Agents…Stop Feeding Big Foot!’ Someone Is ‘Moving Your Cheese’!

Tell YOUR Broker, YOUR Local & State Associations Of Realtors AND YOUR National Association Of Realtors to: ‘stop feeding Big Foot’... a.k.a. Zillow!

 Why would I want to encourage them to do that, you might ask! After all, ZILLOW syndicates my listings and gives my seller’s property lots and lots of exposure!

Think about it! With the unbelievable expansion of 'use-friendly' Social Media Platforms over the last 15 years, can’t we, now, do a good job of that ourselves...AND for a lot less? 

 Encourage your Broker, your Local & State Associations Of Realtors and NAR to ‘RENOGOTIATE’ with ZILLLOW or threaten to STOP ‘SYNDICATING’ YOUR* LISTINGS!:

ARE YOU AWARE: 

1. Zillow generates Leads from YOUR* LISTINGS and then ‘SELLS’ them to ‘COMPETING’ agents in YOUR Target Market Area(s)? The least Zillow could do is give YOU, as Listing Agent, ‘first crack’ at those LEADS… do so FOR FREE or AT A ‘REDUCED’ COST…for, at least, a limited period of time!

2. Zillow goes into DIRECT COMPETITION with YOU and YOUR brokerage by encouraging buyers and sellers to work DIRECTLYTHRU Zillow …boxing YOU and YOUR brokerage ‘OUT’ of at least one, if not both sides, of the transaction?

3. Zillow is getting MORE CONSUMER ‘STREET-LEVEL’ AND ‘WEB-LEVEL’ REGOGNITION than YOU and YOUR COMPANY are by promoting YOUR* Listings?

4. Zillow has set, and controls, the ‘Rules Of Engagement & Compensation’ when it comes to Leads generated from YOUR* LISTINGS!

There are at least three (3) reasons this has happened:

1. Because most real estate entities (brokers, agents and associations) ARE NOT BUSINESS –MINDED…they are NOT ‘running their businesses like a business’…as a result, they cut a bad deal!

2. Because the agreement with Zillow was reached many years ago before the proliferation of ‘user-friendly’ Social Media Platforms was necessary...they possessed the 'syndicating expertise'!

3. Because there’s a ton of $$$ at play! The entities benefitting most from the ‘current’ arrangement are ZILLOW, YOUR LOCAL & STATE  ASSOCIATIONS and NAR… thanks to YOUR* LISTINGS!

At very least, encourage YOUR BROKER, YOUR LOCAL & STATE ASSOCIATIONS AND NAR  to ‘RENOGOTIATE’ the ‘terms and conditions’ of the ‘working-relationship’ with Zillow! The worst they can do is say: NO!  

If things continue to go in the same direction they currently are, it won’t be long before YOU, YOUR COMPANY, YOUR LOCAL & STATE ASSOCIATIONS AND NAR, will become OBSOLETE! 

If I'm right, the best YOU can hope for ‘down the road’ is that YOU get offered 'A JOB' WORKING 'FOR' ZILLOW...a.k.a. 'BIG FOOT'!  There goes YOUR BUSINESS! Then, you’re back to being an EMPLOYEE for someone else! Is that what you want?

PROCASTINATE AT YOUR OWN PERIL!

*The author is fully aware that under Real Estate License Law in most states, an agent's broker technically 'owns the listing'! But who's doing the majority of the work to successfully market and sell that listing? YOU...THE Listing Agent! Protect YOURSELF and YOUR business! Make your voice heard!

RECOMMENED READING: Who Moved My Cheese? Spencer Johnson