I wondered the same thing when Zillow really started making a splash a few years ago. As an agent who sells 55-75 homes each year, I wanted to make sure I had a viable job future ;-)The MLS is a powerful tool in that the information is input locally, controlled locally, and up-to-date minute by minute. Zillow and Trulia lag behind, as do all conglomerate websites who rely on advertizers and IDX feeds. But that is just the half of it. More importantly, the properties presented on the MLS are represented by professional Realtors who are trained, and held to a high standard of ethics and legal guidelines, which, quite frankly, FSBO's are not. Some owners who sell themselves are smart, wonderful people. Some are simply trying to save money but have no idea what they are doing. And some, though very few, are trying to hide something, or trying to get away with not disclosing a defect. I have represented Buyers on several occassions who were buying from FSBO's and/or people who paid a flat fee for the MLS, but really had no professional representation. Everyone of those experiences were unpleasant in some fashion, and one was downright fraud.I believe that not only the MLS is the absolute best way to get the most money for your home, it is also the best way to insure you do not end up in the courthouse instead of the closing table.That's what I think. Have a great day.
With sites like Zillow and Trulia, is the MLS as critical as it once was?
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