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Consumers Must Pay For MLS Info in VA

Friday, August 26, 2005

The Real Estate Information Network (REIN), covering the region "from Williamsburg, east to Virginia Beach, south to the North Carolina border" in Virginia recently implemented the E-Pass system which requires consumers to pay a fee to access MLS data or contact a Realtor for free information. The purpose was to ensure that consumers are dealing with local realtors for their information and home searches, but has caused concern among realtors and consumers alike.

The E-Pass will cost consumers $3.95 for single day access or $4.95 for a month's access to the MLS information. Without an E-Pass, consumers are only able to see the price, year built, city, state, zip, style, type of home, levels and garage information. Additional items such as lot size/acreage, square footage, lot dimensions, school info, and features requires an E-Pass or a phone call to a realtor.

Is this in the best interest of the Realtors in the region served by REIN? Is it in the best interest for the consumers living or looking to purchase in this region? It definitely takes away some of the ability for the consumer to have full information and conduct their own research for a home before contacting a Realtor. The Realtors are probably being blamed (and treated badly) by the public for the fees that are imposed by the REIN - which are not their fault.

I believe that there is a better way to protect the REIN's database information than to charge consumers who want to do a little of their own research before committing to work with a Realtor!

3 Comments:

  • I think every one who sells a house in hampton roads needs to contact the BBB of greater hampton roads 757-531-1300 and file a complaint against their unfair practices

    By Dan Gerbus, at 3:38 PM  

  • As a full time professional Realtor, I think that when consumers have any access to the MLS data base, it makes our jobs all the harder.

    Instead of allowing us to do the search for them and quickly zeroing in on the right property, we have to constanly look up MLS numbers and addresses that they call us on, just to find that they are already pending or sold. What a complete waste of time for our industry.

    The Real Estate industry is not taken serious because consumers are allowed to meddle to much in our business. What needs to happen is consumers should not have any access to our MLS data base for any reason whatsoever and for any price. Furthermore, Realtors should start acting like the professionals that they are supposed to be and let your customers know that this is not how true professionals work!

    By Anonymous, at 10:31 PM  

  • Anonymous...
    I think that you are correct in that the Realtor's job is to search the MLS for the consumer and present them with properties. The reason why many consumers want access to the MLS is because the agent they are working with is not doing their job to the fullest when it comes to presenting them with properties to view. I was one of those customers earlier this year. My agent was trying to do too much for too many people and would not follow through on her promises to locate additional properties for me. It wasn't that there weren't any available, she just didn't take the time to look for me. In the extremely hot housing market that we were purchasing in, we couldn't afford to waste any time. If you weren't there to view the home on the first day after it was listed, you didn't need to bother showing up because it would already have offers on it.

    By Kelli, at 10:16 PM  

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