Listing syndication to online portals is in the throes of a revolution in real estate today. Listing syndication has followed a philosophical pattern first envisioned by the German philosopher G.W.F. Hegel in his triadic process – thesis, antithesis, and then synthesis. This paper will walk though the first two phases of the process, discussing the evolution of the original thesis of listing syndication followed by the new roots of today's chaotic antithesis.

The industry is developing a plethora of new models to transmit listings for online advertising at a pace that is eroding the effectiveness of the process in a significant way. However, out of this chaos of antithesis we are beginning to see a glimmer of new publishers who seek to be the best possible partners to brokers. A new synthesis is on the horizon.

The Birth of Listing Syndication

From 2004 to 2006, listing syndication to online publishers played an important and strategic role in the success of real estate brokers. At the time, firms in competitive markets who carried between 100 and 150 listings were spending $1 million annually on print advertising.

The print advertising was not effective in generating many leads, but it was done because the seller insisted and the agent agreed. There is something magical about seeing your home and your agent's photo in the newspaper that stirs the soul. Unfortunately, print was not financially sustainable. Brokers needed a way out. Consumers had already fled to the internet for property search, and brokers needed a way to cut their advertising budget.

Portals solved the print crisis by offering marketing to millions of consumers shopping for listings on Yahoo, AOL, Google, MSN, and so many others – more reach at a fraction of the cost. Newspapers became nursing homes where advertising dollars went to die. Brokers took up the initiative of manually duplicating listing input onto publisher websites, or providing crude FTP data feeds.