In order to run better, more accurate comps I want access to the MLS, however, I do not have a RE license. I have tried posting ads on Craigslist offering to pay a monthly fee for MLS access. Does anyone know another way of getting access?
The answer is that you probably won’t.
You can try making friends with a Realtor…
Keith
Get your license and sign up for MLS access
I’m not sure what the RE laws are in Georgia, but offering a Realtor money for access to the MLS may violate their ethics or GA law. You may want to be careful with that one.
Are you living in GA or are you investing from out of the state? The GAREIA is a very large and respected group you may want to contact.
Either way…one thing you really need to find is a few quality Realtors, WHO KNOW HOW TO ASSIST/DEAL WITH INVESTORS. Most realtors are not taught to understand creative deals. If you can find a few…make sure you don’t just use them as a whipping boy/girl to do your comps all the time without throwing them some deals/commissions.LOL
There are many Realtors who are also investors and maybe you can use a few of them as a resource and get them on your team/do some deals with them.
As far as becoming licensed… if there were 8 people giving you advice…4 would say get it and 4 would say you can do without it. Do your homework to see if it would benefit you in the long term to have it or not. You would be held to a higher standard with your license while you have to disclose, disclose, disclose but you do have access to the MLS 24/7.
Hopefully this helped you out. If you have any other questions…feel free to shoot me an email.
Darin
I think we all should hold ourselves to higher standards, and disclosures and such should not be an issue. If you are out to scam people, then yes be very careful getting your license, but in general, being an investor you will be held at higher standard if homeowner sues you since you are presumed to know what you are doing and taking advantage of them.
As far as working with realtors, many investors bash realtors as not being investor friendly and not doing what we want them to do. In most cases however, the investors are still learning and wasting too much of the realtors time. Can you close 4+ deals a year and benefit the realtor from your business?
if not, then what is in it for them? you could pay them per CMA, or per list. For them to give you access they will want to know you and trust you since they could lose their license and their broker is held responsible for your actions through them.