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Well, yes... data transformation can be hard. Dealing with providers not following standards can be hard. But, we're ultimately talking one way feeds here. Zillow (or equivalent) should have no function to modify - if something is wrong it should be corrected at the source. Better still, why even store the data at all and just read it dynamically?
These types of problems are solved all the time at companies in their data warehouse groups. This is not some unique situation here.
"Sources," Mikey. "Sources"
Zillow is proud to be working with 580 MLSs, and 25,000 firms.
Add in 50 States and DC, and wherever else they advertise, with the panoply of local and state regulations, and you have a pretty good mess.
That is why so many local sites stink. Agents use the cookie-cutter solutions that offer little depth because the IDX vendors cannot do a great job with all the various conventions.
RETS helps a lot, but local practices, rules, and regulations muddy the waters.
We have a lot in common with Silverfall (Triangle NC vs. Oregon) and a whole lot different.
In the Triangle MLS, we use Paragon by Black Knight as our MLS vendor.
So does Silverfall's MLS.
A fundamental:
MLS statuses are an immediate point to consider. Same vendor. Same RETS.
Our potential statuses include Active, Contingent, Pending, Closed, Expired, Withdrawn, Withdrawn-TMP-No Showings. What do you have, Silverfall? I bet they are different, and I bet if the "same," they are defined differently between our MLSs.
Often in this forum, we have people asking, "What does this MLS status mean?" And they have something that is defined far differently.
That is just one item.
We have over 600 fields in our MLS entry. Yet, in Oregon, they have fields that we don't have, and vice versa.
They have conservation classifications that we don't, that must be incorporated into search and display.
Silverfall and I both use IDXBroker to present listings as search on our sites.
You should read their forums and their FB Group, and see the extreme challenges they have, working across several hundred MLSs.
And, right now, they are one of the best out there.
One reason that local sites suck so badly is that code guys seem to have an infinite learning curve for adapting an MLS RETS Feed and presenting data the way you would like to see it.
Unfortunately, just as you go all "Whatever" regarding IDX, VOW, RETS, so do many code guys who have no marketing insight at all.
Zillow is proud to be working with 580 MLSs, and 25,000 firms.
Add in 50 States and DC, and wherever else they advertise, with the panoply of local and state regulations, and you have a pretty good mess.
That is why so many local sites stink. Agents use the cookie-cutter solutions that offer little depth because the IDX vendors cannot do a great job with all the various conventions.
RETS helps a lot, but local practices, rules, and regulations muddy the waters.
We have a lot in common with Silverfall (Triangle NC vs. Oregon) and a whole lot different.
In the Triangle MLS, we use Paragon by Black Knight as our MLS vendor.
So does Silverfall's MLS.
A fundamental:
MLS statuses are an immediate point to consider. Same vendor. Same RETS.
Our potential statuses include Active, Contingent, Pending, Closed, Expired, Withdrawn, Withdrawn-TMP-No Showings. What do you have, Silverfall? I bet they are different, and I bet if the "same," they are defined differently between our MLSs.
Often in this forum, we have people asking, "What does this MLS status mean?" And they have something that is defined far differently.
That is just one item.
We have over 600 fields in our MLS entry. Yet, in Oregon, they have fields that we don't have, and vice versa.
They have conservation classifications that we don't, that must be incorporated into search and display.
Silverfall and I both use IDXBroker to present listings as search on our sites.
You should read their forums and their FB Group, and see the extreme challenges they have, working across several hundred MLSs.
And, right now, they are one of the best out there.
One reason that local sites suck so badly is that code guys seem to have an infinite learning curve for adapting an MLS RETS Feed and presenting data the way you would like to see it.
Unfortunately, just as you go all "Whatever" regarding IDX, VOW, RETS, so do many code guys who have no marketing insight at all.
Agreed. We use Paragon as well and we have Active, Active under contract, Pending, Closed, Expired, Terminated and Withdrawn. Same MLS software contractor, but different local MLS rules.
Cohesive data isn't as easy as you would think for a third party vendor in the real estate sphere.
Zillow is proud to be working with 580 MLSs, and 25,000 firms.
Add in 50 States and DC, and wherever else they advertise, with the panoply of local and state regulations, and you have a pretty good mess.
That is why so many local sites stink. Agents use the cookie-cutter solutions that offer little depth because the IDX vendors cannot do a great job with all the various conventions.
RETS helps a lot, but local practices, rules, and regulations muddy the waters.
We have a lot in common with Silverfall (Triangle NC vs. Oregon) and a whole lot different.
