But It Says You Are The Listing Agent!

If you are looking for a home to buy or rent in Los Angeles. Where do you start? Well most buyers begin their search online.

You may have an idea of the area in which you want to live, the price range, and the type of property. Keying in those criteria will narrow down your search and offer targeted results. Or you may have seen a For Sale sign and not had time to write down the phone number. You enter the address and up pops the listing.

In our area, when a listing agent enters the property for sale into the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) they have the option to check a Yes or No box asking whether they want the property to be listed on the MLS only or whether they want to give it wider exposure. This is a choice the Seller will make. If it is listed on the MLS only the property will most likely not be seen by the general public, and only those buyers who are represented by an agent will ever find it.

Most listings are sent out to the various portals like Zillow, Trulia, etc. and to Internet Data Exchange feeds (IDX). Many agents who have their own websites, especially those who blog regularly, are going to subscribe to an IDX service. This allows them to show listings to their clients or potential clients. This is a direct feed from the MLS which is updated every few hours.

Here is where my site and others like it come in.

When a consumer finds the listing or listings they are seeking they automatically presume that the owner of the site they have landed on is the listing agent. This applies when it is a site like mine which has an IDX feed on it. Nowhere on this listing does it mention me as the listing agent, and a savvy consumer will be able to find who the actual listing agent and their brokerage is, as it is posted at the bottom of the listing. It does not, however, provide the contact information.

The reason for this post is that I constantly receive calls from consumers, who assume I am the listing agent. After I advise them I am not but am happy to assist many are only too glad to have me help make their lives easier, especially if they are looking at multiple listings and trying to find a contact for each one. For those who are seeking out the listing agent read more here about the reasons you may not want to use the listing agent when buying a home.

Some callers, however, feel they have been duped and accuse me of “false advertising” on my site. IDX users are providing the same information as sites like Zillow and Trulia but providing extra service. Some agents who don’t understand what an IDX is have the same complaint.

Please continue to use my site to find homes for sale in the Los Angeles area. You will be viewing information from the same source as we agents. You will eventually have to subscribe to continue viewing properties, but don’t worry, I do not contact anyone unless specifically requested to do so. And if you do need help I am here.

 

Need Help? Have questions? Fill out the CONTACT FORM or call Jane at 310-351-9208

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