Scrapers, creeps and scammers!
Illinois has just enacted some tougher laws regarding all types of
advertising on the internet. Especially deceptive and misleading statements toward consumers or misleading information driving buyers to their personal or company websites. I'm really happy that this was just enacted and here's why - companies are now advertising your listings or your brokers listings without your permission or knowledge. In Illinois, you are not allowed to represent (or advertise) you have a particular listing in any form if the listing does not belong to your company. Now we are not talking about generic searchs here with IDX. We are talking about these 'scammers' going out on the internet with particular keywords and attaching YOUR listing to them to attract buyers.
What! Yep, it's happening more and more as I keep a close eye on certain keywords for my market place. In fact I would say that over the last month, I've caught plenty of folks doing 'the nasty' with other peoples listings! Do these people or sites have permission from the agents? Nope, I know this for a fact as one of the listings is here in my office. Why would we give permission for a competitor to highlight and drive traffic away from us and our ability to sell it? We wouldn't, but only if we knew it was going on!
That is just another reason to keep vigilant about what is going on with your listings and your market area thru Google Keyword Alerts. This is the easiest way to keep up on blogs, news alerts etc. with your areas of interest. I think that every agent should also have their name added in order to monitor what is said on the internet about them or their company!
I will be sending along a truckload of information to the Board and the MLS shortly after I finish this post.
What's being done with YOUR listings? Do you even know?
Wow Lyn, thanks for the good information. I know in our office we check with each other is we can put their listing on our Website. Depending on who the agent is we have said yes our job is to get is sold. I do see your point if you could pick up a potential buyer.
Mandy: This is for another company and agent advertising your listing. As I said, in Illinois, that's illegal without permission. Actually in IL, it's your brokers listing, not yours.
Lyn, this recently happened to me and before I could call the agent in question my listing and his face that was attached to it magically disappeared.
I just decided to do a Google Alerts to see what comes up. Thanks
Lyn -
Thanks for the heads up. I'll get on this.
Lyn...we have a broker reciprocity agreement in Minnesota where we can have all MLS properties available to see on our web site. But, I need to check and see if that follows through to individual agents or not.
Wow Lyn, talk about illegal! What are these people thinking? People need to follow the local rules.
I see this constantly on Craiglist postings! I have google alerts on my name, but didn't think of entering the MLS#...good idea, thanks!
Are the advertisers keeping the originators source MLS?
Would the clicking on the MLS number not bring the viewer back to the Listing Broker's site?
Am I being simplistic?
David: Advertisers? This is a google alert and the listing number does not link back to the listing company. This is another competitor putting out in the market that they have this listing. In this case it is Redfin in my area.
Terri: This also happens on Craigslist all the time too. Adding the ML # can also help keep track of your listings.
Bill: This does not mean reciprocal IDX. This is a competing company advertising your listing trolling for buyers.
Gary: I guess if you don't care that your competitors are using your listing to attract buyers then you should move along to the next post. But, if you are tired of agents taking your listings and advertising them as if they are their own, well here's a solution!
I guess the spring selling season is going to heat up.
Nick: That's the best way to track your listings. Use the ML #, or the city that it is in. That's how I found out about it. In fact, there was a company here on AR that did it for a particular subdivision, representing themselves as the top agents with my 3 listings! AR made them take the post down.
That's really good advice, in general, too about tracking where your online content may be going!
Deena: It's a good idea to keep track of your stuff and this is the easiest painfree way to do it.
This needs to be said and said LOUD! When you advertise on those syndicated sources and read the fine print.........
Renee: That too, you should personally be in control of your information. Maybe agents don't realize it when they hit that send key what sites can do (and do) with their listing.
This happens to me quite a bit. Most recently the website stole the content from my blog for a listing that had the Street name Alfalfa Drive. Believe it of not the scraper site used it because their site was about alfalfa! Just plain ridiculous.
Bill: Your are right, every once in awhile you come across your listing that's been hijacked for whatever strange reason. That happens to me with YouTube videos all the time. Links my virtual tour to a shoe store in Russia? We have to keep control of our listings and information.
Was just notified that Google Alerts is not 'Giga Alerts'. Check it out.