Update 12-13-2011: Just to be clear this is not a data feed to Realtors of any kind. That would be against MRIS’s terms.
I offer several free services for Realtors from “competing” local firms. Easy to convince them because it is free? Nope, I spend a lot of time easing their fears & untrustingness (is that a word?). If you have an agent already (hey not everyone finds us first or is related to you), send them to read this.
So here I will list what Realtors from other firms can do with this site to help themselves and WHAT IS IN IT FOR ME.
Ways Realtors can benefit from FranklyMLS.com:
1) Join and get your free IDXbranded version of FranklyMLS(IDX is industry lingo for Internet Data Exchange, see Wikipedia). Even if you “already have one.” With the branded IDXversion of FranklyMLS, the logos of my firm, phone numbers, links to blogposts get dropped and replaced with your image and contact info. All “request a showings” go to you. When your client signs up for email alerts you are notified and each alert has YOUR branding. Also you get a BCC of each email alert that goes to your client. Over 250 agents have joined. Some have stopped paying for their $50/mo “true” IDX and others simply have both and let their customer choose.
Why do they ditch or augment their current “true” IDX? a) FranklyMLS.com Virginia, DC, Maryland Home Search does so much more. I can’t list them here, but recently an “I already have one”-type agent got the “oh mine doesn’t do that” moment about 5 times and finally the lightbulb (more…)
FPP stands for Frankly Price Predictor and it is the coolest new feature on FranklyMLS.com. So cool, it is patent pending.
The goal of FPP is to predict a home’s closing price, IF IT SOLD TODAY. Disclaimer: Please do NOT take it seriously.Consider it more like a TOY (at least for now).
FPP uses historic listing data (see below) to predict the price. It is NOT an AVM (which uses tax data and home data). Try a search for Arlington Condos.
An “AVM” is an Automated Valuation Model. The focus is on“value,” and it is for every home, listed or not.
Tools like Zillow’s Zestimate and Cyberhomes, use public data and recent sales. Many consider them wildly inaccurate. But heck, it makes for GREAT marketing! (Hats off to the Zillow team!). How “accurate” are they? In a Zillow report, the DC area is one of their most “accurate” areas, yet not even 50% of homes close within 5% of the Zestimate. So over 50% of $500k homes are off by over $25k!
Are Zestimates better than tax data, sure! Will we still show Zestimates on FranklyMLS? Sure. The more data the better, right? Is it better than a Realtor combing through comps, heck no (and they disclose that it is not a Realtor replacement).
How is FPP different than all those other “AVMs” or Automated Valuation Models are “value” estimators? (more…)
I’m really excited about this new feature for FranklyMLS.com . Normally I leave all the feature upgrades to franklymls.blogspot.com, but this one graduated to the main blog.
I’ve written a lot about Virginia short sales (don’t miss the older “SS 101” post) and a year and a half ago came up with the 1st MLS search that would scrub short sales (see post) and put a * next to their price (it would look at both the remarks and checkboxes).
But that wasn’t enough. I also gave some guidance on a “Top 10″ questions to ask a listing agent, as they are the key to getting short sales closed (in my opinion).
The most important question on that list was “have you ever closed a short sale.”
Well now you no longer need to ask them! (and they so frequently (more…)
Inman News is the #1 organization tracking real estates practices and technologies (outside of the official Realtor association). In San Francisco last month they held their annual five “Innovation Awards” with five finalist in each category. I was shocked to be honored with two finalist positions. One was “Most Innovative Blog,” the other was “Most Innovative Web Service” for my wiki MLS FranklyMLS.com.
I “lost” both categories. I really wasn’t too bumbed. I was thrilled to be a finalist and I love the winner’s blog phoenixrealestateguy.com.
But then the overall “Innovator of the Year” award was announced. This category did not disclose the finalist and previously did not include finalists from the other categories.
“Drum Roll” (no really they said that)… Shit! I won. I know it ain’t the Oscars but it felt like it for a moment. Wow, they really like me.
So, I ran up. Didn’t say a word. Was in shock. Thinking “Do I say something witty or innovative?” Nah.
(side-note: Being so “innovative” and “green” oriented I refused the registration gift bag and 20 page glossy schedule and I stuck with the online schedule to save trees. Anyhow, the online schedule slatted the awards for 11am. The print version apparently said 9:15. For once in my life, (more…)
After 5,000,000 page views served and 40,000 Wiki added photos, FranklyMLS.com (Frankly MLS) has done it again.
A new round of 1sts for MLS Search engine features! And you might have been wondering what I was up to.
PREVIOUS LIST OF FIRSTS:
First with Keyword search of remarks, subdivisions, zips, city, schools, agent name etc. (like Arlington bank owned)
In a long list of “1sts”, FranklyMLS.com is now the 1st Virginia/DC/MD MLS search engine that scrubs for Short Sales! (maybe the 1st in the nation). Also see my quote today in the Wash Post, and my other articles defining Short Sales.
On the FranklyMLS.com spreadsheet results page, try a search for Alexandria, if you see an asterisk next to the price, that means it is “probably a short (more…)
I am officially launching FranklyMLS.com, the The First Wiki MLS!
Where BUYER AGENTS, in Virginia and DC, from multiple brokerages come together to ADD information and photo albums to listings they visit. MORE DATA & 1,000+ MORE PHOTOS!
Cyberhomes, use public data and recent sales. Many consider them wildly inaccurate. But heck, it makes for GREAT marketing! (Hats off to the Zillow team!). How “accurate” are they? In a Zillow report, the DC area is one of their most 
rs? 
Just some housekeeping.
After
I am officially launching 
