Not really any different than most brokerage accounts or agent sites with IDX.  If someone comes to my site and my IDX pages, I'm certainly NOT sending their inquiry to the listing agent.  So why expect that to be the case for a 3rd party site like R.com, Zillow, etc.?  Our brokerage provides the listings to other sites because it's in the sellers' best interest to do so.

The horse has left the barn, and taken all his friends with him and he's not going back in that barn.  As agents we either adapt to the landscape, or suffer the consequences.

Yes, that's the way it works with all those third-party web sites.Some agents pay for that service. It no different than a buyer-agent looking at the MLS, a buyer-agent emailing your listing to their own client, or a consumer using an agent IDX system, or a consumer using your web site or any agent's web site to search for properties.

Your MLS may or may not have the option to have your listings posted on Realtor.com - and if so, you can make a marketing decision as to you want it published there or not.

I'm actually happy that my listings are marketed to other agents - bring me a buyer and lets negotiate a deal. Marketing to other agents is actually part of my marketing plan.

I did the test on one of my listings, and my name and number are actually at the bottom of the page. But if you click the contact request, it will route to 2 agents that paid for the lead.

This is nothing new... they sell zip coded leads just the way Zillow does. In our case, my brokerage negotiated a contract with Zillow to ensure that we get our leads from our listings. I've never been overly concerned in any event as I don't pay money to any of these organization and here's my experience with most of these leads:

1. They already have an agent in any event. 

2. I don't like being a dual agent should it come to that. I consider it an inherent conflict of interest.

3. They get followed up with and followed up with and followed up with and never respond.

4. My sellers are happy for the exposure and they don't care if I get a buyer out of it... they care that they get a buyer out of it regardless of who brings them the buyer.

      Annoyingly aware, thank you.  

       The majority of real estate agents think that NAR owns Realtor dot com.  Wrong.  NAR sold away lifetime rights to the Realtor dot com domain name years ago.  (For how much, and where did the money go?)

        Realtor dot com has had several owners since NAR cashed in on the sale.  Today Realtor dot com is owned by Rupert Murdoch.  

No surprise. But I just listed a property and 30 minutes later got a lead from Realtor.com

Mine come to me but, I believe it's because I pay for the upgraded service to be able to add videos and additional photos.

All of the syndication companies market all of the listings on MLS....yours and my team's.... we are listing agents and we never expect buyers to call us....we would prefer every buyer have a buyer's agent....my team does not participate in dual agency....

You've missed the boat which sailed long ago on this. All media sites do this & I'm sorry you've just figured it out. Best way to to catch the buyer yourself on your own sites.

I can't believe Teresa that you are just challenging this now.

Yes

You have to purchase "enhanced" listings in order to get the lead to come to you. If you don't have enhanced listings, the lead will go to people who have purchased these, usually two different people.

Ken Jones, ASA, CRES summed it up quite well. You need the MLS and so you pay your Realtor dues. Then they use and abuse your money and sell you down the drain. Nice gig if you can get it!

They get other agents to pay for those leads. I always suspected this of other so-called "free" services such as Listingbook that under the pretext of providing CRM encourage you to input all your contacts that they in turn sell to others.

Of course. This is no surprise. It's been this way for a while. If you want them, you'll need to pay for them. Pretty sad isn't it?

Yes. You can pay to be listed as the listing agent. FYI, I am tired of explaining to agents that NAR NEVER owned realtor.com. I guess you want it for free? That's like asking Zillow to not have other agents there. Also, don't you offer compensation to other agents on the MLS?

Yes, I am aware Teresa and cannot wait to return when there are several more comments here. Should be quite entertaining!

I did know that.  It's old news.  That horse left the barn years ago and as Liz and Bill Spear mention ... it is not coming back.

Yup, I knew that. Our Realtor dues working... against us Teresa Cooper 

Of course, same as Zillow.  Both are just bait to find leads to sell to agents who are poor at marketing themselves.

I'm well aware, I used to sell 1 in every 3 properties we listed. That number has dropped to 0-1 a year. Unless I'm willing to pay to get those leads back Realtor.com & Zillow will continue on how it works best for them. 

Yes I am aware. My sellers want the exposure everywhere possible on the Internet. So I promote heavily and everywhere to get my listings sold. 

Thanks for sharing your experience.

Yes, and you cannot prevent it.  At one time you could buy for an additional $$$figure your listings to insure that another brokers face did not show up on your listings.  I know that a big company paid a princely sum to Zillow to do that.  I have no idea if you can still do that.  Some of our clients still buy their own listings...crazy?

That makes me mad. At least with Z and T it does have my name as listing agent and you hope a buyer is calling rather than the other names. I am checking Realtor.com now and testing it. I can not tell you how mad i am they ever sold it to begin with. 

Z,T and R are out to enslave us 

Teresa Cooper~

Are you trying to get everyone's blood pressure up?

Have I told you today that I how much I miss you and how I think
you are the BEST Real Estate Agent in Charleston, S.C. ? 

Yep, I have received two inquiries about two properties on REALTOR.com in the last couple weeks.  Not my listings, but being the good agent, I replied.  One person asked me why I replied along with another agent.  I told him these online sites simple blast your request out to several agents.

Either way, I'm not even a paying member of REALTOR.com.  I have a profile, but I do not pay for listings.  Not sure why I'm getting them.

I agree with your comments.  Zillow, Trulia, and REALTOR.com are simply LEAD GENERATING sites.  The minute that all MLS's across the country stop feeding these sites with listings, they would go down and broke.

I agree with many, the NAR sold us out.  I wish we could opt out of many of these sites, but again, sellers expect it as many consumers consider it the defacto mls.

I would be OK with sites like Zillow having showing our listings for free, as long as they paid our dues, and our fees, and our continuing ed costs, and our active key fee, etc... in exchange?  Deal?

Just like any other site with listings.

I am aware of this and the inquriy goes to several agents at one time so those agents receiving it are not guaranteed the business, they have to pay for it, work for it and earn it.

Yes, sadly that is the case.  It doesn't even show as an inquiry in my dashboard!  This is something that REALLY PISSES ME OFF!!!!  These sites WOULD NOT EXIST without our content, and they can't even be bothered to show respect to the agent by giving them their own GOD DAMNED LEADS!

Your only real option is to withhold your listings from those sites (which I've done in the past).  That will lead to decreased viewership though.

I just did a test inquiry and did not get it, but had two agents respond really quickly.

Contact Realtor.com and offer to join their paid plan.

Teresa Cooper They're in the business of selling leads and whoever pays gets the lead. Here the broker can opt out, but I don't think many do.

Where have you been the last 10 years?

Your broker, franchise, association, regional association and NAR have made it impossible for an agent to protect their intellectual property AND, more importantly, protect the home owner and buyer from the perils and hazards created because of FORCED syndication. (that how your stuff gets on Realtor.com and Z)

It is the peril and hazard of the home interior living FOREVER on the Internet, the agent being UNABLE to retrieve /delete the data after sale, That should be distressing to all professional who suggest they have any concern for their clients safety or privacy.

Find like minded agents.

Then stand up and start a revolution.

But that takes courage. Do you really care about the client or is this simply the lose of a lead created by FORCED syndication?

Yes, if they fill out the forms.  But, if they drill down to the bottom and call you then it isn't.

Yes

Yes.

Teresa Cooper - yes. That's how they make money.

Yes, just like  every other lead gen site.

Teresa Cooper 

Actually it goes to the office. Someone is volunteering answering all calls.