RPR shoots itself in the foot…again.

I keep trying NOT to write about RPR. It has gotten to the point where I feel like a bully in the school yard picking on the “special needs” kid at recess. But I need to express my personal opinion on the latest shit they are trying to pull.

Recently RPR announced a deal where they partnered with LPS to use the MLS data (MLS data which they are not paying for BTW, but that’s another story) to match against loan servicer loan portfolios.

Sounds like a good idea right? Loan servicers get to find out when their clients have listed their home for sale and can be first in line to offer them a new loan (presumably on the next house they purchase). Essentially they are selling mortgage leads.

Problem is that many brokers have loan companies themselves (and other transaction based products) and rely on that revenue to operate their businesses profitably. But now they may not have a chance to win that repeat business again. RPR has cut them out, and put LPS in.

Brian Boero of 1000watt Consulting pointed out this scenario in a blog post titled “WTF RPR?“. And here is starts getting weird. First someone commented on Brian’s post named “Katie”, but her name wasn’t Katie at all, as Jeff Bernheisel internet super sleuth found out. “Katie”, it turns out, is tech support rep from RPR, possibly named Pam. Really RPR, fake comments? Stay classy.

Then if that wasn’t bad enough Dale Ross, RPR CEO, took to the keyboard himself and wrote a blog post “Response to 1000watt.net Blog Post“. The post is absurd and a crude attempt at spin control and misdirection. Plus, you have to question the judgement on why to even respond. One thing that really stood out to me was how he referred to Brian Boero as a “blogger”. A “blogger”? Did you know that Brian has been in the real estate industry for over 16 years? Did you know Brian’s company, 1000watt consulting, works with some of the largest, most well respected brokers and franchises in the country? Did you know that Brian was once the president of Inman News? Did you know that Brian speaks to thousands of REALTORS every year? In short, he’s not a “blogger”.

Today Brian responded to Dale Ross’s post and picked it apart like an expert butcher. Go read it and decide for yourself what leg RPR has to stand on.

Here’s the thing. I’m not even sure RPR even thought of the consequences that this type of deal could bring to brokers. But to spin, lie (posting fake comments), and condescend is just bullshit. Shame on you RPR.

This is just another in a long line of missteps for RPR. When is this going to stop? When will NAR just shut this thing down? $58 million down the tubes, $18 million a year to keep it going, low usage, and now they are undercutting the very members they have been hired to serve. I’ll ask the question again; Why hasn’t someone been fired over this?