by Michele Newbern Gillis
Staff Writer
A resolution may be on its way to solve the ongoing dilemmas between the St. Augustine/St. Johns County Board of Realtors and the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors, said NEFAR CEO Glenn East at a recent meeting of The St. Johns Council of the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors at the Caddyshack Restaurant in the World Golf Village.
Last month the leadership and the attorneys of both associations met to discuss what could be done about the Multiple Listing Service, lockbox and caravan issues.
“From that meeting we talked about what the working related issues are and a task force was formed,” said East. “I am one member of the task force to take a look at what the issues are and come up with opportunities to solve those issues. We will bring back solutions to the leadership teams on how to solve these issues and try to make this work. The issues, obviously, are the MLS access and lockbox access.”
East said when they really got into it, there were very intricate issues that need to be worked out regarding the reciprocal agreement and compensation on all listings between the two boards.
“We really don’t have a true reciprocal agreement between the two boards,” said East. “I just found that out about 30 days ago. I always knew we had a reciprocal agreement but I didn’t know what the terms of the agreement were until recently. There are issues on both sides that we need to look at about how this affects all of us.”
He said they need to decide if they want to abide by the reciprocal agreement, revamp it and make it stronger or do away with it all together.
“When we go to MLS Advantage this month, your listings will be on MLS Advantage for anyone else in the state on MLS Advantage to see,” said East. “It gives you a definite advantage and exposure for your listings and you are guaranteed cooperation and compensation on anything that it is in MLS Advantage without having to go get a reciprocal agreement.”
East said he and Ron Stephan, executive vice president of Northeast Florida Multiple Listing Service, need to look very closely at this issue.
“Outside of what is going on with St. Augustine, we need to make a decision if we want to maintain any reciprocal agreements or do away with them,” he said. “Ron and I feel very strongly that we need to look at that because we will soon be in MLS Advantage. What we need is for everyone to participate in MLS Advantage so everyone has access, has cooperation and do away with all these artificial barriers we have of doing business.”
East said all of these things are issues that need to be talked about so they can make some decisions as a group about how to solve them, and then take them back to the leadership teams to see if they are in agreement with any of them.
“If they are, then we will take them to the respective boards for discussion and approval or disapproval, depending on how they look at it,” he said.
Overall, East said both boards seem interested in working something out.
“I think the group really wants to work it out,” said East. “I think there are people that are afraid of a takeover and things like that. But, that is not the intent of NEFAR. It never has been and never will be. We just want to make a better working relationship in the field for our members. We want to make it easier to do business and we have to figure out a solution to that.”