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The Latest News from WFG National Title Company
ryantate
168
WFG News
February 21, 2015

Study finds patent licensing rarely results in innovation

It may come as little surprise to players in online real estate who have been cajoled into such deals, but patent licensing rarely results in new products, technology transfer or other markers of innovation. That’s according to an academic study that provides some ammunition for critics of “patent trolls,” who…
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ryantate
113
WFG News
February 21, 2015

MLSs expand their reach through data-sharing

Two large Michigan multiple listing services are taking a first step in what could become a broader data-sharing partnership: sharing passwords to each other’s systems. Currently, Realcomp, Michigan’s largest Realtor-owned MLS, has various data-sharing arrangements with seven MLSs, allowing Realcomp’s more than 12,000 members access to MLS data for 34…
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ryantate
184
WFG News
February 20, 2015

Why the FTC let Zillow buy Trulia

Federal antitrust regulators say they decided to allow the nation’s most popular real estate search portal to acquire its closest rival because real estate agents have “numerous” ways to market their services, and that there was “insufficient evidence” that the deal would result in higher advertising costs or hurt innovation.…
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ryantate
162
WFG News
February 20, 2015

Greek Band-Aid intercepts interest rate drop

Long-term Treasurys are sliding down in yield again, holding low-fee mortgages in the high-threes. This improvement has been caused by several things, all reinforcing each other, and is likely to continue. However, in the background lies an enormous contradiction that is clearly troubling long-term markets. First things first. Way back…
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ryantate
137
WFG News
February 20, 2015

9 vital home repairs to complete before negotiating a sale

There’s something that I see generated in almost every transaction — a list of repair items found during due diligence inspections that buyers would like completed before closing. This can cause heartaches for sellers, who have negotiated their best deal and then feel “put upon” because they’re being asked to make repairs…
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ryantate
202
WFG News
February 20, 2015

News Corp. delivers one-two punch to Zillow Group

With Zillow finally swallowing Trulia, the head-to-head portal bout is officially on. News Corp. — owner of realtor.com operator Move Inc. — has thrown the first punches. In a press release on Tuesday emblazoned with an all-caps headline, Move jabbed that “Zillow’s year of the merge will be realtor.com’s year…
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ryantate
218
WFG News
February 20, 2015

Zillow Group seeks restraining order to keep listings flowing to Trulia

Zillow Group filed for a temporary restraining order today in a bid to keep listings flowing to Trulia from listing syndicator ListHub. ListHub — which is owned by realtor.com operator Move Inc., a News Corp. subsidiary — announced yesterday that it had terminated its syndication agreement with Trulia, the nation’s…
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ryantate
152
WFG News
February 20, 2015

5 steps to creating viral real estate blog posts

Most real estate agents are great at showing listings, advising and interacting with their prospects. They also know the ins and outs of their real estate market and can talk endlessly about it. But when it comes to putting those ideas into writing, most agents will just chicken out. Love…
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ryantate
134
WFG News
February 20, 2015

Vanessa Bergmark: ‘Privacy is boring’

The general manager and partner at Red Oak Realty talks about getting her entire office on a social media plan and why she’d rather have a cocktail than meditate. The post Vanessa Bergmark: ‘Privacy is boring’ appeared first on WFG National Title Insurance Company.
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ryantate
136
WFG News
February 20, 2015

The real estate referral coefficient

Referrals are the core of a real estate agent’s business. We know how to improve them and maintain them, so why wouldn’t we be able to take a mathematical approach to estimating how improving your referrals can enhance business? That’s what we’re going to try to do here. Let’s define the…
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