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Thanks to the internet, home buyers in Las Vegas now have more information at their fingertips than ever before. They can browse from the comfort of their home or on their mobile device while on the go. Sellers benefit from maximum exposure, Realtors can advertise their services alongside properties and buyers can amass a great deal of specific community information. How high are property taxes in Painted Desert compared to Summerlin? How do schools rate in Green Valley Ranch? What’s the walk score for Rancho Bel Air? Any good coffee houses in Centennial Hills? The web often makes these questions easy to answer.
What many consumers don’t know however, is that often the housing data itself is outdated or flat out wrong. In general these websites pick up their information from the multiple listing service, but unfortunately they are not obligated to adhere to the same strict standards put forth by the Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors (GLVAR.) Often times I have been contacted about a property a client would like to see, that hasn’t been on the market for months. Or perhaps it’s actually under contract, but still shows as being available online. This often causes confusion for clients and frustration for brokers.
Because there is no governing body over these third party websites, no harm will come to them for distributing dated information to consumers. I find this very unfortunate. Realtors in Las Vegas and Henderson must have accurate data on the MLS or they can be penalized. Accurate information is of the utmost importance for our MLS system and the consumers/Realtors who rely on it. Third party sites? Not so much.
The purpose of these sites is to serve the public and assist the Las Vegas real estate market. In many aspects these sites most certainly do that. However for the most important part, housing data, they often come up short and this hurts the integrity of the industry as a whole. It certainly does not act in the best interest of the consumer.
The best place to get housing information is directly from a Las Vegas Realtor who can provide you with up-to-date and accurate data here in Southern Nevada. Unlike other third party sites run by large corporations, our site pulls directly from the MLS, but is also updated constantly. We put a great deal of effort into making sure the most up-to-date information is available for consumers here in Las Vegas.