The National Association of Realtors next month will consider revising rules governing multiple listing services in order to explicitly permit brokers or agents to display Internet Data Exchange (IDX) listings on social networking sites and mobile devices.

Some aspects of proposed changes to NAR’s IDX policy — particularly a recommendation to allow IDX listings to be distributed using Really Simple Syndication, or RSS — have raised concerns by The Realty Alliance, a network of 60 real estate companies whose members include HomeServices of America Inc.

Distribution of listings via RSS “allows anyone to obtain all data in an MLS area with no permission required and allows situations where another broker, who does not have a contract with the seller, (will) broadly publish another broker’s listing data with no limitations,” The Realty Alliance said in a letter to the chairman of NAR’s Multiple Listing Issues and Policies Committee, Pat Callan.

“This creates a condition where the legally responsible broker is no longer in compliance with their contract with the seller and their MLS rules and regulations.”

NAR’s Multiple Listing Issues and Policies Committee, which has been grappling with the issue for more than a year, is scheduled to debate the issue again next month at NAR’s midyear meeting in Washington, D.C.

Brokers and agents have wide leeway over how and where they distribute their own listings in order to market properties on behalf of clients.

But IDX listings — which include all the listings in a given market that brokers have agreed can be published on each other’s sanctioned IDX websites — are governed by more complex rules.

One intent of the rules is to encourage brokers to participate in the IDX system by providing assurances that listings they represent won’t be redistributed to other, nonsanctioned sites without their OK.

(In a separate debate involving NAR’s IDX policy, The Realty Alliance and Leading Real Estate Cos. of the World are protesting NAR’s decision to allow franchise companies to index and display their broker’s IDX listings.)

According to the latest report of a work group created to study the issue, NAR began receiving questions from MLS administrators early last year on whether the Internet display of IDX listings was limited to member agents’ or brokers’ sanctioned IDX websites, and whether delivery via RSS subscription was allowed.

The work group recommended revising the IDX policy to expressly authorize display of IDX information not only on MLS members’ sanctioned IDX websites, “but also using RSS subscription, social media, mobile devices, and other electronic means.”

The work group’s proposal was presented to the Multiple Listing Issues and Policies Committee in November at NAR’s annual convention in New Orleans.

A number of MLS administrators voiced concerns about compliance, questioning how they would monitor social media sites and mobile devices to make sure IDX rules were being followed. Some wondered whether listings posted to social media sites would be kept up to date, and whether required IDX disclosures could fit into formats like text messages and “tweets.”

The committee put off making a recommendation to NAR’s board of directors, and directed the work group to reconsider issues raised by MLSs.

After meeting again last month, the work group issued another report, acknowledging the issues raised by MLS administrators but concluding that such concerns were outweighed by the benefits of increased exposure of listings.

Increasing the ways MLS members can deliver IDX listings to consumers “might somewhat diminish the control MLSs exercise over that information, and might increase the administrative burden of MLSs,” the work group concluded in its report. But “the value to sellers, potential purchasers, and to MLS participants and subscribers that will result from increased availability of those listings through enhanced IDX channels outweighs those concerns.”

The Realty Alliance questioned that conclusion, saying the return on investment in distributing listings to multiple websites “drops dramatically after just a handful of websites,” while problems and liabilities increase.

“There is no consumer outcry for more sources of listing data, as there exists today a bewildering amount of options, and they tend to concentrate their time on a small number of reliable sites,” The Realty Alliance said. “Too often the obscure, third-party websites have old, expired and inaccurate data and do not produce meaningful leads for our firms anyway.”

Concerns about RSS

Joe Horning, chairman of The Realty Alliance’s board of directors and the president of Wisconsin’s largest brokerage, Shorewest Realtors, said that the group is mostly concerned about RSS distribution of IDX listings.

A number of vendors offer “framed” solutions that allow agents to display IDX listings and provide IDX listings searches on their personal website, Facebook page, or blog that are actually driven by the brokers’ or agents’ sanctioned IDX websites.

