Reardon wrote on Jun 2, 2008 5:12 PM:Change is never easy -- I am an active Realtor, and a former professor of computer science. The new system is a challenge for everyone, including me.

It will not negatively impact Buyers and Sellers, except as it adds time to agents days that cannot be spent doing productive work for clients.

Fortunately, the market is slow and time is usually available for the agents to make the changeover. (Good timing!)

I have been a Broker for 30 years, and real estate people who are not talking with Buyers and Sellers feel as if they are unemployed -- because showing property and negotiating offers is what we do. Running computers is just an ancillary and support benefit that help us, but it is NOT WHAT WE DO.

We will get over the kerfuffle -- but it is a pain. To older, less computer literate people, it can be a real pain.

hire me wrote on Jun 2, 2008 7:04 PM:I work with quickly computers and programs. Anyone can hire me to input your data into the new system.

Floyd The Software Developer wrote on Jun 2, 2008 9:17 PM:That's not a bug, that's a FEATURE!

NoCtyRealtor wrote on Jun 2, 2008 9:41 PM:I love the new system. Taking all the training that was offered prior to the changeover was definitely beneficial. In the long run this will be much better than the old system.

Paul Guess wrote on Jun 3, 2008 6:56 AM:The new system is much better. It has many new useful and productivity enhancing features. The advance training was excellent. The first two days there were glitches that were quickly fixed and of course there is a learning curve with new file structure and report formats. The biggest problem has been and is... Realtors too lazy to input complete and accurate data. One would think that every home would have 12 captioned photos, a virtual tour, with complete and accurate data... but as success in this industry is tied to this type of technology... that problem is curing itself.

Guess wrote on Jun 3, 2008 7:13 AM:The new system is much better. It has many new productivity enhancing features. The free advance training offered was excellent. There were a few glitches the first two days that were quickly fixed. As with any improvement... there is a learning curve with new file structure and output reports. The biggest problem has been and is... the Realtors who input less than complete and accurate data. One would think that every home would have 12 photos... a virtual tour... with complete... inviting... and accurate data. In this industry that relies on this sort of technology... that problem is solving itself.

mkl wrote on Jun 3, 2008 7:51 AM:maybe now realtors can do some actual work to earn their obscene commissions.

Patrick wrote on Jun 3, 2008 7:56 AM:I am a very tech-capable agent, the Broker for our office and the webmaster of very successful high traffic website, and I find this new system difficult and implementation process from Sandicor was not good. I can just imagine how many local Realtors are struggling with this change they didn't ask for. The truth is the former Tempo 3 system was just fine, this new system has many more options and choices, but how many hundreds of choices do you really need before you reach the point of a diminishing return. It takes so much time to use the system, time that could be better spent helping clients. If you were to ask 100 local agents if they like the new system, I bet 90+ agents would ask the old system back. The real question is this: Who made teh big money for forcing this new system on all San Diego agents? Follow the money and you'll find the answer. One side effect of this will be fewer agents will stay in the business, which could be viewed as a positive for those who remain. The bottom line is trying to keep pace with the cutting edge of software upgrades is not always neccessary and it can have negative side effects. The old saying applies: "If it ain't broke, don'f fix it!"

Boohoooo wrote on Jun 3, 2008 8:38 AM:Boohooo...the poor (literally) RE Agents have to do a little work and learn something new. If they quit yacking on there cell phones in Starbucks and went to work....and worked, then it would not be so bad.

Ross not a realtor wrote on Jun 3, 2008 1:45 PM:Patrick is correct; it is an unnecessary system.

Common sense should have prevailed, ain't broke, don't fix it.

People want facts, but most would want to see the inside and outside of the actual house(s) that interest them.

It might help if one is purchasing a house via long distance.

In olden days we could purchase a house nearby or from a long distance without a computer and without 50 pages or more of small print.

And in very olden days, we could afford to buy a house.

Using computers do not always mean we are going forward.

the wife wrote on Jun 3, 2008 1:48 PM:I'm a software designer who specializes in efficient user interfaces for mission critical software, and have been looking over my husband-the-realtor's shoulder as he used the new system -- after taking the advanced training -- and he was also once a software engineer. Most of the changes were obviously changes to make the software easier to maintain, NOT created to make it more efficient for the user, or easy to use. Whoever designed it is clearly not an efficiency professional or the client listings would at least have the same capabilities that they did before, and just scrolling down a list would not be requerying and pausing every 10 rows. Not to mention about 20 other little stupidities that do not provide any significant benefit, but are sure to completely baffle the non-techie realtor (like my mother in law was), as well as adding more button clicks and pauses for the screen to refresh.

Meanwhile it was clearly launched too early and poorly tested because the amount of bugs I saw just watching him follow a normal workflow was staggering.

Professional SW developers spend more test time making sure the basics work that this developer did. Or the other option was that their management just forced it out on a deadline without caring about the users.

Reardon wrote on Jun 3, 2008 3:13 PM:I compare this new software to the difference between Microsoft Word 97, and Word 2003. For a full 95% of the users, Word 97 is just as good -- unless you wish to footnotes in the style Monks used in 1237!

