Voiceofreason wrote:

Is this an infomercial for Redfin. Why don't you just admit you work for a really bad company.

You don't have even 1% of the business on the Peninsula. Your agents charge buyers to show them property. I have never seen a Redfin listing. Explain that to me.

Real estate is not something you can show by sitting behind your computer. You actually have to know the neighborhoods. There might be Redfin agents in every neighborhood on the Peninsula but they account for very few sales. This is probably because they don't want to spend the money and the time actually showing property to their clients. The point the to an open house or tell them to call the seller directly.

This might count as service to Redfin but it wouldn't in any other industry. Redfin will not be around in a couple years. I guarantee it.

__________________

Wow, you didn't refute a single fact I laid out, but instead resorted to attacks and more unsubstantiated accusations. Guess your credibility is pretty much gone. You sound like a bitter realtor (or realtor's spouse) who simply cannot accept that the Real Estate industry is evolving with technology. Maybe you are like that person who was selling horseshoes when Henry Ford was selling cars?

As I've said, I am in no way affiliated with Redfin or the RE industry. I'm a buyer who has realized over time that the real estate industry is dominated by folks who are profiting at the buyers expense and in my opinion, companies like Redfin level the playing field.

Hawk,

Is this an infomercial for Redfin. Why don't you just admit you work for a really bad company.

You don't have even 1% of the business on the Peninsula. Your agents charge buyers to show them property. I have never seen a Redfin listing. Explain that to me.

Real estate is not something you can show by sitting behind your computer. You actually have to know the neighborhoods. There might be Redfin agents in every neighborhood on the Peninsula but they account for very few sales. This is probably because they don't want to spend the money and the time actually showing property to their clients. The point the to an open house or tell them to call the seller directly.

This might count as service to Redfin but it wouldn't in any other industry. Redfin will not be around in a couple years. I guarantee it.

Voiceofreason,

Wow, I was shocked to read your reply, so I promptly spent some time researching your accusations to see if they are true. Wouldn't want to use Redfin if all those thing you said are actually true!

You say "Redfin's data is bad". Hmm, turns out Redfin's data comes directly from the MLS, so if their data is bad, the MLS' data must be bad too.

You said "the company is on the verge of going belly up". Hmm, they are privately held company, so it's impossible to know their financial status. I did find out that they've closed over $1.5 Billion in deals and are rapidly expanding to new areas (most recently New York and the CA Central Valley). They have a 97% customer satisfaction rating and have been featured in the media as the future business model for real estate:

http://www.redfin.com/about/news

Doesn't sound like a failing business to me.

You said "Redfin agents don't know the inventory or neighborhoods". Hmm, turns out the agents do specialize in the local areas and are just as plugged into the "scoop" as any traditional licensed realtor would be.

You said "plenty of other agents provide rebates or credits". Hmm, Redfin guarantees the rebate on every transaction and at a fixed rate. To get the same kind of rebate with a traditional agent, you'd have to convince them to give it to you (good luck) and then haggle over the details.

So according to the facts, you basically just smeared Redfin with a bunch of false accusations and hyperbole. Guess you are not much of a "voiceofreason" after all.

Hello Hawkeye and Alex,

First, don't use Redfin because their data is bad. When a listing goes pending it still shows up as an active listing on Redfin. Every website like mlslistings.com and many others has short sales and foreclosures so Redfin's website is nothing special.

Why would anyone use a Redfin agent ? Has anyone ever seen on of their listings ? This company is on the verge of going belly up. Redfin agents charge you to get in their car and show them property. How pathetic is that. Sure they'll provide a rebate because they've done nothing.

There are plenty of other agents, except for those at Coldwell Banker and some of the other large brokers, that will provide a rebate or credti through escrow. Unlike Redfin agents these people actually know the inventory and the neighborhoods. You should rely on an agent with experience, knowledge, and someone that can give you good advice. I don't think Redfin can.

Alex,

Go to Redfin.com, which has almost all the information any realtor can provide to you, except that it's FREE and there are no strings attached. Their search engine even includes short sales and foreclosures.

You can also buy your house through them and they'll rebate a percentage of the purchase price back to you in a big fat check (or credit to closing costs). Redfin uses licensed real estate agents, but instead of paying them a commission, they get a base salary and a bonus that is calculated based on how satisfied you are with their services; their motivation is customer service, not jacking up the price to get a bigger sales commission.

They also have an outstanding forum, where Realtors are not allowed to post sales pitches or solicitations. As a result, you get solid information rather than a bunch of used car salespeople telling you to go to their website or contact them (but otherwise offering nothing useful in their post).

I have no affiliation with the real estate industry or Redfin. I'm a first time buyer and have found that of all the sites, Redfin is the most useful and the only one that you can actually use to make the purchase (and get a rebate).

Alex,
Cleanoffer.com is also a great site. This site is by appointment only from a participating agent. You can compare a lot of different data using Cleanoffer.com.

Also for the latest real estate info always check out our latest podcast, here is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jR-nGv7ekck

Hello Alex and thanks for your question.

Recently, the MLS service in the South Bay and up the Peninsula joined forces in one site to help interested homesellers and buyers and Realtors locate suitable properties. To look for homes from Morgan Hill up to San Rafael and points even further north, check out http://www.mlslistings.com. Put in the type of home you want to purchase, and the cities where you might be interested in buying. Then you will see the picture of all of the available homes meeting your specific buying parameters.

This same site will even provide you with the days when an open house is scheduled for various properties so you can view the homes yourself. Then when you find the home of your dreams, check back here at Trulia for a Realtor or a facilitator to help complete the process.

Good luck and happy house hunting!!

Sincerely,
Grace Morioka, SRES, e-Pro
Agent/Facilitator
Area Pro Realty
Tel 408-426-1616

Alex
please go to my blog http://www.sfpeninsulareguru.com and click on mls search.
there is a cool map based mls search with walk scores and google maps.
Arn

The best site to use for this case is going to Realtor.com. Realtor.com combines all the listings from every MLS in the bayarea. Try it and let me know what you think.

Hello Alex, your using MyPeninsulahomesearch which is probably linked to the MLS along with Trulia. The only other thing you need to avail yourself with is inventory that is not on the MLS.

There are always a handful of listings that are not on the open market or are coming soon. Ask your agent to network with the other agents in the area so you will be kept in the loop.

If you are not working with an agent, let me know and I will email whenever something pops up.

Good luck,

Dave Tap Tapper
Realtor
Cashin Company http://www.DavidTapper.com
650-403-6252