Comments on: Dumb Rules Realtors Have to Live By – Now we can’t say “MLS” http://crosslandteam.com/blog/2006/01/31/dumb-rules-realtors-have-to-live-by-now-we-cant-say-mls/ Austin Real Estate Blog Sat, 31 Jul 2010 01:04:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Gene Carey http://crosslandteam.com/blog/2006/01/31/dumb-rules-realtors-have-to-live-by-now-we-cant-say-mls/comment-page-1/#comment-15 Gene Carey Mon, 15 Oct 2007 21:18:46 +0000 http://ben.crosslandteam.com/blog/2006/01/31/dumb-rules-realtors-have-to-live-by-now-we-cant-say-mls/#comment-15 Well, after further consideration along with several emails from myself included, our local MLS decided to back off on their strict guidelines regarding the use of MLS in domain names. They even backed off to the point where they are ONLY protecting THEIR name which is MLSNI. I questioned them on what authority they had to penalize agents who use a term that THEY do not own (read my prevous post that shows Homegain is using it!) Below is their latest BOD decision: Rules Revision regarding the use of "MLS" on Web Sites The MLSNI Board of Directors revised Section 38 Use of the term "MLS" at the September 12th BOD meeting. They amended Section 38 to allow the use of the term "multiple listing service", the acronym "MLS", or any derivatives in Domain Names, web addresses, and URL's, provided that the name does not imply and/or infer that the web site is associated with, or operated by Multiple Listing Service of Northern Illinois (MLSNI). For a copy of the complete rule please login to http://www.mlsni.com & go to Tools and Resources - Rules and Regs - rules 9-12-07. Round One goes to the agents in Chicagoland! Well, after further consideration along with several emails from myself included, our local MLS decided to back off on their strict guidelines regarding the use of MLS in domain names. They even backed off to the point where they are ONLY protecting THEIR name which is MLSNI. I questioned them on what authority they had to penalize agents who use a term that THEY do not own (read my prevous post that shows Homegain is using it!) Below is their latest BOD decision:

Rules Revision regarding the use of “MLS” on Web Sites
The MLSNI Board of Directors revised Section 38 Use of the term “MLS” at the September 12th BOD meeting.

They amended Section 38 to allow the use of the term “multiple listing service”, the acronym “MLS”, or any derivatives in Domain Names, web addresses, and URL’s, provided that the name does not imply and/or infer that the web site is associated with, or operated by Multiple Listing
Service of Northern Illinois (MLSNI).

For a copy of the complete rule please login to http://www.mlsni.com & go to Tools and Resources – Rules and Regs – rules 9-12-07.

Round One goes to the agents in Chicagoland!

]]> By: minnesota mls http://crosslandteam.com/blog/2006/01/31/dumb-rules-realtors-have-to-live-by-now-we-cant-say-mls/comment-page-1/#comment-14 minnesota mls Sat, 13 Oct 2007 21:17:48 +0000 http://ben.crosslandteam.com/blog/2006/01/31/dumb-rules-realtors-have-to-live-by-now-we-cant-say-mls/#comment-14 [...] this sort of asinine rule, and the local member agents are complaining about it. To quote the Crossland Team of Keller Williams in Austin Texas: Note to Realtor Industry leaders: people use the term ‘MLS’ a whole bunch when searching for [...] [...] this sort of asinine rule, and the local member agents are complaining about it. To quote the Crossland Team of Keller Williams in Austin Texas: Note to Realtor Industry leaders: people use the term ‘MLS’ a whole bunch when searching for [...]

]]> By: Gene Carey http://crosslandteam.com/blog/2006/01/31/dumb-rules-realtors-have-to-live-by-now-we-cant-say-mls/comment-page-1/#comment-13 Gene Carey Sun, 23 Sep 2007 03:21:47 +0000 http://ben.crosslandteam.com/blog/2006/01/31/dumb-rules-realtors-have-to-live-by-now-we-cant-say-mls/#comment-13 The Chicagoland area just started implementing this rule September 15th and plan to charge graduated fines and eventually take away your access if you fail to comply. I have had my site operational since 2003 with the term 'mls' in the domain name. Unless it's a company site previously registered as the brokers site, you have 6-months to swap out the URL and during that time you must do a redirect using a blank homepage on the offending site with specific verbiage and a link to the new URL. With over 20,000 links pointing at my site and being #1 on Google for local area search terms including Northern Illinois as well as Lake County, it would be impossible to achieve that rank in 6-months! I have asked them to show me where I can find the term MLS copyrighted or trademarked by them but they won't respond. I have also asked them if they claim ownership to the term MLS, why does Homegain operate http://www.MLS.com and http://www.MultipleListingService.com but again, no response. They may have registered MLSNI but that is a totally different set of letters. I can't believe that others with MLS in their URL's haven't put up a fight since shutting sites down with new 'sandboxed' URL's interferes with our livelihoods and income. Due to my sites ranking, I also have links paying me a monthly or annual fee just to appear on my site. This would also be lost income with a sandboxed site. Consumers are clicking on my site because of the ranking and the sites title and description, not because it has MLS in the domain name and I feel it should be grandfathered in since it was in existence long before the recent rule change. Nothing in the new rule objects to 'keywords' bieing used for 'search the mls' or simply 'mls listings', etc. which is why you will still see thousands of sites in the search results. The Chicagoland area just started implementing this rule September 15th and plan to charge graduated fines and eventually take away your access if you fail to comply. I have had my site operational since 2003 with the term ‘mls’ in the domain name. Unless it’s a company site previously registered as the brokers site, you have 6-months to swap out the URL and during that time you must do a redirect using a blank homepage on the offending site with specific verbiage and a link to the new URL.

