Realtor.com takes on Zillow.com

October 20, 2006

Rumors abound of a Jerry Springer-like dust-up between Lloyd Frink of Zillow.com and Alan Dalton of Realtor.com on Tuesday at the California Realtor Expo — see here, here, here, and here. Unfortunately, there does not (at least yet) appear to be a transcript or recording of the event — not even at the California Association of Realtors’ web site — and no mention either at the Zillow Blog or at Realtor.com itself. Youtube, where are you?
I’ve heard Dalton speak a few times, and he’s an engaging, if somewhat excitable, character. For somebody so associated with the old guard, he really does, I believe, “get” technology. If you can wade through his somewhat verbose writing, this article in a recent issue of RIS Media highlights his thinking on real estate and the Internet and demonstrates that he’s not just some old fuddy-duddy. Money quotes:

“We are in the information age … and yet our industry’s DNA would seem to suggest that there is a relentless reluctance to give out information.”

“…ill-positioned premise … that the mere “listing” of a property is actually a highly celebrated achievement.”

“My major suggestion on how to take the business back … from the industry-assaulting classified ad extortionist newspapers, is to recognize that nobody is going to outperform the Internet’s ability, appetite and destiny to display listing data in a ubiquitous way. Simply put, as an industry we have to decide which war are we more capable of winning: the Internet Information War or the Real Estate Marketing War?”

So what’s with his apparent assault on Zillow? I don’t believe it has anything to do with being “afraid” of technology or “not getting it.” It’s the exact opposite: because he does, indeed, “get” technology, he understands that Zillow could be a big threat to Realtor.com’s lucrative, if thoroughly mismanaged [prior to Dalton], business. If Zillow continues to take consumer eyeballs away from Realtor.com, surely the Realtor ad revenue will follow…assuming Zillow can convince Realtors it’s not the Antichrist.
Secondly, Dalton was playing to the home crowd — Realtors — and taking shots at Zillow was simply great publicity. He’s used phrases like “Cyberspace Carpetbaggers” before in reference to online real estate companies.

Here’s hoping somebody at the event recorded it and uploads it to Youtube!

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Written by Kevin · Filed Under Alan Dalton, California Association of Realtors, Lloyd Frink, National Association of Realtors, Real estate, Realtor.com, Technology 

Comments

8 Responses to “Realtor.com takes on Zillow.com”

  1. Condo Blog on October 20th, 2006 7:01 am

    I would probably consider this day one from the event that took place yesterday. This will not go away. Cant wait to see the NYTimes today. Also….great blog, interested in blogroll?

  2. Real Estate Dot Com and Zillow, not what you think at condoDomain on October 20th, 2006 7:06 am

    [...] R umors abound of a Jerry Springer-like dust-up between Lloyd Frink of Zillow.com and Alan Dalton of Realtor.com on Tuesday at the California Realtor Expo — see here, here, here, and here. Unfortunately, there does not (at least yet) appear to be a transcript or recording of the event — not even at the California Association of Realtors’ web site — and no mention either at the Zillow Blog or at Realtor.com itself. Youtube, where are you?  continued… [...]

  3. Realtor’s Allan Dalton Calls Zillow Carnival Act at sellsius° real estate blog on October 20th, 2006 8:18 am

    [...] Realtor.com takes on Zillow.com - By Kevin Boer - Three Oceans Real Estate [...]

  4. David G from Zillow.com on October 20th, 2006 11:18 am

    Hi Kevin,

    FYI - Lloyd posted his review of the CAR panel on Zillow Blog this morning.

    Mooibly, lekker naweek. d

  5. Realtor.com vs. Zillow dustup video finally released at Three Oceans Real Estate — Insights from a Wired Bay Area Realtor on October 27th, 2006 4:58 pm

    [...] A video of the fabled dustup between Zillow’s Lloyd Frink and Realtor.com’s Alan Dalton is finally online at the web site of the California Association of Realtors. [...]

  6. Busy week for Zillow… at Three Oceans Real Estate — Insights from a Wired Bay Area Realtor on October 27th, 2006 6:14 pm

    [...] Having just recovered from Alan Dalton’s Zillow fight, the Zillow brass are now scrambling to respond to the NCRC’s complaint. [...]

  7. Quick! Somebody get this guy some Ritalin! at Three Oceans Real Estate — Insights from a Wired Bay Area Realtor on October 30th, 2006 10:14 am

    [...] I finally had a chance to view the video of the Realtor.com (Alan Dalton) vs. Zillow (Lloyd Frink) confrontation a few weeks ago, and though Dalton is still a few credits short of graduating from the Hugo Chavez School of Rhetoric, it was clear he hadn’t taken his Ritalin that day. [...]

  8. Realtor Dot Com and Zillow, not what you think at Condo Blog on February 15th, 2008 9:20 am

    [...] R umors abound of a Jerry Springer-like dust-up between Lloyd Frink of Zillow.com and Alan Dalton of Realtor.com on Tuesday at the California Realtor Expo — see here, here, here, and here. Unfortunately, there does not (at least yet) appear to be a transcript or recording of the event — not even at the California Association of Realtors’ web site — and no mention either at the Zillow Blog or at Realtor.com itself. Youtube, where are you? continued… [...]

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