“If I put my listings on my Facebook page (using an application) that frames my (sanctioned IDX) site, that’s not really putting listings on a social media site,” Horning said. “That’s fine.”

Similarly, “We don’t have issues with mobile devices, when they are pulling (listing) data off the (MLS or MLS vendor’s) server,” because the information will be accurate and accessed with permission. “The RSS transmittal, we’re definitely concerned about.”

As its name implies, Really Simple Syndication is easier for brokers and agents to implement than “framed” solutions or application programming interfaces (APIs) that typically require support from vendors.

It’s also easier for an agent’s clients to tap into an RSS feed — and, critics say, help themselves to listings data in unintended ways.

Michael Wurzer, president and CEO of Fargo, N.D.-based MLS vendor, FBS, said RSS is typically used by brokers and agents who want to provide buyers with updates on new listings in a particular neighborhood they’re interested in, rather than to provide a stream of every available listing.

Such uses go hand in hand with mobile devices, Wurzer said. “To be able to read an RSS (listings) feed with Flipboard (a feed reader app) — that’s cool. Who doesn’t want that?”

Wurzer said if the concern is that permitting brokers to provide RSS feeds of IDX listings would leave “the whole feed just sitting there, that it just lays it out for anybody,” then the work group’s recommendations could probably be tightened while still permitting more limited use of RSS feeds.

Mobile “is an interesting twist,” Wurzer said, because while brokers and agents can easily argue that a website that’s been optimized for mobile falls under the existing definition of an allowable IDX website, “when you enter the world of native applications, that’s a little more fuzzy.”

MLS executives have said they aren’t sure how they will monitor mobile applications that provide IDX listings for compliance.

APIs and framed solutions

In a blog post on the topic, Wurzer said the work group “seems to have the right intent, which is to allow IDX to be a source of innovation and competition for brokers and agents.”

But the work group’s recommendations could be further refined, perhaps by limiting the number of fields allowed in an RSS feed, or to allow listings to be accessed only through queries directly to MLS servers by purpose-built APIs.

Wurzer’s company, FBS, already makes a WordPress plug-in and API that work with the company’s flexmls IDX system.

Janet Choynowski, CEO of Immobel Group, said Immobel’s IDX-Buzz product serves IDX listings “with full IDX rules and disclaimers embedded” on social media sites such as an agent’s or broker’s Facebook business page.

“With the IDX-Buzz product, they go in a controlled, quality-assured way, disclaimers and all,” Choynowski said in an email. “I think it gives a comfort level, rather than having members posting content to Facebook and tweeting it willy-nilly.”

Home vacancies and the nation’s homeownership rate were roughly flat in the first quarter of 2011 compared to the same quarter last year, according to U.S. Census data released this week.

The rate of home vacancies, at 2.6 percent, was unchanged compared to first-quarter 2010, though was well above levels seen before the beginning of the housing downturn in 2005, when it hit 2 percent for the first time since before 1996.

The U.S. homeownership rate, which government policies had helped boost to the brink of 70 percent by 2004, sat at 66.4 percent in the first quarter, down a slight and statistically insignificant 0.7 percent since the first quarter of 2010.

The rental vacancy rate in principal cities — the Census Bureau defines a principal city as the largest city in a given metropolitan or “micropolitan” area — was 9.8 percent, in the suburbs it was 9.3 percent, and outside of metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) it was 10 percent. The differences were not statistically significant, the Census Bureau said.

Homeowner vacancy rates, however, did vary by location. In principal cities, the rate stood at 3.2 percent, significantly higher than the rates in suburbs and outside MSAs, which had rates of 2.4 percent and 2.3 percent, respectively.

Regionally, the rental vacancy rate was higher in the South (13.2 percent) and the Midwest (11 percent) and lower in the Northeast (7.5 percent) and the West (9 percent).

