Making listings more legitimate
As the debate rages on about real estate listing syndication quality, HotPads is seeking to do their part to add a layer of legitimacy to their listings and offer consumers some assurance of trustworthiness down to the address levl.
Paul Gleger, HotPads Director of Marketing and Communications tells AGBeat, “One of the biggest uncertainties for people searching for rentals is guessing which listings are the most trustworthy. While we of course try to make sure all listings on our site are of the highest quality, we wanted to help visitors quickly identify listings which we’re most confident about. This means listings which have original content, photos, and are known to be responsive. Most importantly, these are listings created by housing professionals who have actually taken the time to speak with someone at HotPads. ”
HotPads believes that Trusted Listings will save time and add an extra layer of confidence to the search process as consumers identify the Trusted Listings with the green badge on the map. The company says that trusted companies must speak to a HotPads representative before earning a trusted badge. “This extra level of verification helps authenticate the listing.”
HotPads pitches the service to consumers as a way to trust specific listings, stating that “HotPads hand selects all trusted companies, we know they are professional and are more likely to respond to your inquiries quickly,” adding that “trusted companies are held accountable to keep their listings up to date. If the property is off the market we expect it will also be removed from HotPads.”
“Trusted listings usually have more photos, better descriptions, and are managed by knowledgeable professionals,” the company states. This claim seems highly subjective and difficult to back up by HotPads simply talking to a Realtor or broker on the phone, but in conjunction with their “Operation Sparta” project to fight real estate scammers, it is definitely a step in the right direction for consumers.
