While many real estate agents still see themselves as one-person shops, McCutchin uses the increasingly popular team approach. You may not want to take advice from a dog, but the real teeth of McCutchin's operation are her listings. All the homes in the area's multiple-listing service are there, and the list is updated daily. Multiple-listing services are run by local boards of Realtors and include most, if not all, of the homes listed for sale throughout the area. Realtors have long kept MLS info close to their vests, because it's the listings that attract buyers.
Buyers attract sellers, and sellers sign the listing contracts that yield commissions.
But now agents increasingly figure that they must make the MLS accessible on their Web sites if they're going to stay competitive. McCutchin's site offers the real deal, too, complete with addresses, photographs, and often 360-degree panoramas of the outside and interior rooms. MLS-browsing buyers who pass through McCutchin's online real estate store make good fishing for sellers like the Emighs. Sellers can log on to their own password-controlled Web page and follow all the information that affects their home sale. They can see a copy of any ads that have been placed and read reports from inspectors and appraisers.