statewide detour

Up at state association meetings in Sac. Got more info off blogs than from Issue Briefing Paper. Directors got stuff just last week -- and said nothing to nobody as far as I know. More stuff went out Monday--when people were traveling. Now there's caucus pressure and further details to overwhelm all but the recklessly courageous. Another rush job! Same old formula. There's not enough info, but there are dire consequences if there's not a yes vote on Sat. They are SOOOO good at theatrical device. Critical urgency and brinkmanship all in one. They'll get the yes--there is no real option for no.

A quick read of the IBP shows little of substance--lots of discussion of boards of directors, governance, etc.,etc. All that is about blowing up the skirts of the mergor (or mergee??)while keeping face after they pushed the vendor under the train.

IBP has nothing about why this is good for buyers or sellers or for most practicing agents.

Why does a buyer for central coast resort property care if I have data from San Diego or Newport Beach? THEY DON'T! Why do I care? I DON'T. Why is statewide good? If it looses any of the content or quality of the present data system and limit further improvements, it's not good, EXCEPT that it's good for the state association.

That's the key. The merger could be a windfall for the state association after their last (and first) MLS effort slipped sideways in a mysterious failure so astounding it might have been planned. The only other explanation for the failure is gross incompetence--and that couldn't be the case! Well, maybe if there were some essence of Groupthink mixed in with the Kool Aide.

The state association will derive more power, more profitability and more control of more aspects of how real estate is bought and sold in the state. Their hands could soon be in every little nuance of every transaction.

The other amazing thing about today is all the new educational and promotional programs they have--a few free, but most cost significant money--coming from people who already pay dues. The state association is competing with almost every sort of vendor imaginable for agent dollars. Most of their products fall short of outstanding, sometimes far short. They do have a sorta captive audience though--that can be a huge leg up on success.

More later--walked two miles round trip from cheap lodging to meetings--legs feeling much better on the way to marathon recovery.

Oh, I am still finishing the white paper analysis--the hope of a statewide MLS remains alive and twitching in the background.