Hi Donna, First of all, even if your agent is limited to one picture, it doesn't mean that has to be of the front of your house. I've seen ads with no exterior shots or with a single picture of a spectacular view. You should insist she use a great interior picture instead, unless she has a better reason to use the exterior shot. As for contracts with Realtor.com, yes, there are different types, but it gets a little complicated. Realtors don't pay per listing; rather the ability to enhance listings with 6 photos is an annual service that must be paid up front. What fee your agent would pay differs bewteen different locations, different broker contracts and your agent's number of listings, but it generally isn't cheap and may not be feasable for your agent right now. Enhanced listing ability isn't compatable with all MLS's either, so it might not be possible for your agent to do it where you are. Finally, if your agent's broker isn't enrolled in enhanced listings, I'm not sure your agent could sign up as an individual or not. My best suggestion is to firmly let your agent know your position on the photo, and ask if she could consider enhancing her listings. (If possible, it could do great things for her business, too, and benefit you both!) It's unreasonable for her to keep a sub-par picture up if you've communicated your unhappiness with it and she agrees it's sub-par, but there may not be anything she can do about the number of pictures on Realtor.com. Are you listed on any other websites? How many pictures are you allowed on the MLS? You should also ask to get more pictures out there in other places. Finally, I usually evaluate how showings are going at the 2-week point based in part on web traffic. If a listing has been viewed 900 times on realtor.com but no one has called, there is a problem with your picture. If it's only been viewed 4 times and no one's called, it is more likely a problem with price, description, or wording. Ask your agent if you can get that information from them, as well. I wish you the best of luck! In many markets, 17 days is not time to stress yet... hang in there! Jane

This might explain it. Q: My husband and I have been looking to buy a home and, as we've toured neighborhoods, we see houses with real estate signs, but we can't find the homes on the multiple listing service for several days. How long does it take for agents to post information? A: It takes only a few minutes, but the agents aren't putting the information in right away. By their guidelines, real estate agents are supposed to post a listing on the multiple listing service within 48 hours after the home is for saleâmeaning a sign in the yard. I'll bet, though, you're seeing this on Thursdays or Fridays. Agents have told me they like to start advertising homes on a Thursday because that 48-hour window doesn't include non-business days. So if a sign goes in a yard on a Thursday, the agent would not have to put the home on the MLS until Monday. That would give him Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday to possibly sell that home with no other agent involvedâmeaning he would get the whole commission.

Logic, Sounds like you are correct... But, as Terriks says, the data is delayed, and sometimes incorrect due to the unreliabilities of IDX feeds. Can I ask why you spend so much time on researching home sales if you are not a buyer or seller? Just trying to figure out how to improve my own web site. History of REALTOR.com In November 1996, the Board of Directors of the National Association of REALTORS� approved an agreement between the REALTORS� Information Network (RIN)�NAR�s wholly-owned subsidiary--and RealSelect, Inc. to take over the operations of NAR�s official Internet site, REALTOR.com. At the time, many business models were considered to finance the development of REALTOR.com. NAR�s Leadership Team decided against using dues dollars or asking for a special assessment of the membership to fund REALTOR.com. While Homestore and its investors have spent hundreds of millions of dollars to build and operate REALTOR.com, no NAR funds or NAR member dues dollars have ever been used for the creation or operation of the site. Helping REALTORS� Thrive in the Information Age REALTOR.com was created to be an Internet site that would always be owned and controlled by REALTORS�, and it has helped thousands of REALTORS� thrive. Its success has: Protected members against business models intended to disintermediate them or force unfriendly tariff models upon the industry; and Provided a REALTOR�-friendly level playing field, as each member is afforded the same opportunity to decide how they want to use the site in their own Internet marketing strategy. Key Provisions in the Operating Agreement The operating agreement negotiated more than eight years ago contained a number of important provisions ensuring NAR�s control over the content and operations of the site. Those provisions remain in full force today and continue to guide the relationship between NAR and Homestore (NASDAQ: HOMS), which owns RealSelect. 1. The National Association of REALTORS� owns and controls REALTOR.com. NAR's subsidiary, RIN, also owns approximately 4% of Homestore's stock, and maintains two seats on the Real Select board, and one seat on the Homestore board. In addition to their fiduciary responsibilities to those entities, the NAR appointees also: Represent NAR and RIN�s interests in all matters pertaining to the agreement; Assure compliance with all agreements with RIN and NAR, and report any non-compliance or other concerns to the RIN board and through them, to the NAR Board of Directors; and Provide quarterly reports to the Leadership Team on all significant Homestore activities. 2. Basic real property ads on REALTOR.com, including the primary photo, are free to REALTORS�. 3. No "For Sale by Owner" properties may ever appear on REALTOR.com. 4. NAR remains the sole owner of the REALTOR.com site and trademark. 5. The use and presentation of property listings remain under the control of NAR. Homestore cannot market any property data or information derived from the data without NAR approval. 6. Advertising on REALTOR.com is strictly controlled. For example, no REALTOR� detailed listing will ever contain a banner from a competitor. Advertisers are limited on the amount of space they can occupy on the site at any given time. 7. NAR must approve changes to the design or text of the REALTOR.com home page. 8. Homestore must conduct all of its real estate related business in Real Select, where NAR has substantial control. Should Homestore ever be acquired by a real estate related entity, RIN has the ability to terminate its agreement for the operation of REALTOR.com. Homestore operates REALTOR.com as a business. Its separation from NAR allows the company to make decisions that could potentially pose difficult problems for a trade association on business terms. These include the pricing of REALTOR.com products and services to REALTORS� and the development and marketing of new products and services. Outlook for the Future Homestore has survived the shake-out among dot com start-up companies and complete turnover in its management team. It has undergone major cost-cutting and restructuring to adjust to changing business realities. Certainly, its relationship with NAR has helped see it through challenging times and REALTOR.com has never lost its lead in the real estate space. The two organizations have continued their relationship essentially unchanged because they both benefit. Homestore has access to the best brand in real estate and NAR has a vehicle to provide its members a strong presence on the Internet without incurring the cost or risk of operating REALTOR.com itself. Time and trials have tested the formula, and now it�s poised for new growth, profitability and service to REALTORS�, shareholders and consumers alike.

Terriks, I agree that states have different automatic fall back positions for representation. Ours used to be sub-agency, today it's Transaction broker. However, since getting into this business in 1990, we have had to disclose in writing at the first "substantative" meeting with a client, the different agencies available to them and who we work for. This is also a Oregon/Washington requirement and if a buyer wants to be represented, it will be so identified when making an offer and signed and aknowledged by the buyer. Without written buyer agency agreement in Oregon, the buyer's agent has no duty to show properties, where there is no agreement of compensation for the agent, not a very good way to go for a buyer. Here is some additional info. Real Estate Agency Disclosure Pamphlet Agents in Oregon and Washington are required by law to provide an Agency Disclosure Pamphlet to the consumer, disclose whom they represent and the terms of that representation, and have the consumer acknowledge this agency representation. Understanding the different agency roles will assist you in choosing how you want to work with an agent in your real estate transaction. Oregon Real Estate Agency Disclosure Pamphlet http://www.movingtoportland.net/documents/AgencyDisclosure_OAR%20863-015-215.pdf Washington Law of Real Estate Agency http://www.movingtoportland.net/documents/washingtonstate_agency.pdf These pamphlets describe agency relationships and the duties and responsibilities of real estate licensees in Oregon. This pamphlet is informational only and neither the pamphlet nor its delivery to you may be construed to be evidence of intent to create an agency relationship.