What’s the key to being the BEST at what you do?    Natural talent helps, but the different between a good athlete and a GREAT athlete is a CONSISTENT discipline.   Olympic athletes train EVERY day, usually 2 or 3 times MORE than their peers.  They do whatever it takes to get a competitive edge and they do it REGULARLY.  Michael Phelps, 28 time Gold medalist is credited with training harder than any of his peers – 365 days per year for 6 years including holidays, weekends and even after swimming meets.

It's been a little over a year since the Council of MLS rolled out the 1000watt created “Making the Market Work” branding campaign. Remember the initial energy? Social media channels were buzzing. New videos were proudly created, touting the value and the benefits of the local MLS to consumers (and professionals). Website home pages were blazoned with fresh new images promoting this powerful new messaging. New full-page ads run publicly. There was a genuine esprit de corps in the industry.

Always. Never. Every. Everyone. Everybody. All. Must. These are some of the most dangerous words in our vocabulary. For writers and speakers, as my nephew in Alabama would say, these words are as about as useful as a steering wheel on mule. That’s because these words are typically perceived to be an exaggeration.

One of the most interesting things about being an expert witness is recognizing how companies can avoid costly litigation. Zillow actually tested the courts in the case of VHT v. Zillow. The facts of the case were reported by Inman News. In summary, VHT filed for copyright on their images. The copyright was granted. VHT then provided a notification of their filing and requested removal. Zillow refused. VHT sued. The court awarded damages. I think the case is on appeal. This issue is not with Zillow or any other portal, it is about protecting the rights of copyright holders and giving privacy to families that buy homes.

In this day and age, it is ridiculous to be on a property site and see active listings with no images included. If we want to give sellers the marketing exposure their property deserves and buyers the shopping experience they require, then it’s time to get us past this problem once and for all!