An Update On Brokerate
You can beta test something to death, but sometimes there’s no substitute for the real world. When we began planning Brokerate we struggled with how to handle comments and the potential for abusive behavior. At the time, we thought that we’d provide the platform, appeal to everyone’s sense of decency and let the market take…
You can beta test something to death, but sometimes there’s no substitute for the real world. When we began planning Brokerate we struggled with how to handle comments and the potential for abusive behavior. At the time, we thought that we’d provide the platform, appeal to everyone’s sense of decency and let the market take care of itself. After watching things play out over the first few days, we’ve grown increasingly uncomfortable with the number of mean, trite and foundationless comments. While our goal in creating the site was clearly to provide the consumer with a useful tool, we’ve decided that on balance the comments are too destructive; while we are unapologetic about the need for more transparency and accountability in the profession, we have to listen to our own conscience–which has served us well navigating the sometimes dicey waters of Brownstoner–and balance that need with the fact that peoples’ livelihoods are at stake here. So here’s the plan: We’re keeping the rating system (which has a control in place to limit each user to voting only once for each broker), replacing the comments with a references (if you feel strongly about a broker, you can leave your email for potential clients to contact you), and are going to work over the next few weeks to build more functionality and searchability into the broker profiles (hopefully to include things like neighborhood specialization and lists of closed transactions). We hope to have the changes to the comments section done by the end of the day today. We’d also appreciate everyone’s ideas about additional functionality they would like to see in the future.
Thanks,
Brownstoner
Now that we’ve had a little time to reflect on it without the pressure of random pot-shots, we think we are heading in the direction of just beefing up the registration and accountability and reintroducing comments. We still think it was the right thing to do to pull them for now until we have a fairer, more accountable system in place. Thanks to everyone for all the input. Interestingly, we’ve been hearing from brokers off-line that they think we should keep the comments too.
I’d really like to see the comments kept. Every discussion site invites comments from wackos, including Brownstoner. Tuning them out is part of the way these sites are consumed. I say don’t cripple Brokerate by losing the comments.
I think there are some good ideas here for how best to keep the outlandish posters in line: require registration; allow other users to report comments; allow brokers the opportunity to respond (this last is essential, I believe).
Also, with samples as small as you’re likely to aquire (in the immediate term) I think the numbers are going to be unconvincing on their own. A well-turned comment, however, can be truly illuminating.
I have many clients who have said ” if there is anything I can ever do for you just ask” I thought this would be a good forum.. Sure, some people would be abusive, however, over time, you can tell which comments are real. I would rather see the site come down than provide no basis for scores
What is a shame is that really good comments from good clients go unnoticed..
I admit I’m biased…biased towards keeping my cash instead of lining the pockets of the broker.
They’re called brokers for a reason, folks: their clients end up ‘broker’ than they were before.
As for my employment of dollar signs, I apologize if I offended anyone. It’s just shorthand for the mucho dinero I saved on account of Foxton’s 2% program.
When I sold my last place I was rather pleased to have cleared OVER FOUR HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS PROFIT after taxes. But maybe that’s just me. If keeping your 9 to 5 commute is what floats your boat, you’re making the right move by going with the realtor.
I already miss the Original Brokerate. Like Classic Coke, the Original Brokerate was the real deal, tell it like it is, baby, SHIZZZZZNesss.
Brownstoner, you da man!
How bout an adult oriented website (to be fair for men and women) that features brokers who moonlight as strippers, escorts, or porn stars to make ends meet?
“It ain’t easy being a pimp, or for that matter, a real estate agent on NYC.”
Glad to see the broker rate site’s nasty and/or planted comments (both pro and con) are going away.
Maybe b’stoner could sponsor some sort of site where brokers can raise $ for charity and compete to do that or something? I know this sounds totally corny, but I’m an agent and I’d pay him to let me publicly compete with the competition on something that can actually help out others. And broker’s like me could pay him a fee to put our names up there and see how many donations we get, etc. Sort of like a public walk-a-thon without any exercise. If we are going to prove how popular we are I’d rather see it be for a much better cause.
Wow, I just don’t see how that “Bobb” person could be anything but a dedicated Foxtons employee shelling for the company. Have you ever seen a real, unbiased person type dollar $$igns in their posting when they were $$aving money? I had to wipe the grease off of my screen just reading that. Eck.