In the Triangle MLS, we use Paragon by Black Knight as our MLS vendor.
So does Silverfall's MLS.
A fundamental:
MLS statuses are an immediate point to consider. Same vendor. Same RETS.
Our potential statuses include Active, Contingent, Pending, Closed, Expired, Withdrawn, Withdrawn-TMP-No Showings. What do you have, Silverfall? I bet they are different, and I bet if the "same," they are defined differently between our MLSs.
Often in this forum, we have people asking, "What does this MLS status mean?" And they have something that is defined far differently.
That is just one item.
We have over 600 fields in our MLS entry. Yet, in Oregon, they have fields that we don't have, and vice versa.
They have conservation classifications that we don't, that must be incorporated into search and display.
Silverfall and I both use IDXBroker to present listings as search on our sites.
You should read their forums and their FB Group, and see the extreme challenges they have, working across several hundred MLSs.
And, right now, they are one of the best out there.
One reason that local sites suck so badly is that code guys seem to have an infinite learning curve for adapting an MLS RETS Feed and presenting data the way you would like to see it.
Unfortunately, just as you go all "Whatever" regarding IDX, VOW, RETS, so do many code guys who have no marketing insight at all.
I get it. Without getting personal, I work for a large multinational with many operating companies... these types of data challenges are tackled all the time - we continually acquire new firms through M&A and have to bring their data "in", we deal with constantly changing regulatory / compliance globally because we operate all over the world, financials, analytics, and on and on. We deal with countless providers of data and services to internal colleagues, who in turn are providing data and services to their clients in different formats or even languages. The challenges you lay out here are not unique.
I'll apologize if I appear to be minimizing it because for a small shop or a sole proprietor Broker, these things probably seem tremendous... and they were pretty big from a technology perspective in the 1980s - but we are now in 2017. What we can do today with data warehousing, transformation, processing, analytics, etc would spin your head.
So I did a bit of googling on the fancy acronyms... It took them until 1999 to implement data standards (RETS) and some MLS still do not follow it?! oh my gosh. IDX and VOW appear to be stale decades old approaches to handling data feeds. If I'm being perfectly honest this data issue has been going on so long one has to believe there are decision makers who don't want it solved... for whatever reason. You probably have some ideas of reasons because you are a pro or I could put on my tinfoil hat. Either way, I get the feeling NAR is intentionally dragging their feet or clogging things up from a legal perspective as the last thing they probably want is some central datastore for all RE.
I get it. Without getting personal, I work for a large multinational with many operating companies... these types of data challenges are tackled all the time - we continually acquire new firms through M&A and have to bring their data "in", we deal with constantly changing regulatory / compliance globally because we operate all over the world, financials, analytics, and on and on. We deal with countless providers of data and services to internal colleagues, who in turn are providing data and services to their clients in different formats or even languages. The challenges you lay out here are not unique.
I'll apologize if I appear to be minimizing it because for a small shop or a sole proprietor Broker, these things probably seem tremendous... and they were pretty big from a technology perspective in the 1980s - but we are now in 2017. What we can do today with data warehousing, transformation, processing, analytics, etc would spin your head.
So I did a bit of googling on the fancy acronyms... It took them until 1999 to implement data standards (RETS) and some MLS still do not follow it?! oh my gosh. IDX and VOW appear to be stale decades old approaches to handling data feeds. If I'm being perfectly honest this data issue has been going on so long one has to believe there are decision makers who don't want it solved... for whatever reason. You probably have some ideas of reasons because you are a pro or I could put on my tinfoil hat. Either way, I get the feeling NAR is intentionally dragging their feet or clogging things up from a legal perspective as the last thing they probably want is some central datastore for all RE.
There is the broker public portal project which is in progress which is meant to do just what you are talking about. They partnered with Homesnap and it is MLS and brokerages involved in the development of that project. It is up and running in some markets right now.
The issue is that all MLS are privately owned cooperatives that are run individually with bylaws that are different from MLS to MLS. There are no "decision makers" per se as they are all locally run. So what you have is a bunch of conflicting interests trying to negotiate a policy that would impact 800+ local MLS cooperatives that are associated with NAR, and then there are indie MLS boards like mine that then have to decide if they will follow NAR policy or not.
Real estate is very, very competitive. Getting a bunch of competitors to collaborate is harder than you would expect.
Zillow's map feature makes it worth ten of every other website. This is the one thing a potential buyer wants to know first about a house - where it is. And he doesn't want to have to flip back and forth to a map on each listing just to find houses in his preferred area. Online sites make it easy to do preliminary shopping remotely, but if you don't know the town, you NEED Zillow's mapping feature.
