purpose and vision

It's now Jan 27. My mother died at home on Sun the 24th and the days have slipped away since I started this post on the 23rd. A long illness doesn't necessarily prepare you for the actual end of life. I've had a few real estate data ideas during the conversations with people over the past few days. I'll finish up this post and then get started on a new one with a little different slant.

Started Jan 23--Sat.
Crazy week for weather on central coast. Kids playing in sea foam 2 feet deep up on the sidewalks and creed flowing over their banks for first time since '95.

Inman Connect came and went. One of the active commentators among the agents mentioned in a blog that the consumer (as in public) might be getting left out of discussion, technology and vision for the future--in MLS and real estate data display development. A very valid point I've been making for several years.

It's useful to look at history (when you're an evolutionary ecologist you ALWAYS look at history) once again. Pre tech explosion MLS info was an aid to the Brokers who then passed that knowledge on to the public. There was not a lot of money on the table with data display--no way to display it and no place to display it. Paper path and word of mouth was it.

Now there are many ways to display the data and much more data content to display. Agents and the public both have ready access to the data and a huge amount of money is being made by firms involved in that process. Incidentally, commissions are probably lower on average than they were 25 years ago--interesting math perspective.

There's the environment we're inhabiting, now the question. What is the purpose of data display, either through MLS systems or third party sources used by the public.
Obviously the proximal purpose is to provide information about properties, but what is the downstream purpose---where does the process that begins with information display end?

The Buyer might say to assist with the identification and purchase at a fair price with the least inconvenience of the RIGHT HOUSE. The best house available based on practical, emotional and financial needs. The Sellers might say to make the Buyer aware of their house and have it represented in the best possible way to maximize the perception of value.

Do the present technology systems achieve that purpose? Certainly not in an optimal way. Why not? Because the data technology systems are controlled, not by the principals, but by organizations and corporations that have somewhat different agendas. The brokers and agents are in the mix as well, but they are increasingly convinced that the technology defines the business of real estate and they don't control the technology--because they don't have the knowledge or the engagement.

That creates an interesting real estate industry ecology, where the "habitat" is created by entities (tech firms and trade organizations) that don't live in the houses and also don't depend on the sale of houses for commissions or proceeds or a place to live.

We're back again to confronting the human side of real estate--real people buying and selling houses with relatively little focused assistance from technology. The brokers and agents don't NEED technology to deliver the outstanding service Buyers and Sellers desire. Here's and interesting question--is the technology an aid or a limitation? Remember the and/or issue--what if tech is an aid AND a limitation?

Back to estate issues--next post will be further discussion of the human element in the ecology of real estate.