Recently I got an e-mail from an Englishman, Douglas Rotberg, a managing director of what is basically a British “IT/Internet integration think tank.”

His firm specializes in “changing business models to make them more efficient and cost effective in delivery through the integration of IT with the Internet.” (Translation: They think up stuff to do online that make organizations—even governments--run better.)

He told me that he is trying hard to understand the way we run the property market here in the U.S. He is particularly interested in how MLS listings are disseminated.

Rotberg said, “We have been working for the past three years on a new business model for the UK property market which is due to be shown to the UK government shortly for their approval. This new process makes the complete buying and selling process transparent and removes the levels of control some players have exercised which were detrimental to the citizen. It allows new entrants into the market using our system, which pro-actively drives the process. This is in line with our Government’s desire to see the process become faster, cheaper and more transparent.

”The reason for me writing to you is that when we first started research on this project we wanted to gather information from other sectors, and we looked at how the USA conducted property marketing."

Rotberg signed off with this contact information:

Douglas Rotberg

Ehbas Ltd., Sussex Innovation Centre, Science Park Square,

University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, East Sussex. BN1 9SB.

Tel: 01273 234665. Fax: 01273 704479

www.ehbas.com Email: info@ehbas.com

I’m broadening the help I can give him by asking Realty Times' readers to help him, too. Here are the questions he asked in case you want to answer one or all of these questions, thereby greatly assisting Mr. Rotberg.

He said:

I am really trying to get to grips on how it all works over there so please excuse any statements made from my position of ignorance.

1. As I see it there are several places the data on property for sale is collected. The major of these is the Realtor site, however I am not sure if this is the only MLS or if this feeds from several others, or feeds out to several others, or if they all sit independently of each other.?
2. I understand from the article … that a Realtor has to work for a broker. I do not understand the reason for this? It would seem that the Realtor has to split their commission with the Broker or is it the other way round that the Broker pays the Realtor a commission for the sale?
3. Am I right in assuming that the Realtor is the person who legally sells the property or is the Broker?
4. In the UK we do not have a buyer and seller commission structure. The seller pays a commission of around 1.5 percent to 2 percent which goes to the agent for selling the property. That selling agents job is to find a buyer by local advertising and Internet marketing. So buyers mainly drive the UK market, as a seller is normally a buyer first.
5. If and when the banking system is allowed to sell houses will they take the place of Brokers?

To answer Mr. Douglas Rotberg, reference the URL of this column as you e-mail both the question that you are answering and your answer itself to info@ehbas.com.

At a time like this in the world, it is a pleasure to support our British friends who continue to support us.