Too bad their listings' status lags behind reality; and all the data that previous posters complain about probably is valid - my eyes glazed over at all that technical information.
But I'm the one with the money to buy. Zillow's map feature makes me go to their site. Realtors should make sure their listings are on Zillow. Until some other more accurate or up to date site also incorporates this feature. Hint hint.
I get it. Without getting personal, I work for a large multinational with many operating companies... these types of data challenges are tackled all the time - we continually acquire new firms through M&A and have to bring their data "in", we deal with constantly changing regulatory / compliance globally because we operate all over the world, financials, analytics, and on and on. We deal with countless providers of data and services to internal colleagues, who in turn are providing data and services to their clients in different formats or even languages. The challenges you lay out here are not unique.
I'll apologize if I appear to be minimizing it because for a small shop or a sole proprietor Broker, these things probably seem tremendous... and they were pretty big from a technology perspective in the 1980s - but we are now in 2017. What we can do today with data warehousing, transformation, processing, analytics, etc would spin your head.
So I did a bit of googling on the fancy acronyms... It took them until 1999 to implement data standards (RETS) and some MLS still do not follow it?! oh my gosh. IDX and VOW appear to be stale decades old approaches to handling data feeds. If I'm being perfectly honest this data issue has been going on so long one has to believe there are decision makers who don't want it solved... for whatever reason. You probably have some ideas of reasons because you are a pro or I could put on my tinfoil hat. Either way, I get the feeling NAR is intentionally dragging their feet or clogging things up from a legal perspective as the last thing they probably want is some central datastore for all RE.
I know a lady... who works for a large multinational with many operating companies...
The cash burn is just incredible. Truly an inferno of incineration, endless cremation of the dead presidents.
With all the money flying around in real estate, margins are slim for many players, many burn money needlessly hoping to pass the costs on.
Then with all the spoons jammed into the pot for a slurp, the waste is a shame.
There are many voices in the real estate industry.
I truly think a good local solution could compete easily with Z on presenting data. Short-sighted site operation, using data for "lead capture" for a quick payday gets in the way.
Really, Mikey, you should buy me a cold one and I will tell you the journey of the last couple of years, trying to get tech people to work with me on "My Vision." If you like Z, you would like it just as much.
Zillow is one site but why limit yourself? Many times a house appears on one location but not another. I go through Zillow, Trulia, Homefinder, Homes.com and so on. Sometimes a house will appear on just one or two of those sites but not the others.
That may be a mistake, as Z now will begin to refuse to accept listings from agents.
"A Move Toward Higher Quality Listings
Our top priority is to provide home shoppers and agents alike with high quality, accurate listings. Starting today, Zillow Group will begin to remove the ability for agents and brokers to manually post listings. We will be rolling out these changes over the next few days.
How this change affects you
If you do not have a broker or MLS feed available to you, you will no longer be able to post new listings on Zillow and Trulia. All verified manual listings you have already posted will remain on our sites and you will need to continue to update them in Agent Hub in order to keep the listing information current.
What to do next
Check the status of your MLS to see if a listing feed to Zillow Group is available. If a feed is available or pending, use the contact information on the page to get in touch with a member of our listing acquisition team, who can assist you or your broker with a listing solution.
If you do not have a feed available, you should let your MLS know you want to be able to market your listings on Zillow and Trulia. Reach out to them to request that they join more than 580 other MLSs that provide feeds for their brokers, and establish a feed for your area. You can also talk to your broker about setting up a direct feed with Zillow Group.
Sincerely,
The Premier Agent Team"
excellent news.
zillow has been badly hampered by a some unscrupulous agents who have been messing up the service for everyone.
Some agents, (not all not the majority just a percentage of bad actors) purposely list homes that are not for sale, in closing, sold, foreclosed etc. They pretend it is just an error but it is the same agents time and again and often the same houses time after time. it is a trick intended to get buyers to call them about the property and thus they might be able to sign/bind that buyer.
so i am glad to see this ending, i might even start using Zillow again.
I saw at least 2 instances of a closed listing entered into Zillow as way for agents to get new clients. Houses that sold over 3 months prior, listed with their initial asking prices as active.
Yes, this really bugs me. I want to know what the house sold for, even if it comes back on the market. It tells me what the seller will likely accept, all things being equal.
Frankly, I'd like even more information on the deal. Did it sell for cash? How much down?
It really annoys me when I see a listing (the flyer) where the square footage is listed as "against company policy". No listing should be accepted without square footage of house and also property. The listing agent can access this information easily online at the County's website.
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