Buying & Selling: Iowa City Opens The MLS

Here's another example of a regional realtor establishment realizing that they can't control the information flow anymore, so they might as well share it. The Iowa City Press Citizen tells the tale:

The new Web site, www.IowaCityAreaMLS.com, lists more than 2,400 homes in the area that are for sale by the association's 440 members. The site is updated daily.
"This public Web site is going to be a big step," said Cheryl Nelson, association chief executive officer. "This, as you know, is very member- and broker-driven. The consumer today is very different. They want the knowledge."
The Web site allows buyers to search by price range, bedrooms, bathrooms and even address. Each listing includes the realtor's information, pictures, property information and driving directions. This type of comprehensive listing used to be available only to realtors, Nelson said.

I tested the site out, and it works very smoothly, including a security authentication feature and the ability to sort by highest and lowest prices. This is the type of thing realtors should've been doing long ago, but better late than never.

Check out the site here.

Posted at January 19, 2007 05:46 PM

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Here's another example of a regional realtor establishment realizing that they can't control the information flow anymore, so they might as well share it. The Iowa City Press Citizen tells the tale: The new Web site, www.IowaCityAreaMLS.com, lists more than 2,400 homes in the area that are for sale by the association's 440 members. The site is updated daily. "This public Web site is going to be a big step," said Cheryl Nelson, association chief executive officer. "This, as you know, is very member- and broker-driven. The consumer today is very different. They want the knowledge." The Web site allows buyers to search by price range, bedrooms, bathrooms and even address. Each listing includes the realtor's information, pictures, property information and driving directions. This type of comprehensive listing used to be available only to realtors, Nelson said. I tested the site out, and it works very smoothly, including a security authentication feature and the ability to sort by highest and lowest prices. This is the type of thing realtors should've been doing long ago, but better late than never. Check out the site here.