The need for REALTORS® to educate the public on the benefits of using their services has never been more apparent. Public misconceptions can occur with any profession and it’s easy to take for granted what the public knows about their services. With the Internet teeming with information on homes for sale, it is up to Realtors to differentiate what is available online, and what a buyer and seller can only receive by using a qualified Realtor.

Beverly Meaux blogs about real estate’s little secret:

“Is it just a misconception or a big fat open secret, I don’t know. But it surely seems that most people not closely associated with the real estate industry are confused about agency cooperation and how the IDX (Internet Data Exchange) system works and what it means to them. Is this good or bad I wonder?

My partner Bob met a new buyer this weekend. During the tour of homes, the buyer mentioned his surprise that Bob could access listings from other agencies. I was speaking with another buyer recently and she was telling me how she had been on five or six different sites to see which listings were out there. What sellers and buyers don’t understand is that we do cooperate with each other. What does this mean and what’s the benefit?”

Transparency in any business is the key to keeping clients long term. If home buyers can find essentially the same data online that a Realtor can provide, then Realtors should say so. But they should also point out why going through those homes with an experienced professional on your side will be a lot safer.

Click though to read Beverly Meaux’s full post.

Sign up for a free Featured Blog on Realtor.com today.