Words: Ashley Rigg
Published: 17th May 2010
Threat of legal action sparks industry debate
A property portal in the Australia has sparked a debate on whether it is fair and legal to scrape content from estate agency websites.
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Source: Sydney Morning Herald
User Comments
> delivering no value to the agent
If it is truly no value, then that is a problem. However, it is unlikely that there is no value.
1. Most property portals include a link back to the agent. Huge value.
2. For those that do not, increasing the exposure to an agents property is free advertising. Small/tiny value - but value none the less. The result of increased visibility is decreased days on market - a faster sale for the agent - who usually ONLY gets paid when the property sells
3. Increased visibility means more potential buyers and in Southern California, often results in bidding wars - increasing the price of the property - value for both the homeseller and the agent whose commission is a percentage of the sale price.
As a past agent, spouse of a real estate broker we never cease to be amazed when agents do not want more visibility for their clients. It would seem to violate the implied fiduciary duty of an agent to get the highest and best offer for their client.
Robert T. Boyer, Ph.D.
http://FinestExpert.com
Cashflow Search Engine
Robert Boyer,
FinestExpert.com