The same pattern fit homeowner vacancy rates, with the South (2.8 percent) and Midwest (2.7 percent) statistically similar, with the West (2.4 percent) and Northeast (2.2 percent) falling close to each other.

The report also included estimates of the total housing inventory in the U.S., showing an increase of 659,000 units, to 131 million units, between the first quarter of 2010 and 2011.

There was a decrease in vacant homes from last year by 99,000, according to the estimates. The number of vacant homes for sale climbed by only 2,000 on a year-over-year basis. Correspondingly, the number of vacant homes held off the market increased by 270,000, taking the total from 7.1 million to 7.37 million.

At the same time, the number of homes vacant for rent declined by 338,000, to just over 4 million.

Technology has changed dramatically over the last 10 years and had a strong impact on the REALTOR® business. New forms of technology have enhanced mobility and improved efficiency, but they have also eliminated a level of control from the average real estate agent.

Consumers and Technology

Consumers have fully embraced the internet. According to the Bureau of the Census, in 1997 only 18.0 percent of Americans had internet at home; by 2009, that figure had jumped to 68.7 percent. The internet is no longer just a source of information and e-commerce, but a means of creating and expanding relationships, both personal and professional. Friendster gave way to MySpace, which gave way to the social media giant Facebook. The number of active members on Facebook jumped from just one million users in December of 2004 to more than 500 million by the end of 2010. Today blogs are common and for those for whom the speed and frequency of interaction on these sites are not enough, registered users on Twitter now total 175 million with an average of 95 million tweets per day.

Consumers have incorporated the internet into their home search as well. According to NAR’s 2010 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, the share of buyers who searched “frequently” on the internet for their home rose from 71 percent in 2003 to 89 percent in 2010. The share of homebuyers who found their home on the internet jumped from 8 percent in 2001 to 37 percent in 2010. Among buyers who used the internet, the features most often used were photos and detailed information about the property. Buyers were less interested in information on “days on market” and comparables. This pattern suggests that consumers use online information about listings to better educate themselves for the purchase decision, but they are less interested in information that would help them with pricing or strategies of the purchase process. Consumers want to better understand the particulars of the property and leave the process to their REALTOR®.

REALTORS® and Technology

The march of technology has also left an imprint on REALTORS®. REALTORS® were quick to adopt both e-mail and mobile phones. As early as 2002, 96.6 percent of REALTORS® had a mobile phone. At that same time, use of other wireless devices, particularly those withe-mail or internet capabilities, was low at only 17.4 percent, and less than a third (31.7%) of REALTORS® used a pager. Desktop computers were used by almost 73 percent of REALTORS® at their place of business and 84 percent had a desktop computer at home.

By 2010, the technology used by REALTORS® was different. Pagers disappeared and only 16 percent of REALTORS® planned to buy a desktop PC – a trend that reflects the demise of the brick-and-mortar office. Technology enhanced mobility and REALTORS® took advantage of that, with 34 percent planning to buy a laptop, 21 percent selecting an iPad and 42 percent opting for a smart phone.

REALTORS® embraced more than just gadgets. The internet enabled REALTORS® to create virtual offices, to market in new ways, and to expand spheres of influence through social networking. According to the 2010 REALTOR® Technology Survey conducted by NAR’s Center for Real Estate Technology, when asked what factors were important for generating business, the internet ranked third behind referrals and repeat business, but still 54 percent of REALTORS® affirmed that the internet was “very important” for generating leads. However, a substantial 29 percent stated that the internet was “important” – likely a reflection of differences in REALTORS® ability to fully adapt this technology into their marketing program.

Younger REALTORS® were much more apt to use social networking sites as well as blogs according to the 2010 NAR Member Profile. Experience, as opposed to age, was a deterrent to adopting technologies like laptops, smartphones, instant messaging, and global positioning systems (GPS). The high cost of these gadgets may act as a barrier to their adoption by veteran REALTORS® who may have large investments in older technology, but this disparity may ease gradually. However, the slow adoption of social media by older members likely reflects differences in their comfort level with this medium and a difference in ability or desire to utilize it in their marketing program.

