Everlast Pro Fight Gloves

"Realtors to Internet: Drop Dead." ... That's the headline of a recent newsletter blasting the National Association of Realtors (NAR), which was considering a policy change to prevent upstart brokers like eHomes and ZipRealty from displaying all MLS listings over the Internet. (AnchorDesk, Sep 25, 2002) As David Wessel later reported in the Wall Street Journal, NAR decided not to make this policy change "after noisy objections from the newcomers and signs that the Federal Trade Commission was watching." ("Web May Soon Work Magic in Real Estate," Oct 31, 2002)

Yes, I know that this is not commercial real estate. But I always smile when I read these headlines because the reality is so much more complex than short sound bites like: "The Internet has the old guard on the run. Consumers are the likely victors." (Wall Street Journal) "Attention realtors: If your livelihood relies on your exclusive access to listing information, then you should be concerned about your future." (AnchorDesk) Really?

Here's my epiphany. Deal making and information are inextricably linked -- much more so than professionals and non-professionals alike appreciate. Information does not exist in a vacuum. It only exists within a social context of people, properties and history. So I'm an advocate for more transparency because it will make the industry more efficient, and all professionals -- owners, managers and brokers -- will benefit.

Meanwhile, back in the real world, the October 29 Dispatch, Equity Office to Brokers: We Love You, prompted a flurry of e-mails. Bob Flannery of CMD Realty Investors, which owns suburban office properties across the Sunbelt, writes, "CMD and many of our competitors have been paying full commissions on renewals within 48 hours for a couple of years. ... CMD realizes that having a strong relationship with the brokerage community is critical to our success and achieving this goal is something we strive for daily."

--Peter Pike