Banned Phrase: Search MLS

Recently the powers that be at the Realtors Association of Northwestern Wisconsin decided that real estate agent websites can no longer contain the phrase "Search the MLS." MLS, of course, stands for Multiple Listing Service and refers to the practice of offering of commission to other real estate agents if they bring a buyer to a seller or seller's agent. MLS also refers to the database that houses listings from many real estate agencies. I believe that this change is hurting the general public immediately and will harm real estate agents and brokers in the long term.

The justification given for this rule change is as follows:

Using the term "MLS" gives consumers the impression that they have access to the MLS, when in fact, they have access to a very limited amount of information in the MLS, which should prompt them to call a Realtor for assistance.

But consumers DO have access to the MLS. The justification above even says so: they have access to a very limited amount of information in the MLS. Most people understand that when they want to view listings of properties for sale, they can just jump on any local real estate website and see listings from all cooperating companies. Most people also understand that these websites generally will not display selling prices of sold properties, the owners' last names, length of time on market, etc.
 

How Dumb do they Think Consumers Are?

Saying that people "do not have access" to the MLS just because they don't have access to 100% of the data contained in it is ridiculous. It's splitting semantic hairs and playing childish games with language. To illustrate this flawed logic, let me make a few analogies. I don't have cable television, I just use rabbit ears. What my MLS board is telling me, using their own logic, is that I really do not have access to ANY television stations because I don't have ALL the channels. Or that I don't really have access to ANY library because my local library doesn't have EVERY book ever printed. Or that I really don’t have access to any goods and services because I don’t have an AARP discount card. The logic is flawed. Active listing data is right there on the web. I can already hear my clients' reactions: “Don’t you dare tell us we can’t see it. We’re not stupid.”
 

MLS: Already a Genericized Term?

The reason the rule was enacted was to help prevent the term MLS from becoming a generic term such as like Xerox, Kleenex, or Frisbee. The difference between these examples and MLS is that no organization of Realtors holds the trademark on the term MLS. The trademark of the term MLS, in fact, is held by Major League Soccer. So it could be argued that MLS is already a generic term, especially since there is no nationwide MLS. When people talk about listing in the MLS, they mean the MLS of a general geographical area in which they reside. To further complicate matters, sometimes these geographic areas overlap and sometimes properties are listed in more than one MLS.

Hurts Consumers

I believe this decision is having an immediate negative impact on the general public. The general public already knows that the MLS is the database that holds a bunch of listings from many different agents and companies. All other suggestions given (Search Area Properties, Search Local Listings, Search Northwestern WI Properties) are all clunky by comparison. Try putting the text Search Northwestern WI Properties on a button 2 inches long....yeah right! Search MLS is succinct and accurate.


Hurts Real Estate Agents

Perhaps the most amusing thing about this decision is that it will hurt real estate agents and brokers in the future. How, you ask?

Well, this rule only applies to Realtors. Since the term MLS is not trademarked by any Multiple Listing Service, what will stop Zillow.com or Trulia.com from putting links on their site stating that people can Search the MLS? For that matter, what will stop ANY site not run by a Realtor from stuffing their site with MLS-related anchor text just so they outrank every local real estate website when people inevitably search for the "Eau Claire MLS?" I have no doubt that non-Realtor sites will collect these sales leads and sell them back to Realtors. And the Realtors, by virtue of this brilliant rule, will not be allowed to compete with these parasitic sites. We will once again be strangled by our own rules. Nice!

To summarize: This new rule banning the phrase "Search the MLS" makes things more confusing for the consumer searching for homes. It makes Realtor websites more clunky and verbose. And it creates a giant business opportunity for websites that are already out to eat Realtor's lunches.
 

• What is a Genericized Trademark?
• Webmaster's Thoughts on this topic
• REW Community's Thoughts on banning "MLS"

• Rate this Post!

  Select Your Rating:

  • 5 Stars (Excellent!)
  • 4 Stars
  • 3 Stars
  • 2 Stars
  • 1 Stars (Poor)

• Share this Post

  Share With A Friend:

  Your Name Your Email

  Friend's Name Friend's Email

  Optional Message

  Send

• Print
• Social Bookmarking

  Add to Bookmarks: