The Austin Board of REALTORS® has voted to end its agreement with listing syndicator ListHub on April 30, 2014. Going forward, its members will have to choose whether to syndicate their listings to third-party Web sites.

ABoR says it has decided to pull out of the agreement due to concerns about “outdated, inaccurate property information” that ultimately frustrates sellers and disappoints home buyers. They will continue to focus on listing sites that are affiliated with a REALTOR® trade group, such as realtor.com®, AustinHomeSearch.com, and TexasRealEstate.com. This means ABoR members will be able to decide whether they want to syndicate their listings to third-party sites on their own. 

Following suit, Realty Austin, the second largest residential real estate firm in Austin, announced Thursday it will stop syndicating real estate listings to national third-party Web sites. 

“We understand some sellers will still want to see their homes advertised on certain Web sites, so our agents will still be free to post their listings wherever they deem appropriate,” said Realty Austin co-owner Jonathan Boatwright.

An October 2012 study from WAV Group found that up to 36 percent of the homes listed for sale on the largest third-party Web sites were no longer on the market. 

A ListHub spokesperson said the company was working with ABoR’s MLS, Austin/Central Texas Realty Information Service, to find a way to help brokers “make informed advertising decisions from a centralized platform.” 

“[T]he decision seems to be an indictment of non-REALTOR® consumer Web sites more than anything,” said Luke Glass, vice president and general manager of ListHub. "Ultimately, the brokers, agents, and their sellers will determine how properties will be marketed.”

Source: Inman News