Will The Internet Change Real Estate?

Will Internet-based online listing services 'disintermediate' the National Association of Realtors and multiple listing services?

1 minute read

January 2, 2003, 3:00 PM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"...The free online-listing service does represent one more step toward achieving disintermediation, the online-community promise of cutting out the middleman. And although other sources of online real estate and housing listings in the Bay Area exist, none are as popular as the defiantly noncommercial craigslist. (In fact, it may be the most popular free listing service of its kind ever.)... Because of real estate's complexity and high stakes, it's only fitting that a profession has evolved to help broker such deals. But as with most professions, the real estate industry has spent a lot of effort protecting its turf -- mostly through the tool of the MLS."

Thanks to Laura Kranz

Tuesday, December 31, 2002 in The San Francisco Chronicle

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