When will Programmers, Designers, and Web Platform aggregators start listening? The chasm between what Real Estate Agents want in order to help their clients online and what vendors are working on is shocking at times – so, with no uncertain terms, listen to what they are saying:

“We Know what we want and We want to go There!!!”

I guarantee you that Real Estate Agents are screaming this off the top of their lungs – you just have not been listening.

They are saying: “This is not a hard proposition, give us your ear, give us our tools, and we will give you a fair share of our hard earned money…” Yes, Real Estate Agents and Brokers work hard for their money. I must admit that Realtors have hurt themselves at times by trying to appear more successful than they really are; for some reason they bought and spew the principle that the Perception of Success will create Success, so they talk in Millions when everyone knows they are NOT Millionaires.

Real Estate Website Vendors MUST stop gouging their clients, start listening, roll up their sleeves, and offer better solutions. It is already starting to happen but I think the pace is too slow and not methodical enough…

This is what Real Estate Agents want at a minimum…

1. Fully Integrated URL-driven IDX-fed Websites. (IDX: Information Data Exchange or MLS Feed for Search.)

2. Fully Integrated intuitive CMS Systems for Website Management, Dynamic Landing Pages, and Niche Market Searches. (CMS: Content Management System.)

3. Domain-driven Websites – None of this Sub-Domain Non-sense. (And stop registering Domains under the vendor so you can hold us hostage.)

4. Email, Chat, and Text Services at the Domain Level.

5. Full Listing Management, Listing Enhancements, Syndication, and Social Media Sharing Tools.

6. Fully Integrated Lead Management System with full activity reports, Tagging, Distribution lists, and Contact Management that syncs with Smart Phones.)

7. Allowing their visitors to use their Social Graph to register in the websites using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc…

8. Fully Customized CSS Designs that are managed by the Agent – Let the agents be who they are. (CSS: Cascading Style Sheets – the design and look and feel side of the website)

9. Full Document Management System with Large Storage space to upload documents, pictures, videos, etc… 10GB is a good start.

10. Fully Integrated Blog Platform at the domain level, with Tags, Categories, Clouds, Commenting, etc… (You know a-la WordPress.)

11. Full Integration of the FaceBook Open Graph Initiatives.

12. Mobile Friendly at the Search level as well as the Video, and Content level.

13. Full Backup Management, Security Access Tools, and the best Customer Service.

14. And all of this for less $50 per agent per month – Get to work…

Finally they are saying: Realize that you work for us; stop talking to us like we are children who do not understand how the internet works; stop insulting us when we stumble over words and don’t know how to articulate using your lingo.

PS: There are now 4 companies working really hard to do this and are slowly getting closer to this – if you know of a vendor with this type of commitment share their name with me, I would love to know who they are and promote them.

My ultimate commitment is to the Buyers and Sellers of Real Estate – I have found that if we help Real Estate Agents embrace Internet Marketing with a solid Plan of Action they become more helpful and successful with their clients… We need Vendors, Trainers, Brokers, Agents, and Industry Leaders to step up and start being part of the solution – not just complaining.

Happy Blogging – Key Yessaad, Real Estate Internet Strategist