A great idea....i really love this.....

[MikeHawk]

April 7, 2009
Soot and Ashes

Why hasn't some innovative company come in and destroyed the NAR and realtors on commission?

I enjoy watching bad companies with restrictive and anti-consumer business models fail.

Nothing is better than watching arrogant and corrupt organizations (and people) be destroyed.

America does one thing better than any country - we kill off bad and replace with new and improved better than anyone.

This is why GM must fail. This is why Ma Bell got taken out. This is why Microsoft is in trouble. This is why Pan Am and TWA went away. This is why AOL is insignificant. This is why the UAW is now dead. This is why we have the internet, ipods, satellite TV, wireless phones, blogs, and even those disposable electric toothbrushes or Tide with bleach.

And this is why Apple roars, Google dominates, Toyota and Honda rule the road, and Craigslist destroyed your local paper.

The only thing that screws things up?

Congress.

Your bought-and-paid-for Congress.

So in this case, with the NAR, with the biggest lobbying budget of any organization in the land, gets to keep their monopoly on the "MLS", which is just a freaking database folks. They avoid prosecution (so far). Nobody on the hill is talking about busting them up using RICO anti-racketeering statutes (but they should).

But it shouldn't be up to Congress to trust-bust the NAR. Because they're something even bigger and more powerful than Congress these days.

Google.

And busting up the NAR and realtors should be up to Google.

Now get on it boys. Unleash. Buy Zillow. Hire a force of salaried workers with NO BONUSES OR COMMISSIONS who can unlock lock boxes and point out granite f*cking countertops.

Have a kick-ass free user managed online database of every home for sale and for rent. Arm anyone who wants one - for free, and one click - with a report on the market, comps, historical prices, payment calculator, PE ratio, etc. No more ignorant idiots screwing people for a commission by telling lies. It's the math stupid - so give it to them.

Give us intelligent, salaried workers armed with Zillow spreadsheets and Google mathematical models, employed by buyers or sellers on an as-needed ad-hoc basis. Want someone to show your house? That'll be $50. Want to be driven around town to look at prospects? Great, that'll be $50 an hour, including gas. And part of that tour is you get handed a rent to income calculation, historical price chart and report on every listing. So if you're stupid enough to pay 200x rent, at least you knew you were being stupid.

Change the model Google. Unleash knowledge. Get rid of commissioned used house salesmen. Make buying or selling a house enjoyable and easy. And put the NAR and lying realtors on commission out of business forever.

GoogleHome.

It hath been foretold.


Posted by keith at Tuesday, April 07, 2009 3 comments

[who]

[Trog enters Discworld]

[StuartD]

That's all well and good except that none of those people paying $50/hour for the tour of houses would be able to get a mortgage.

[LiveDose]

GoogleHome! Ha I fucking love it Mike. It can't be too far down the road. We have a rentals site that we are working on.

No doubt those idiots in DC destroy everything they put their dirty paws on.