The Real Estate Blog Community on the NAR/DOJ Settlement

I suspect by now anyone that reads this blog has already heard the news about the proposed settlement in the NAR/DOJ lawsuit.

Here is the proposed settlement in its entirety.

Opinions from the real estate side seem to be mostly summed up in a few words like — so what, yawn, and no longer truly relevant.

Some bubbleheads are ecstatic, apparently not reading any of the actual settlement and jumping to the conclusion that the DOJ is shutting down all the hated Realtors. How many of them really understand what a VOW is, or the ILD policy? Methinks none.

Rather than rehash all that’s been said, I’ll attempt to link to as many posts and main-stream media articles on the matter as I can find. This list will likely grow over time, so stay tuned in!

Notorious ROB:
The NAR-DOJ Settlement: Journey from Chaos to Confusion

I Think Jeff Jarvis Is in for a Shock (in response to, Take that, 6 percenters!)
Phoenix Real Estate Guy:
The NAR and DOJ Come to Terms. Yawn.

All Phoenix Real Estate:
NAR, DOJ Reach Settlement

The Real Estate Bloggers:
DOJ and NAR Reach Settlement in Suit After Technology Has Moved Forward


AgentGenius:
NAR & DOJ Finally Make Friends


1000 Watt Blog:
Estately, DOJ, and other weirdness


Redfin:
No One’s Going to Take Away Our Data, But What Can We Do With It?


Sellsius:
NAR DOJ Settlement Gives Sellers Power to Control Internet Display of Their Listings: Watch Out Zillow


Real Central VA:
What the DOJ-NAR settlement means for me


FlexMLS:
Analysis of NAR/DOJ Settlement of VOW Litigation


New York Times:
Realtors Agree to Stop Blocking Web Listings


Wall Street Journal:
Realtors Agree to Open Listings To Online Discounters


Washington Post:
Online Realtors Win Rights to Housing Database


Associated Press:
Settlement reached for online real estate agents


Las Vegas Real Estate:
Realtors and DOJ finally Realize it’s Irrelevant

Blanche Evans Hammers the “Benefits” of Realtor.com

Blanch Evans, the Senior Editor of Realty Times, unloaded on the new “benefits” Realtor.com is offering agents.

And I for one, think her opinion is spot on.

Wow, now we get a whopping FOUR photos for free! Puhlease.

Evans ends her editorial with:

Realtor.com isn’t bringing any game. They need to come up with something better than four free photos, and quick.

No doubt…  an upcoming revamped interface on R.com may be good for consumers. But as the “Official site of the National Association of Realtors” is seems like there should be something of value for …..  Realtors…….

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NAR on Health Care

The vast majority of Realtors are independent contractors. As such, they typically have to foot the (ridiculous) cost of health insurance on their own.

Ever priced health insurance?

Many (myself included) have wondered why the NAR doesn’t throw its political weight and 1.4ish million member strong organization into helping Realtors get affordable health care.

Well, apparently they are working on it. Sort of.

From the NAR’s “Speaking of Real Estate” blog comes this article — Taking Another Stab at Health Care.

These concerns are why I’ve always intently followed NAR’s efforts to get a small-business health plan bill through Congress. I hadn’t heard much about the initiative lately — at least not until I sat in on the Business Issues Committee meeting today at the NAR Midyear Meetings.

That’s where I heard that NAR has been keeping up the fight and has now played a key role in shaping the Small Business Health Options Program, or SHOP, a bill introduced in Senate last month. (my emphasis)

A key role? What key role? What exactly is the NAR doing in this arena? This article tells us basically nothing — no specifics, nothing about what we the membership can do to help.

Maybe the NARs activities on health care are described somewhere else. But darned if I can find it.

Do we just sit back and wait for the NAR’s “key role” to produce something?

If I’ve missed the details, I’d love for someone to point them out. Working to secure affordable health care for its memberships should be a primary point of focus for the NAR. In my humble opinion….

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Jonathan Miller on NAR Spin

There truly are not enough superlatives in the lexicon to adequately describe Jonathan Miller’s Matrix blog. If you don’t read it, well, you’re nuts.

Jonathan is a chartologist. And he’s come up with a great one in his post:

NAR Spin Cycle Set To Permanent Press

Yeah, I know, it’s a couple of weeks old. I’ve been busy! But it’s a chart / post that will stand the test of time.

Go forth and absorb.

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