Why should MLS listing sheets look like this?
Realtors are meant to be marketing professionals right? Then we go and give consumers reports like this: (click for larger image)
This sheet is from the San Diego County MLS provider – Sandicor, but from what I've seen, similar sheets are used all across the US.
Why can this be? It's been a while since we had listing books issued by our local MLS – newer agents probably don't know what I'm talking about .. 
These books were closely guarded by the agents who were at that time "the gate keepers of listing information". Fast forward to what's supposed to be the 21st Century and what do we find?
Listing sheets with acronyms that have little changed in the past 50 years and an industry way to complacent with the status quo to care to do anything about it 
Sure the MLS software providers have some added functionality, for instance when a consumer is sent this MLS listing sheet "Printer Friendly" appears at the top of the page -
- but what about consumer friendly features?
Let's take a closer look at this typical MLS report intended for buyers.
How many consumers would know what OMD meant, or MT? Would they care about the MLS or APN #'s right up front? Don't think so. Why would we put N/K on a report? I could go on ….
This part of the report does not do anything for marketing either:
So all the real estate industry has done in the past 50 years is replicate online what we used to put in print - in a book that was exclusively printed for real estate agents.
That's just nuts!
Not trying to blow my own trumpet but the report below is the only consumer friendly one in the Sandicor system – it's one that I designed and somehow managed to shame the software provider into incorporating.
It's not perfect, but it's not too full of gobbledegook either 
You will notice that the important data is grouped on the top left. Multiple photos and a map.
Contact info box on the top right means agents can use the sheet as a flyer – this addresses a major problem with some listing agents who would distribute sheets meant for agents at public open houses.
They did it because the agents sheet was the only one with their contact info – trouble is these sheets had commission and confidential remarks printed on them too
Can we change this please?
For the past 5 years I have been trying to persuade my local MLS to change all our reports but I have pretty much been a lone voice in the wilderness.
Now I have some sort of audience that's actually reading stuff I write maybe I can get some help from you guys!
Help from other San Diego real estate agents would be nice but I'm thinking BIGGER …
… because almost every listing sheet I have ever seen across the country suffers from the same problems I showed you earlier.
Are we going to let this sorry state of affairs continue?
Let's take issue with those that have influence from the top down.
Who can we talk to at NAR?
Will your State Association or local Board listen?
Can we persuade the MLS industry and the software providers to move into the 21st Century and do a proper marketing job on our listing assets?
Come on you guys, lets kick some serious butt.
Are you with me?
We have a follow up on this post where we look at the Houston Assoc of Realtors consumer portal
.. and another by Drew on Who is Leading the Real Estate Industry?
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{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
Send them a printout from your website…or if they have email you can email them the listings from your website as well. Just a thought.
But you are right that does look crappy.
Sure I can get round this myself, but I really want to raise the bar for the whole industry. Would you be on board to help with that?
Great Post Peter, can’t tell you how many times I got this crap when I asked an agent for the core of what I need (addr, asking, repairs, motivation)… they just take the easy route and print this … darn no wonder I barely ever buy listed properties…
@Yves unfortunately as a consumer you have just validated my concerns
@Yves unfortunately as a consumer you have just validated my concerns
Cannot pull up larger image – get address cannot be found
Just took a look – url was wonky – will work now ..
I agree! We need a user friendly version MLS for our clients… It's our listings… Lets stop selling our to Realtor.com etc. How about something like this? I'm your lone voice plus 1…..
http://youbuz.com/sls/166
Go get them Peter! lets give the consumers what they want… Valid information on selected properties. Easy to visualize information… Keep it up! I’m behind you on this one!!!
@Dan, who do you know (apart from you!) that can make a difference?
Good argument, Peter, and hope it is carried to meaningful places. http://har.com has generally been in the lead when it comes to good consumer experience. Wonder about their print-outs?
@Roberta, thanks for the comments, know anyone that can help change?
BTW – I will look at HAR _The Houston Association of Realtors, if anyone is getting it right I would hope it was them!
Peter – thanks for linking to this on my Facebook page. I left a comment here, but thought I'd copy/paste it here too in case any reader here is interested:
Peter – I don't lead the NAR MLS Committee, but I am on that committee. The problem is, the"look and feel" and what information is included on MLS printouts is completely controlled by the MLS, not by the NAR. (And I suspect that most MLS's will blame the software vendor they use).
The NAR's MLS committee is really in place to help with high level items and overall policies. They set some guidelines about what has to be displayed in an IDX feed, but they can't tell individual MLS's how to format that data.
Your best option to get your MLS printouts changed is at the local level With over 900 MLS's across the country, the NAR can't really dictate how each one runs down to that level. Your local and state associations are the place to start — and yeah, it's frustrating. Getting on the local Association MLS committee, or working with them, is probably the best way to affect change. Your MLS itself may also have a committee structure. I don't know how SANDICOR operates, but it's worth a look.
Thanks for your observations on this topic Jay – believe it or not I have already tried changing things from the inside as both a Sandicor Director and as an advisory committee member.
Yes, there are hundreds of MLS’s, but are actually not that many software providers in the industry.
If I can get enough Realtors to move from apathy to action at a local, State & National level, maybe companies like Marketlinx & Rappatoni will start to pay attention to what we need rather than what they decide to give us.
That way we raise the bar for MLS’s across the Nation and raise the perception of our industry as a whole.
Peter:
1. Submit a petition for change at local level?
2. Create strong discussion at Nardigras.
3. "Noisily" shop for a software vendor who will listen to and act upon intelligent input such as yours.
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