MLS Shakeup possible…
Some irony that my wife is a Project Mgr for Pardee (pic below)…
The beat of change goes on….

Thanks to Phillip Molnar

Contact Reporter – For UT SD

Construction of single family homes by Pardee Homes is seen in San Diego, California, U.S. June 22, 2016. (REUTERS/Mike Blake)

The main website where some San Diegans list their homes for sale might be changing but, for buyers and sellers, it will probably be hard to notice any difference.

Right now, almost all homes on market in San Diego County go on a central database called Sandicor that is used by real estate agents to post the homes they are trying to sell, in addition to help find listings for interested buyers.

Two of the agencies that use the site, representing 7,800 Realtors, are proposing leaving Sandicor, to join a statewide database called the California Regional Multiple Listing Service that boasts more than 80,000 members. The two agencies will hold a symposium from 10 a.m. to noon for all the county’s real estate agents at the Mission Valley Resort on Nov. 14 to discuss reasons for the change.

While the change should not affect the average seller or buyer, it could pose headaches for people who work in the real estate industry. They might need to pay dues for multiple organizations, but it’s unclear right now. There is a chance a data-sharing agreement would allow agents to use all the information and only belong to one association — but that’s only if they all come to an agreement.

The move is part of an ongoing spat among San Diego County’s three Realtor organizations about how they use data from listings online, already a tense subject in the era of Trulia, Redfin and Zillow.

In January, the county’s biggest Realtor group representing about 13,000 agents, the Greater San Diego County Association of Realtors, or SDAR, filed a lawsuit against Sandicor, which they jointly own with the Pacific Southwest Association of Realtors (2,500 members) and the North San Diego County Association of Realtors (5,300 members).

SDAR claimed the other two organizations (that mainly cover East, North and South County) were withholding Sandicor data to use on its website, Just Knock, which is a bit like a Redfin for just San Diego County neighborhoods. The other organizations argued Just Knock was only making money for SDAR and shouldn’t use its agents’ listings.

The lawsuit is still pending in federal court.

In a letter to members last week, SDAR told members the move to join a statewide service will dissolve Sandicor and questioned if it was legally possible. Regardless, it said if the Pacific Southwest Association of Realtors and the North San Diego County Association of Realtors do leave it will continue to operate Sandicor.

“Most unfortunate is that the other two associations, which have already merged in all but name, are using their MLS control, and now their attempt to destroy Sandicor altogether, as mere cover for a membership fight, one which is endangering our member’s primary business tool in the process,” the letter read.

In a press release, the other organizations said belonging to a statewide database would better  help agents assist clients who are casting a wide net for housing that could reach, for instance, Riverside or Orange counties.

Raylene Brundage, president of the North San Diego County Association of Realtors, said in a news release that it would be better to dissolve Sandicor and have the entities join a statewide system.

“Agents deserve access to the same amount of information as consumers. When we cooperate, then we all do better business. Standardized data and a single point of access is the best way we can truly serve the consumer,” she said.