Real estate industry players need to accommodate Mac products

Editor,

All the wonderful news about iPhones and iMacs is great except for one thing...

My MLS system STILL does not support the Safari browser that the iPhone and Apple computers use. It is such a shame that after registering one request after another, we continue to have a system designed SPECIFICALLY for Internet Explorer Versions 6.0 or greater (which of course Microsoft did not upgrade for Macs – stopping at 5.2). Maybe it’s good (cheap) for them but it’s not so good for the consumer (Realtors). I get the feeling that many of the other MLS systems used around the state are equally challenged.

I am probably not alone

I use an iPhone for practically everything, and use my iMac for marketing and ease of brochures etc. But I am forced to keep a Tablet PC running Windows XP because the engineers for our MLS system were not up to speed on VISTA until much later. So here we go again, spending hundreds of dollars per year for “our” system that is antiquated and works only on one platform as the rest of the real estate world is embracing technology, works on several platforms, and generally making it easier for everyone.

What is in it for your readership?

I think your readership might find it enlightening to read about the various MLS systems in our state and how they are coping with the rapid technological changes, changing consumer models (i.e. increase in market penetration of iPhone and iMac systems using Safari browsers and Leopard operating systems), increased usage of the Internet by the consumers to research their choices before even contacting an agent, and what the MLS system execs are doing for US – their paying membership. Maybe we can get ideas and share best practices to make the systems even better.

Thoughts?

Torm Martinson
Campbell & Rosemurgy Real Estate
Boca Raton

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