vow overview
DESCRIPTION
The settlement between the Department of Justice and the National Association of REALTORS mandates that Multiple Listing Services must provide a data feed of all MLS data to Brokers for display on their public websites. This ruling will once again place Brokers in the center of the conversation with the online consumers.TRANSCRIPT
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DOJ/NAR Settlement
• Enables brokers to download all NON- CONFIDENTIAL mls information for display on broker VOW solutions
• Enables brokers to appoint “vendors” as VOW service providers
• MLSs my not adopt rules or regulations that conflict with the settlement or otherwise restrict the operation of VOW participants
• MLSs may charge a “reasonable fee”
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Confidential Data
• Defined as only that data which Participants are prohibited from providing to customers orally and by all other delivery mechanisms
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VOW defined
• An internet website that allows MLS participants to offer brokerage services to consumers with whom the broker has a broker-consumer relationship
• Consumers need to register and agree to these terms of use – but generally the broker-consumer relationship is defined by state law
• All MLS supplied data available through the MLS (solds, tax, etc) must be made available
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VOW registration requirements
• Name, Username and validated password• Each user must be unique• Participant (broker) must maintain a record for
180 days• Consumer Accounts must expire, but also must
be renewable (minimum expiration is 90 days)• Consumers must explicitly agree to terms of use• An MLS may require a reasonable security
protection or require brokers to maintain an audit trail.
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Broker Participants
• Must be MLS Members• Must be willing and able to respond to inquiries of registered users• Must be in the business of representing buyers and sellers of properties, or
express the intent to do so in the immediate future (not for referrals)• Sellers may opt out of listing display• A VOW may exclude listings only by objective criteria like geography,
price, property type – not by broker or REALTOR affiliation• A Participant may operate more than one VOW site• Advertising is allowed• Listings may be enhanced with third party (non mls data), but not altered• RETS and FTP are to be supported
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Time to Comply
• This settlement is expected to be finalized in Mid-November.• MLSs are afforded 120 days to respond with access
History of Why
In the opinion of the Department of Justice, some MLSs had VOW policies that restricted discount broker business models – creating a barrier to the free practice of trade
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How VOW is differentConsumers can now “Search” the MLS
data.
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The Opportunity
Whether or not you choose to be part of the dialogue, the dialogue is going to happen, I believe that the challenge is to make it happen with local real estate agents in the center of the conversation
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VOW for Buyers
• Notifications when new listings match their search criteria
• Notifications of price changes
• Notifications when listings go pending or sold
• New level of information for informed home searches
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VOW for Sellers
• Notifications when new listings compete with theirs
• Notifications when price changes effect their listed price
• Visibility into the same information that buyers are looking at
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VOW for Existing Customers
• Keep them informed of the market place for their property
• Notifications of homes being listed and sold in their neighborhood.
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VOW for new customers (Leads)
• IDX/VOW combination websites
• “The following information is available to registered users – Here’s Why”
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VOW Vendors on the Horizon
Listingbook.com
MLSfinder.com
Cleanoffer.com
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