Please Sign Our Petition: No copyrights on client data! MLSs are claiming copyrights on seller data and then using those “rights” to limit market exposure of properties.The unfortunate result is that consumers lose their right to representation and houses are not freely marketed the way that should be. Brokers get a double commission.
Examples of MLS and data abuses.
MLS data is gathered by listing brokers who owe duties to their seller clients to sell their houses for the highest price and in the shortest amount of time possible. Unfortunately, by limiting access to MLS data, those brokers increase the opportunity to collect a double commission and in so doing reducing demand for their clients’ properties.
1. MLSs are suing firms that freely redistribute MLS data (click here to read our story). MLSs are only willing to license their data if the redistributor helps brokers collect a double commission. They are claiming copyrights on this seller data.
2. Edina Realty, a Minnesota firm, has pulled their sellers’ data from the top buyer frequented websites (click here to read out the story). We believe they are doing this in order to collect more double commissions.