Is the NAR Visiting this Site?
Hmmm… several somewhat lengthy visits have been made here in the last hour from people coming from the domain name “realtors.org” (which redirects to realtor.org):
Does this means the NAR is visiting? I don’t know, but it seems likely.
And that’s more than fine. In fact, I think it’s good. Maybe they can get a sense of how at least a part of their membership feels about the organization.
Anyone, from anywhere, is more than welcome to stop by here. Comments are always encouraged.
Comment of the Day
From NAR Looking at Blogs part 2:
I think it is time for NAR to take 3 steps back and decide to butt out, as they have shown time and again they do not understand technology. They in many respects do not even understand the consumer, the perpetually sunny outlook they have on the markets makes us all look like idiots. At times I am embarrassed by their actions.
When you are with them please pass these thoughts on to them, as from the view I have they seem to be oblivious to the disent among their own membership.
James sums up my thoughts (and many others I’ve talked to) rather well….
NAR and Blogging - via Active Rain. And More…
There is an interesting discussion thread happening on the NAR and Blogging. The public post is here.
This post was written by what appears to be a Realtor state representative on the NAR’s Professional Standards Committee. So far, 57 81 ActiveRainer’s have commented on her post.
From the post:
… I personally was very worried that NAR and or Big Broker would indeed look at blogging and the liability it generated.
I sit on NAR’s Professional Standards Committee and I know that this issue is slated to come back up in November. I can’t help but wonder in what form.
This week I’ve seen 2 posts referencing concern about big brother (NAR) looking at Blogs. One was Bryant Tutus Ride the Blogging Wave (ed note: this is a “Member’s Only” post) and the other Brain Brady’s Blogger be afraid of Big Bad Broker or (Bank). Both of these posts were featured as they should have been.
This is a pretty important issue for Bloggers and next month I think we’ll see some sort of policy come forth from NAR.
This writer seems to have her head screwed on straight. She posted this to her own blog about an NAR PS Committee meeting in June — where the discussion on real estate blogs was tabled until November.
Then we tabled the Internet-related issues…blogs to name a few until November. The sub committee will be be looking at Article 12 to see if we need a broader more encompassing ethical direction guiding all forms of communication. They will also be looking at
1. A clearer definition of communications
2. REALTOR making anonymous comments on other REALTORS Blogs
3. REALTORS responsibility for monitoring/editing their own Blogs
4. REALTORS responsibility for Blogs run by licensees affiliated with them
5. Disclosure of time lag (hours or days) in posting comments to Blogs. Must the fact that a Blog is not run in “live time” be disclosed?
6. Posting unfavorable/unflattering (but truthful) comments to Blogs
I can’t wait till November to see what the sub committee comes back with. It should be very interesting and being a blogger I have very mixed feelings about some of this.
Let’s hope NAR doesn’t hand down a bunch of Draconian rules they expect real estate bloggers to follow.
“Must the fact that a Blog is not run in “live time” be disclosed?” Huh?? Sure, some chose to moderate comments. But many more do not. Such a statement shows a basic lack of understanding about blogging in general — which helps confirms the authors statement:
One thing I learned while in DC is that there are many-many people who have no clue what blogging is and surprisingly people in important positions who do not see any merit in blogging and will not encourage their sales associates to blog!
Wow. And these are the people in a position to “rule” about how you run your business…
Frightening.
But even more frightening is the statement, “Posting unfavorable/unflattering (but truthful) comments to Blogs” (my emphasis)
That the NAR is even thinking about censoring/outlawing/moderating/regulating TRUTHFUL comments should scare the bejeepers out of everyone….