If folks don’t want to register to see what I am offering which is better than most IDX sites. Then they can move on.

When I get requests for CMA’s, I first go check the MLS to see IF it is already listed, if so I send a nice email and and ask them if the listing is expiring soon or they just want a 2nd opinion. Rarely do I hear back. However, before I started doing this I would inquire about the home, blah, blah, blah.

I too signed up on site once in TN, left a note not to contact as I was only looking around and already had a Realtor. Did they read it? NO
I was immediately put on their drip campaign.

For someone who is a stronge advocate for registering, the most important thing is to put an opt out on everything you send them so they can stop it at anytime.

I got one recently it was “DO NOT CALL ME, IF YOU DO YOU GO OFF MY LIST OF FINDING A HOME FOR MY SON.”

We didn’t call or drip them. The buyer has choices and we respect them, but respect is equal too, we don’t compromise on the registeration.

Of course, that doesn’t change what’s happening here (other than making it seem a little less aggressive). I think that you’re right – it’s your house, that you built, and spent countless hours on creating for the public’s use, but you still have the right to choose how to interact with anyone visiting your site.

One of the things I’ve noticed as the internet has grown is a demand for everything the way the user wants it and nothing more. It happened with music, it happened with software, and I see it happen on websites. People have become demanding in what they want, how they want it, and the rules that govern what happens once they get what they want out of a site. And thanks to the sites that will email someone to death in order to “get the sale” (real estate or not), there is a perception that any website that requires registration is nothing more than a spam machine.

Knowing you, I know that your drip campaigns are probably interesting, insightful, and probably flavored with a little fun too. Had this person seen that first, they may have said “what the heck, the worst that can happen is I’ll have to hit delete once or twice.” Since they didn’t, they let their perception of what registration means interfere with some good interaction between themselves and you.

I agree with everyone in the thought that if this is their initial reaction, they probably wouldn’t wind up working with you in the first place. People have learned to take what they want from websites and move on. Not everyone, but many have. Before the internet, these were the same people that would call 100 listings to get info, then call their friend in the real estate business (who was too busy to help them right now) and sign a contract.

Good luck and let us know how it plays out.