With over 20,000 links pointing at my site and being #1 on Google for local area search terms including Northern Illinois as well as Lake County, it would be impossible to achieve that rank in 6-months! I have asked them to show me where I can find the term MLS copyrighted or trademarked by them but they won’t respond. I have also asked them if they claim ownership to the term MLS, why does Homegain operate http://www.MLS.com and http://www.MultipleListingService.com but again, no response. They may have registered MLSNI but that is a totally different set of letters. I can’t believe that others with MLS in their URL’s haven’t put up a fight since shutting sites down with new ‘sandboxed’ URL’s interferes with our livelihoods and income. Due to my sites ranking, I also have links paying me a monthly or annual fee just to appear on my site. This would also be lost income with a sandboxed site. Consumers are clicking on my site because of the ranking and the sites title and description, not because it has MLS in the domain name and I feel it should be grandfathered in since it was in existence long before the recent rule change. Nothing in the new rule objects to ‘keywords’ bieing used for ‘search the mls’ or simply ‘mls listings’, etc. which is why you will still see thousands of sites in the search results.

]]> By: Lenny Schwartz http://crosslandteam.com/blog/2006/01/31/dumb-rules-realtors-have-to-live-by-now-we-cant-say-mls/comment-page-1/#comment-12 Lenny Schwartz Fri, 10 Mar 2006 17:32:11 +0000 http://ben.crosslandteam.com/blog/2006/01/31/dumb-rules-realtors-have-to-live-by-now-we-cant-say-mls/#comment-12 It's been 2 months mow and still in Google and Yahoo there are MILLIONS of "Search the MLS in Austin Texas" references. The Board is not doing a thing to enforce this rule...allowing the 3rd party sites to gather most of the buyer leads and SELL THEM BACK TO THE REALTORS. THERE IS ONLY, AND ONLY ONE WAY FOR THE BOARD TO ACT: Increase the fine to $1,000 AND actually enforce the rule... AND fine agents buying ad space/links from the 3rd party companies that continue to use the "Search the MLS" terms. DO IT RIGHT OR GIVE IT UP!! It’s been 2 months mow and still in Google and Yahoo there are MILLIONS of “Search the MLS in Austin Texas” references. The Board is not doing a thing to enforce this rule…allowing the 3rd party sites to gather most of the buyer leads and SELL THEM BACK TO THE REALTORS.

THERE IS ONLY, AND ONLY ONE WAY FOR THE BOARD TO ACT: Increase the fine to $1,000 AND actually enforce the rule… AND fine agents buying ad space/links from the 3rd party companies that continue to use the “Search the MLS” terms.

DO IT RIGHT OR GIVE IT UP!!

]]> By: Boston Condos http://crosslandteam.com/blog/2006/01/31/dumb-rules-realtors-have-to-live-by-now-we-cant-say-mls/comment-page-1/#comment-11 Boston Condos Tue, 07 Mar 2006 11:31:07 +0000 http://ben.crosslandteam.com/blog/2006/01/31/dumb-rules-realtors-have-to-live-by-now-we-cant-say-mls/#comment-11 Good luck in trying to enforce this stupid rule. Good luck in trying to enforce this stupid rule.

]]> By: Lenny Schwartz http://crosslandteam.com/blog/2006/01/31/dumb-rules-realtors-have-to-live-by-now-we-cant-say-mls/comment-page-1/#comment-10 Lenny Schwartz Sat, 18 Feb 2006 15:20:06 +0000 http://ben.crosslandteam.com/blog/2006/01/31/dumb-rules-realtors-have-to-live-by-now-we-cant-say-mls/#comment-10 I am FOR the new MLS Rules. In case you havn't noticed... Realtors have been losing their link to buyers and sellers, due to the internet as a search tool (as well as an MLS listing tool through $299+ listing companies... irregardless of the new minimum service rules) Bringing back the Iconic Term "MLS" into the Realtors hands is a step in the right direction.... BUT!!!... the Board had better plan on assinging a full time team as well as an attorney or 2 on retainer to work the over 2 million MLS references in Google...etc... Do it right or don't do it! I am FOR the new MLS Rules. In case you havn’t noticed… Realtors have been losing their link to buyers and sellers, due to the internet as a search tool (as well as an MLS listing tool through $299+ listing companies… irregardless of the new minimum service rules)

Bringing back the Iconic Term “MLS” into the Realtors hands is a step in the right direction….

BUT!!!…

the Board had better plan on assinging a full time team as well as an attorney or 2 on retainer to work the over 2 million MLS references in Google…etc…

Do it right or don’t do it!

]]> By: joe cline http://crosslandteam.com/blog/2006/01/31/dumb-rules-realtors-have-to-live-by-now-we-cant-say-mls/comment-page-1/#comment-9 joe cline Tue, 07 Feb 2006 02:51:31 +0000 http://ben.crosslandteam.com/blog/2006/01/31/dumb-rules-realtors-have-to-live-by-now-we-cant-say-mls/#comment-9 I think the reason they are doing that is to prevent the public from thinking that they have access to the MLS. Every so often someone from the publis sues an association or board demanding access to the MLS as it is construed to be public data given out by the MLS. That means that we Realtors would be paying to maintain the system and every tom dick and harry would be able to look at the data. Just a thought. joe I think the reason they are doing that is to prevent the public from thinking that they have access to the MLS. Every so often someone from the publis sues an association or board demanding access to the MLS as it is construed to be public data given out by the MLS. That means that we Realtors would be paying to maintain the system and every tom dick and harry would be able to look at the data. Just a thought.

joe

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