In this scenario you can see that a newspaper and its real estate subsidiary would have a huge marketplace advantage. Suddenly, magically, TPT would be a "player" in the real estate market -- not because it's especially wonderful or unique -- but because it's another way for the paper to leverage its daily news monopoly in a way not available to competitors.

Can something similar happen online?

At this time there is tremendous competition to establish job listing sites online. Major contenders at this point include Monster.com, Career.com, Career Mosaic, Career Path, HeadHunter, and SalesSeek.com.

Referring to Jeff Taylor, Monster.com's chief executive, The New York Times reports that, "he said that more than 20 newspapers have rejected print ads for Monster.com because it is competing with their help wanted business," (See: "Big Stakes in On-Line Job Listings," Feb. 14, 1999).

Could an Internet site play favorites by giving preferential visibility to some brokers? Could it actually refuse business from brokers who are not preferred, regardless of their willingness to pay?

Is it possible for an Internet site to become sufficiently successful that it could charge fees to brokers for placement on the site?

"I'm absolutely sure of that," says Ira Serkes. "In fact, that's already happening in many cases - school reports, salary reports, etc. are sites which charge Realtors® for sponsorship... and there are numerous "referral" Internet sites which distribute leads in exchange for referral fees."

Ask yourself: Does it make sense for the owner of a major Internet site to be content with money from banner ads, lender fees, and data mining? Or, should a site owner try to maximize profits by also getting referral fees from brokers?

In the next few years brokers are likely to find that the distance between them and much of the public is about the width of an electron -- a very expensive electron if brokers do not control their data, or if they fail to hold an ownership interest in the sites that now provide "free" online space.

Question Of The Week

Q What is the so-called "restricted zone" in Mexico?

A Property ownership is a central issue in all countries, and it's not surprising that rules differ.

For many years the direct ownership of personal property in Mexico was limited to Mexican citizens. In 1973, the law was revised so that Mexico was divided into two areas for purposes of foreign property ownership: foreigners could buy property throughout the country -- except in the "restricted zone," an area that includes all property within 100 km of any border and 50 km from any coast.

In December, 1993 the rules were amended so that foreigners could buy personal property in the restricted zone through a bank trust (fideicomiso). Such trusts typically last 50 years, but can be extended.

Mexico, like the United States and all sovereign countries, has in place ownership rules and customs which must be understood by those seeking to buy property. For specifics, consult with a Certified International Property Specialist (an individual with the CIPS designation from the National Associ ation of Realtors) and an attorney familiar with Mexican property law before making a purchase decision.

Weekly Resource