realtors which puts them in a better spot then their US Counterparts. Last month our anti-trust authority started a study on how this would affect Canada if implemented.
My own opinion is this would result in fewer Realtors, but better Realtors. I think innovative Realtors like Sheldon and Sara would thrive as they provide differentiated service (professional quality photos, and the fact they’ve registered half the domain names related to Edmonton real estate). In Vancouver we had “neighborhood specialists” who operated primarily in particular community but knew the community well enough that both buyers and sellers interested in that area would flock to them – again a value added service. So if it were to happen I think it may weed out some of the less savvy.
Many of us (at least I) still use a travel agent as the 25 bucks is worth the support they provide.
Ouch!!,
I am a middle aged guy and I’ve used the internet daily for about a third of my life. For somewhere near a decade, a majority of home buyers have been searching homes online. For several years, nearly every person who could buy or sell a home in Canada has had easy access to the internet.
So, what has to happen and how long it might take for “realtors to go the way of the travel agent?” Didn’t that happen to travel agents over a decade ago? Why is it taking technology so long to displace real estate agents?
The internet has created great opportunities for people who have the desire to do it themselves, and everyone benefits from more consumer choices. 15 years into this game (internet in the mainstream), it’s pretty clear that a large chunk of the real estate market isn’t interested in doing it themselves. Personally, I’ll bet the last issue of the LA Times will turn to dust before the last real estate agent turns off the lights.
Sara,
CREA needs to get their poop together and build a rockin’ site because realtor.ca is a weakling in home search. Your tool appears to be superior. When Jack and Jill realtor can buy a better search tool for 25-50 bucks a month than their national association can come up with something is truly wrong. We need to get you on the board of directors to straighten this stuff out.
Norm
Travel agents still exist and I still use them. Those who think that using the internet to book their vacations or flights are overpaying 95% of the time. Next time you see a great deal on the internet phone a couple of travel agents I will bet they can get a better price than the quote on the internet. Travel agents have real time access to deals that internet sites don’t. The internet travel sites are like Walmart, they put up a few good deals in the aisles but over price everything else to make up the difference. Makes you think your getting a good deal when in reality your not.
Regarding Realtors going the way of travel agents, I think not. Houses are difficult to turn into a commodity.
aloha
Keahi