The internet allows REALTORS® to market listings to a much broader audience than before. In 2010, the site most frequently used by REALTORS® to list their properties was REALTOR.com, followed by their broker site, and their personal site. Magazines, national franchises, and local newspapers, traditional sources of listings, had all fallen below a 40 percent share.

Conclusion

Technology has had a substantial impact on the lives of both consumers and REALTORS® over the last decade. Consumers have embraced the internet as a search tool, but also as a social outlet. REALTORS® embraced the internet as well, and property listings now flourish on line. REALTORS® are also increasing their use of social media as a means of expanding their sphere of influence and lead generation. Gadgets have also had an impact, untethering REALTORS® from their offices and enabling them to communicate much easier. But, while technology has been broadly adopted by the REALTOR® community, social media remains the avenue of younger REALTORS®. Real estate is a fast and fluid business and REALTORS® will continue to seek out and adopt those technological that augment their business. The next 10 years are likely to bring dramatic changes in the ways REALTORS® use those technologies.

Flickr image courtesy of ncmichael2k3.

There is a lot of interest in the iPad and in tablet computing in general, and when I write about it I get questions. There are not many practical articles about the iPad for Realtors because the device is still so new.

Here are the most common questions I have encountered, and my answers:

1. Can I print from an iPad? Yes, you can print from the iPad. It uses wireless printing and only works with some printers. The details can be found on the Apple Web site. I have never had any need or desire to print from my iPad.

In fact, for me part of the beauty of the device is that I use less paper. There are alternatives to printing from the iPad — one is putting documents to be printed in Dropbox and printing them from a computer.

2. Can I access the multiple listing service from my iPad? I cannot answer that question for everyone, but I can access my MLS and I don’t have to use the mobile version or an app. I can see the MLS and use it just like I would on my PC.

The best way to find out if your MLS is accessible from the iPad is to ask someone who has one or go to an Apple store and test it with your MLS system. I have been told by agents in some states that they cannot access their MLS on anything but a PC.

3. Does the iPad have a USB Port? The iPad does not have a USB Port, and you probably will not miss it. Files can be placed in Dropbox. The Dropbox app on the iPad makes it easy to share files across platforms. It acts as a virtual USB drive. Files can also be easily emailed from your computer to an iPad.

4. Can I write a real estate contract on my iPad? I have been writing contracts on my iPad and the electronic contracts I use are all in PDF format. I am using an app called Noterize. I have tested other apps, and Noterize is by far the easiest to use. I keep blank contracts in Dropbox.

I access them when I need them and can type or write on them and I can have my client sign them on the screen. I can email them from the iPad and in general I don’t need to print contracts anymore.

5. How much does Internet access for the iPad cost? All iPads work on Wi-Fi and some work on 3G networks. Wi-Fi access is usually free and no data plan is required. The 3G models require a data plan for accessing the 3G network. Plans start at $15 dollars a month for limited access. IPads with 3G are available via mobile carriers AT&T or Verizon.

I own a 3G unit and I recommend this version for real estate pros because we are not always in an office or a place with Wi-Fi when we meet with clients.

In general, I think the apps that we choose depend upon how we work. The location-based apps are useful for working with buyers and sellers, as is the presentation software. The iPad makes it easy to access and view any kind of information that we need on the job.

If you are a note taker you will appreciate the Evernote app for the iPad. It can be used on your phone, tablet or PC to write notes or clip Web pages. I start a notebook in Evernote for each client, and the notebooks become my client files, complete with legal contracts, notes, photographs, voice notes and even emails. Everything is tagged for easy retrieval and can be printed if needed.

There are so many more apps for the iPad today than there were a year ago, and so many more ways to use it. We were all skeptical about the device at first, but now it looks like it is here to stay and will keep getting better.

The best way to learn how to use an iPad for business is to use it and to experiment with apps and to ask others which apps they like.