Jay Thompson

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I don't think so William. It's still VERY possible for a small independent brokerage to compete online with the big boys. It takes a ton of work, but it can be done... And small brokerages still have some distinct advantages over many large brokerages. Profitability comes immediately to mind. My brokerage has been open for 48 months, and profitable for the last 47 months. There are many large operations that can't say that.... Ditto for speed and flexibility to make changes. Sure, I don't have the deep pockets some of these mega-brokerages have. But they don't have my low overhead and ability to adapt/change. Jay Thompson Broker / Owner Thompson's Realty Blog: www.PhoenixRealEstateGuy.com .

"The buyer calls wanting the listing agent and gets a buyer's agent who can make (the buyer) think (the person he called) is the listing agent." We NEVER (and I mean NEVER) try to make a caller believe we are the listing agent. We make it VERY clear that we are not the listing agent and will gladly help the buyer buy the home they called on, or any other home they are interested in. (Assuming, of course, they are not already working with an agent.) Might some agents attempt to convince the caller they are in fact the listing agent? I suppose some do. But if you are going to start off your relationship with a potential client shrouded in deception, I strongly suspect you won't be in business very long. Do we get "leads" from our sites IDX solution? Absolutely. Do I submit our listings to the IDX feed to generate leads? Absolutely not. We take listings for one reason; to sell them. Putting those listings into the IDX feeds puts them on hundreds of local agent/broker sites, where potential buyers can see them, contact their agent, and work with them to buy the home. Jay Thompson Broker / Owner Thompson's Realty Blog: www.PhoenixRealEstateGuy.com .

When exactly did Trulia become an "online brokerage company"??? Jay Thompson Broker / Owner Thompson's Realty Blog: www.PhoenixRealEstateGuy.com .