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The Latest News from WFG National Title Company
ryantate
180
WFG News
March 2, 2015

Zillow Group’s game of ‘chicken’

For months now, the rumor mill has been flying with talk of Zillow and Trulia (now Zillow Group) ending the featured listings placement for brokers and franchisors by the end of 2015. Large brokers and franchisors who pay $5 to $10 to feature a listing, with all competing agents stripped…
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ryantate
199
WFG News
February 25, 2015

Portals pay to play? Brokers, MLSs could profit from listing feeds

Clichés are commonplace in real estate. The simple, repetitive statements are supposed to make complex topics succinct. But more often, they create trite answers instead of strategic thought. “A real estate portal is just another advertising platform.” “They’re selling our leads back to us.” “Portals are no different than newspapers.” “My…
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ryantate
135
WFG News
February 23, 2015

Have a problem with Zestimate? More AVMs are coming your way

If you have concerns about how Zillow’s automated valuation model (AVM), Zestimate, could affect sellers’ perceptions of home value, then brace yourself because automated valuations will be a major battleground for portals starting this year. To stay competitive on the Internet, all of the major portals (and perhaps even a…
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ryantate
135
WFG News
February 23, 2015

Debunking 6 myths about IDX

The ubiquity of embedded IDX (Internet data exchange) widgets is something that can’t be ignored. The traditional agent website and its visitor search experience are almost always tied to some type of embedded IDX widget, which has been the industry’s answer to the question of how to provide home searches…
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ryantate
252
WFG News
February 18, 2015

Your cheat sheet to the Zillow-Trulia deal

We awaken today to a world where Trulia is owned by the newly named Zillow Group. Brokers and agents need to make quick sense of what the closing Zillow’s acquisition of Trulia means for the immediate and ongoing future. To help you toward that end, here is a cheat sheet…
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ryantate
220
WFG News
February 10, 2015

Some groups don’t get a say in the great portal debate

How should the industry address listing feeds to ListHub, Zillow, and other multiple listing services and portals? It’s up to brokers — and there are some industry groups who simply don’t get to vote. Jon Coile is the president of Champion Realty, a regional brokerage in Maryland, and the chairman of…
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ryantate
203
WFG News
February 10, 2015

NAR continues to hype realtor.com in new national TV spot

Despite global media giant News Corp.’s acquisition of realtor.com operator Move Inc. in November, which lost NAR a seat on Move’s board and an ownership stake in the company, the trade association remains committed to promoting the realtor.com brand in a big way. NAR aired a 33-second TV ad during the Grammy Awards…
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ryantate
199
WFG News
February 4, 2015

Unintended consequences of listing regulations

“Follow the drugs and you’ll find the drug dealers, but follow the money and you’ll be surprised where it takes you.“ – HBO’s police drama “The Wire” Regulations governing the access, distribution and display of residential real estate listings changed many industry dynamics over the past 20 years. Traditionally, brokers…
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ryantate
200
WFG News
February 4, 2015

How listings will flow to Zillow, other portals

Industry players representing listing portals, MLSs and brokerages have finalized a model content licensing agreement that could help Zillow obtain more direct listing feeds before its contract with syndicator ListHub expires this spring. The model agreement seeks to standardize the ground rules under which real estate brokerages and MLSs provide…
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ryantate
150
WFG News
January 30, 2015

Handling client expectations in an era of open real estate data

Real estate professionals are operating in an unprecedented time. Our clients now have access to more information than ever before. Today, by the time clients contact an agent to set up showings, it’s more than likely that they’ve already spent hours online researching neighborhoods and properties. We are no longer…
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