MLS Search for Bend real estate, consumer beware
Are all Central Oregon MLS search pages equal?
This morning I was checking the ranking of my website in Google and noticed the Bulletin’s BendHomes.com site. When I clicked the link I came to a search page. The page is pretty simple and allows the users to search all Central Oregon real estate listings, just classified listings, or just Realtor listings. It doesn’t actually say “search the MLS”, but the Google link I clicked says “MLS and Classified listings”
So I ran a Realtors search to see how the results came up. Hmm… First thing I noticed is the small amount of listings that the search returned. The next thing that I noticed was that the “featured agent’s” listings were first on all of the results pages. Which is fine by me. I searched through the results and realized that my listings were no where to be found. I ran a couple more searches, still none of my listings in the results.
After searching for a while I came to the advertising page for Bend Homes.com. I read about how they charge a monthly fee for Bend real estate brokers to be listed on their “Realtor Search”. I’m fine with this as well. But what I don’t like is that the site is not disclosing to consumers that not all Realtor’s listings will appear in the results. I say this because the Bulletin has linked the site around the internet as a MLS search, when in fact its not. Here’s an example of one of there links-
MLS Search | Bend / Central Oregon Multiple Listing ServiceProperty and Housing Search | Bendhomes.com.
This listing was found at http://www.business.com under Oregon Multiple Listing Services
Other Bend MLS Searches
I’m not sure how or why they’re doing this. My own Bend real estate search page, (and every other agents), includes all results from the MLS. Individual agents “Search the MLS” pages are required to have “listing courtesy of” the listing broker, but will only show the contact info for the agent who owns the site. Realtor.com also shows all COAR listings in their results and shows the actual listing agents contact info.
I like the Bulletin and have advertised with them in the past, but I think they need to ad a disclaimer to their search.
That is pretty wierd. If they are only posting listings where someone advertised with them their search must be pretty weak. What is worse is consumers searching there are seeing a really limited list of what is truly for sale. In Austin they have been pretty restrictive about where and when you can use the phrase Austin MLS to describe something.
I just looked at their site it says “MLS & Classifieds” but I mean its all classifieds basically. Is wierd too because they have a MLS # search. What happens when you type something in for something not in there system.
Ok I just checked I went to your search and found an mls id and typed it into there system “No listings found”.
Just by the looks of it, it looks like a site focused on advertising which most real estate buyers/sellers can easily see. Even if they have a high ranking on google, I wouldn’t be too concerned about it. Your site offers much more valuable information and is obviously geared to provide information; not advertise.
They have to be using some sort of a feed. Our Company has been looking into this effect. If you hear anything let me know. I want to be notified. If someone else is doing it.! So Should I!
Your site can out rank the Bulletin’s BendHomes.com site. It’s mostly a matter of of inbound links to your site.
I’d suggest you got to getafreelancer.com and post and ad in the SEO section asking for inbound links from directories and article repositories. I did it and It cost me $250.
My site went from 11th to 3rd for “Cary NC real estate”
It would be better if you can verify the listing somehow either personally or through internet research. One needs to be very careful when searching a property on the website and should somehow verify the authenticity of the listings before taking any proper decision.
Regards,
Shane,
Panama real estate.