Mary when you use an acronym you confuse the issue. Explain the acrronym rets.

Mary I thought I would answer my own question. Rets are the Real Estate Transactions System.

It is another intrusive regulation that says that we must all comply for the greater good of all to set up our data bases to comply with a format that allows all to have access.

Just another liberty removed.

Gary, isn't this a good thing? Shouldn't all MLS companies be required to present the data in the same format? I know I wish the cell phone companies and other electronic companies were required to conform to the same jacks and connectors. But, then I am a liberal ; )

This whole everyone must be the "same" thing is killing us all.

What happened to being rewarded for a new and fresh idea ?

This all boils down to the one world order which only has room for the very rich companies who are making all things standard,  the ones with the most money wins.

Look at Wal-Mart as a prime example of standardized- One place to get everything your heart desires. What will happen when they offer Real Estate for sale at half a percent total commissions because they have access and control of the entire MLS system will that be best for all , They will hire a slug of agents for next to nothing that didn't make it in the business on there own and "wella" Wal-Mart Real Estate division is born.

Sound far fetched ask the mom and pop corner grocery stores what they think of the whole standardized world order thing.

Since the beginning of time the people who invent a system through hard work and development of ideas have always had the ones who were after them to hand it over so they could compete with the originals.

If Red-Fin and all the others who lobby for the access to the entire MLS systems across the country would pay a fair price to the Agents who work hard for the right to list properties instead of demanding equal rights to others work then maybe the whole thing could be worked out, but until then "He Who Has The Most Money Wins".

And I'm Not a Liberal   ;-(  

My limited understanding of RETS is that it is a must for our future.  Technology moves fast and we have to keep up with it.  

RETS standardizes the transport and exchange of data.  The easy transfer of data between systems can be a real boon as we are talking about real time access and the transportability of data. For example, one use, if you're a company responsible for setting up hundreds of IDX feeds across different platforms and database systems, you can appreciate the value of RETS.  RETS gives you not only the access to the data but the format of the data.  As end users, real estate agents need not be concerned how it gets there, just that it does.  

Hi Everybody.  Follow this link to find out what Point2 has to say about the RETS standard:  http://agent.point2.com/blog/2008/05/30/got-rets .  On a side note, this is a blog post on our new marketing website which we are slowly transitioning to.  Enjoy.

I can appreciate the strive for standardization as long as it applies also to those that "use" the data, ie; IDX, RSS, and other 3rd party syndication, skim or scrape vendors.

A seller doesn't care how a 3rd party got the wrong data of their house and it's being displayed on the internet for the whole word to see. And they also don't care the error is because of a lack of interoperability. They may understand, but it's wrong and it needs to be corrected.

Thinking through this leads to enforcement. Assume an error is found and RETS standard is not followed. How is it enforced?

Sorry to all about the rant above I started my day on a sour note by losing a deal and vented here instead of at the person at fault.

My Bad.

I liked it, Mike! A little heated passion is what real estate needs - imho. Doesn't it feel good to let loose?

Mike, Cudo's to you! I agree that we are moving toward a world order and perhaps RETS is not the forum to rebel against. There are some distinct advantages to uniformity. Yes, Greg it could have some positive effects. I just hate being told I must do something a certain way and I think it does hamper the creative spirit. However, when we talk about uniformity it may be a good thing in the long run. I stand down on this issue!

But I still liked Mike's and Craig's response!!! Both of which bring up valid points.

I have a problem with RETS big time.

Though brokers would benefit by having data standardized between them, it is just another step toward us losing control of our listings because the Redfins et al would benefit.

Real estate by its very nature is unique. Standardizing data could pave the way for inaccuracies in and of itself!

Come on, Gary! We are military guys. I still step off with my left foot and say "Yes, Sir!" like I mean it. And, don't you know when I say we need some heated passion in the business - our favorite DJ steps forward ; )

Remember Sears and Roebucks? They sold houses in a catelog and then they sold you insurance with Allstate inside the stores. And, then they placed their Real Estate Company, Coldwell Banker, inside each store. Yeah, Wal-Mart is a real pioneer!

Let's take a "liberal" minute to watch and enjoy:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=NGGSqy0Q8jA

Breath deep, everythings going to be alright.

If it is going to happen then we must begin thinking of ways to improve our service and best utilize it to our advantage. I have a client e-mailing me this morning relocating from across the nation asking detailed questions about neighborhoods, distance to schools, etc....

An on line broker who only offers the service of giving out addresses cannot possibly help with the local scope and information. Learn to sell your service in a different light. For instance the new technology offered today in the format of Blogs is a good example of a way to do that. Think positive and always be one step ahead of the game.

And I personally cant wait to get out of a Walmart if I ever stepped foot into the circus in the first place. Hate being stomped all over by folks in a hurry to buy bread while I am trying to get my eyes examined. :) And eeewww. Hate to stand in line with supper fixings watching someone get a pedicure.

Happy Selling!

ok, my only question is, how is it going to affect ME? Or is it at all?

honestly, I don't like it. Simply, because what may work in one area may not work in another. Different locations use different terms, etc. ...

Mary, that's where I have a problem ... terms that may be normal and easy for clients in one area may make little sense to clients in another area. What might be a "townhouse" in one place may be a "row house" in another and who knows what else in a third place. Where one might think "duplex" is one half of a two unit (side-by-side) home, another person knows it as a two-story condo in a city ... the local markets are very different who will decide what terms to use to make it fair for everybody?