4 ms·

I don’t know how anyone could argue with you. The MLS is literally just a database of house listings. In some states you can only access it if you’re a realtor,

I don’t know how anyone could argue with you. The MLS is literally just a database of house listings. In some states you can only access it if you’re a realtor, solely to keep their job secure. Making it decentralized would open up that data for everyone.

jjtheblunt 3y ago
Does it work only if everyone holds credentials for viewing what's in the (centralized or decentralized) data records?
danielvaughn 3y ago
It's a bit more complicated than that. One issue is that some information should only be shared between professionals. For instance, if a seller has a keypad entry, the listing will often contain the passcode for a buyers agent if they want to tour the house while the seller is away. That kind of information can't be shared publicly, so you need some degree of privacy control.
- symlinkk 3y ago
  Ok so keep that behind a gate and open up the rest. That’s a flimsy excuse. We are software engineers, we know how easy it would be to expose a subset of the data. It’s job security plain and simple. Same reason you can’t buy a car direct from the manufacturer and have to pay thousands in markup to some dealership that adds zero value.
  - linsomniac 3y ago
    It's not really so simple as it might seem. For example: In this blockchain, how do you identify a property? Address? Lots of properties are listed that do not have an address. County parcel number? Also not ideal. But, the real issue is that, as the system currently is, you need to have a license to list a property. Don't like it? You can do FSBO. But, basically nobody does, because the majority of buyers have a Realtor and are showing properties in the MLS. Realtors should, ideally, provide value in the transaction. When I bought a house, for example, my agent provided tips on how to structure the offer that I'm confident allowed us to get the house we got. On the selling side, the should be providing marketing expertise, as well as negotiating the legal landmines. For example, if you were to list your own house and say "This room would make an ideal man-cave", you are opening yourself up to litigation under the Fair Housing laws (you cannot suggest who should live in your house). Now, whether this is worth 5-8% of the sale price is another matter for discussion, but let's not forget that Realtors do provide some value. (Not a Realtor, SysAdmin to an MLS)

jjtheblunt 3y ago

Does it work only if everyone holds credentials for viewing what's in the (centralized or decentralized) data records?

danielvaughn 3y ago

It's a bit more complicated than that. One issue is that some information should only be shared between professionals. For instance, if a seller has a keypad entry, the listing will often contain the passcode for a buyers agent if they want to tour the house while the seller is away. That kind of information can't be shared publicly, so you need some degree of privacy control.

symlinkk 3y ago
Ok so keep that behind a gate and open up the rest. That’s a flimsy excuse. We are software engineers, we know how easy it would be to expose a subset of the data. It’s job security plain and simple. Same reason you can’t buy a car direct from the manufacturer and have to pay thousands in markup to some dealership that adds zero value.
- linsomniac 3y ago
  It's not really so simple as it might seem. For example: In this blockchain, how do you identify a property? Address? Lots of properties are listed that do not have an address. County parcel number? Also not ideal. But, the real issue is that, as the system currently is, you need to have a license to list a property. Don't like it? You can do FSBO. But, basically nobody does, because the majority of buyers have a Realtor and are showing properties in the MLS. Realtors should, ideally, provide value in the transaction. When I bought a house, for example, my agent provided tips on how to structure the offer that I'm confident allowed us to get the house we got. On the selling side, the should be providing marketing expertise, as well as negotiating the legal landmines. For example, if you were to list your own house and say "This room would make an ideal man-cave", you are opening yourself up to litigation under the Fair Housing laws (you cannot suggest who should live in your house). Now, whether this is worth 5-8% of the sale price is another matter for discussion, but let's not forget that Realtors do provide some value. (Not a Realtor, SysAdmin to an MLS)