Letters to the Editor

Re: 'Real estate, the Web and the great divide' (Dec. 17)

Dear Editor:

This article was better read in 1995. Smart brokers and agents have already embraced the Web as a marketing resource.

Steve writes:

"Internet leads are good only if there is a call center, e-mail incubation and filtering to process those leads. The old and the new sectors have not adapted to each other. So today Web leads burn out agents and loan officers."

Even before the Internet, agents had to filter out good and bad leads. That's part of the job. I would rather have 100 leads I would have to cut down to two than no leads at all.

Plus, every lead is not going to work out, wherever you get it from.

Steve writes:

"Microsoft's HomeAdvisor and IBM's investment in HomeView are just two examples. There are many more of these firms trying independently to leverage listing data that are not cooperating with the traditional real estate business. Listing data is great "bait," but so far, moving it to the Web has not yet caused fundamental changes in the business."

Microsoft's goal is to ad space, not homes.

The Internet is another way to communicate with clients. Keep this as a mantra and the leads will come in. Steve needs to take a look at 1000Watt Consulting to understand how things work on this "inter-web thing."

Steven Loper
Microdecisions.com
Orlando, Fla.

Re: 'Use of term 'MLS' now restricted in Chicago' (Dec. 17)

Dear Editor:

The ruling these MLS services are making are against the participants and do nothing to stop the use of "MLS" in domains by nonparticipants. They have done nothing to eliminate the confusion, and only made participants have their hands tied behind their backs and let third-party vendors continue to use the term and sell back prospects to MLS participants.

Steve Westmark
Wayzata, Minn.

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