I agree with the "wife" -- it is needlessly complicated for the user, but as a former designer and coder (and eventually project director and professor), the profession needs to continue to find new and different ways to do the same thing, for job security.

Management has never figured out the software scam, and it never will because software engineers are Witch Doctors, offering new incantations and new frog lip cauldrons to keep away the Giant Lizards, and the software engineers offer as proof of their need that there are no Giant Lizards! (Remember Y2K????)

Cmon wrote on Jun 3, 2008 4:13 PM:Technology will be so good that it will put the entire process in the digital domain.

So...

No more ridiculous fees for escrow, title and other commissions (realtors).

It is bound to happen.

Realtor wrote on Jun 3, 2008 5:01 PM:As I understand it the old system was not going to be supported by the software company any longer and there was no choice but to change. I for one took advantage of the training that was offered for almost 4 months prior to the change over. Sure there are some bugs to be worked out, and will take a bit getting used to, just like new cell phones, computers, etc. Those of us who wish to remain professional and on the cutting edge will stick it out and make it work.

JJ wrote on Jun 3, 2008 5:45 PM:1st.Sorry for having to say that "Reardon" has no clue of software engineering as he so claim, he must be of dying breed because I myself (not a Realtor) but a System Engineer for over 20 years looked over my wife's complaint and spent few hours writing down a list of Bugs and Fixes needed for this System. However to all who sees that this new MLS System being an Improvement....! So why is that, that today my wife is unable to LOG into the MLS via the VPN and Tech.support is nowhere available all day...! A class Action Lawsuit against SANDICOR should wake up these old dying breeds in control today of Data Base and Web base Interface Design, they really should step down and hire young fresh breed who still has a brain left.

Patrick wrote on Jun 4, 2008 11:28 AM:As the previous person wrote, Sandicor management has been hoodwinked. Yes, maybe a revolt by Sandicor members will help them understand that we should have some people who understand the whole enviroment that we work in, and the importance of simplicity along with enhancements and be able to make balanced decisions. The comment about the Software company not supporting T3 anymore, well that is a form of extortion, and just a way of forcing the new system on us, and by the way, who is going to pay for all this? In the long run it will be MLS members who had little or no say in the software change decision.

Donna wrote on Jun 4, 2008 4:46 PM:I have been through many MLS changes since 1984 when I started using MLS Temp 5 is the least user friendly incantation that I have seen. We could and should have(and maybe still can) go to the system that Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside Counties use. It is more user friendly, will allow agents to research properties in a much larger area to better serve clients in Southern California, and help us get ready for when MLS is a statewide MLS. We need to stop thinking small town and realize this is a big world traveling internet fast, (or slow in the case of Tempo 5.) And yes, somebody should pay for the loss of time which in this business equals money. Class Action anyone?

SD realtor wrote on Jun 5, 2008 9:08 AM:I've found the new systen easy and the features quite useful. I took the classes that were offered - wonder how many of you that are complaining did?

a Top Producer wrote on Jun 5, 2008 9:11 AM:Stop complaining - start learning and use the tool. Change can be hard but if get on top of it like I do - you too can be a top producer vs a top complainer.

frustratedsdbuyer wrote on Jun 5, 2008 9:19 AM:I'm a buyer in this market - and I miss the old system! Where are my map links? And why do I have to look at multiple pages to get all the info, and click through to each house individually? My realtor said he went to all the trainings offered, but since he is not "techy" it is a real big learning curve for him. It doesn't seem fair that now a buyer has to hire a realtor based on how technological he is - I want a realtor who knows real estate! I could care less if he is computer savvy, as long as he knows the market I am interested in and can find me the house of my dreams. Sandicor has done the San Diego real estate market a dis-service. And though many of you think it won't effect buyers, you couldn't be more wrong. It now takes my realtor longer to get back to me, make changes in search criteria and send me updated reports. You can sense the frustration he is going through, and that is bound to cloud his mind. Strange enough, no new houses have shown up in the 3 zip codes we're looking in since the new change over. Slow market, or bizarre coincidence? UGH.

Denise wrote on Jun 5, 2008 10:35 AM:What were they thinking when they decided to launch this new system. It takes three times as long to do the same steps as before. They have incorrect information, the custom searches are inadequate and too many gliches that should have been worked out prior to changing over.There wasn't a thing wrong with the old system.In fact it was a lot better.
Try getting through to the help desk, do you have an extra hour or so to wait on hold??? RIDICULOUS

Happy Realtor wrote on Jun 5, 2008 10:39 AM:T5 is clumsy and difficult to use at best. T3 was straight forward and easy.
The best part of this MLS nightmare is Now I tell my buyers to go to my website and search because my IDX has not changed and my website is elegant and easy to use. So Thank you Sandicor I will never send my clients Buyer links from MLS again. We should all promote our websites and not send buyer pages from the MLS. I did see the e-mail asking for my SDAR Third Quarter 2008 MLS Participation Bill. Of course it will be paid but I won't use the MLS to send Buyer links.

An office managerBroker wrote on Jun 9, 2008 11:10 AM:There must be a ggod reason so many realtors are complaining. Did it ever cross someones mind to have a panel of actual realtors using the system help design new systems that are user friendly? Aren't the realtors paying the bills for new technology?