In today’s technology driven world, new ways of obtaining real estate information have emerged in the form of third-party aggregators.

Companies like Zillow, Trulia, and Redfin are third-party aggregators that collect data from the Multiple Listing Service and public records.

These companies use the acquired data to make estimates upon how much they believe the house is worth, provide current tax information, and can even find old pictures of the home.

Aggregators are looking to drive users to their “listings,” even if it’s not for sale, due to the fact they can generate ad revenue.

The aggregators have made it difficult for the Realtor to compete with when it comes to website traffic.

Since buyers now browse for homes online, the aggregators are competing for the top spots on your Google search.

Real estate websites that are found at the top of the search engine rankings are going to have the most traffic.

As a result of syndication and SEO practices by aggregators, search engines don’t know who the original source of the listing information belongs to.

This enables aggregators to consistently outrank brokers in Google search results. This way even more traffic is directed towards their platforms before a Realtor ever had a chance.

Realtors are finding that it is better to use the giant reach of the aggregators instead of fighting a losing battle.

In our constantly evolving, technological environment, new mediums and ways of doing things are becoming the new normal.

If you are interested in searching for properties without being bombarded by ads, please visit www.sbaor.com.

— David M. Kim is a licensed real estate broker with Village Properties and the 2017 president of the Santa Barbara Association of Realtors. Contact him at david@villagesite.com or 805.296.0662. The opinions expressed are his own.