Earlier this week, our MLS (Multiple Listing Service) system updated to a newer version. In Central Florida, our MLS provider is MLXchange. Have you heard of them? They actually have a very good product and I have been pleased with the system they have given us. It has quite a few good features like contact management, automatic listing updates and a bunch of other goodies.

Anyway, I was entering a listing on Friday and noticed that a few of the input fields had changed. Now folks, in my area, as I'm sure in yours too, incomplete and flat out wrong info in the MLS is a big problem. You can't rely on the information in the system and to be safe you need to check and double check any information that may be important to your Buyers. Such as property taxes, tax exemptions, zoning and so forth.

As a listing Broker, I always research this stuff to make sure it is correct before I enter it in the system. Why wouldn't I? The more info I have in the system the better. And I need to make sure it's accurate.

Now, with the new upgrades, I was very surprised to see a new answer available in some of the fields. Are you ready for this? The new choice is "Don't know". I guess that's not a bad choice, in some cases, but these are the ones it's being used for.

• Range priced? Yes No Don't know
• Homestead? Yes No Don't know 
• Any other exemptions? Yes No Don't know
• Additional parcel? Yes No Don't know
• Zoning compatible? Yes No Don't know
• CDD? Yes No Don't know
• Auction? Yes No Don't know
• Fireplace? Yes No Don't know
•  

Folks, if it's your listing, wouldn't you know the answers to these questions? It should be yes or no, period. These are not vague questions but rather very pertinent information that can be easily researched. How many lazy REALTORS® will now just check "Don't know" instead of doing their homework? How can you not know if the property is Ranged Priced? You took the listing for Pete's sake! Maybe the fireplace is hidden. Maybe the lot next door goes with the sale, maybe it doesn't. I just don't know.

Just what we need, another tool to dumb down our Industry. What the heck were these people thinking when they put in these "upgrades"? Am I missing something here? Yes No Don't know.

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