Great points above and as
@Gord said: "Transparency will prevail" My brokerage is a proponent of the release of as much data as possible to the public (perhaps because we're one of the few who are able to manipulate the data and provide value to the public). It will happen and we can't wait.
I can't help but laugh when I read comments from other Realtors and how they present the potential release of data to their clients or the public. They say things just like you said in your blog
@Serge. I'll take a direct quote from paragraph 3: "MLS provides info such as sold data, mortgage info, seller names, even lockbox codes. Allowing this info to be accessed without the oversight of a Realtor could most definitely result in private information getting into the wrong hands."
WOW! When the hell did you ever see a lockbox code in the brokers remarks of a listing? (btw, that section isn't going to be released). Mortgage information? You mean that area that nobody EVER fills out and when they do it's to say that there is an assumable mortgage or something. Remember an "Open MLS" doesn't mean that we have a free for all. You still need to list your property via a brokerage to access the MLS. Our role as a Realtor is changing and consumer habits have changed so RECOGNIZE!
The purchase or sale of a home will continue to require the human touch and our role has shifted from information gate keepers to high level service providers with experience in your chosen market that no database can touch.
Release of more data is good, using fear tactics to mislead the public is bad. (Sorry to veer off the topic of new builds but couldn't help but chime in here. More transparency across the board is good, especially in the new development world.)