Laurie,
I think you make a very good point. All real estate is local.

Karen Miller
Long Beach, CA

I had to look up the first verse because I just sang those words out loud for the past 20 minutes while walking the dogs. I really thought there were more than just two verses.

It's a world of laughter
A world of tears
It's a world of hopes
And a world of fears
There's so much that we share
That it's time we're aware
It's a small world after all

Enjoy the link.
Ruth

Thanks a lot, Ruth, now I can't get that song out of my head. :)

I kept skipping this question because I don't know anything about Long Beach. Then I got wind of the "strike" and read through all of these responses. I would like to emphasize that this is by no means a popularity contest. Thumbs up are given because the response was valuable or the reader agreed. Thumbs down are given because the answer was bad, redundant, self serving (spam), or the reader disagrees. The only "popularity contest" I see are people defending other people on posts because the person has EARNED respect over time or the post was misinterpreted.

Yes, self policing does work. It's not perfect but there are a lot of spammers that have come and gone because those of us continuing to make Voices better refuse to give them a voice. We give them thumbs down AND we flag them. We post questions just like you posted. And the #1 thing we HATE is people who post a question just to answer it themselves!!! You didn't even wait two minutes before you replied to your own question.

I am very pleased that Pete said the new system ranking will be retroactive. But even the two WORST offenders (in my opinion) have improved.

Maybe you feel that Trulia isn't as "nice" anymore because posters are "interfering" with you "picking up some business." That is part of our self policing. We are going to torture you because your ulterior motive is not pure. To some of us, any referrals or business generated here is just the icing on the cake. Most of the Top Voices and regular participates are either here to sincerely help others or to learn. If someone's question goes unanswered and Ute lets them know there is someone who can help them, I would give her a thumbs up because what is she getting out of it? But she's not going to get that thumbs up from me because the question was specific enough that I'll never even look at it unless a half day has gone by and the question never got answered. In the long run, after the rating changes, these selfless acts will hurt a persons score. Those of us who care about the quality more than the quantity, know that answering questions that otherwise would never be answered will not win us any thumbs up or best answers.

I'll end my two cents with a post I made when TRULIA took your side of this issue and I strongly objected:

*****It's a small world after all, It's a small world after all. It's a small world after all. It's a small, small world.
There is just one moon and one golden sun. And a smile mean friendship to everyone. Though the mountains are wide and the oceans divide, it's a small, small world.*****

Ruth

Hello Laurie:

Welcome back to Trulia. I don’t think you know me, I came onboard pretty much after you started spending time somewhere else; but I see you on Top Voice as you must be quite active at the inception of Trulia.

Now, about your comment -

First, I want to say that I agree with you.

I avoid giving advice on the local market condition if that's not my local market. For example, I am not going to advise people about the real estate trend in Long Beach or what's the most popular area in Long Beach.

However, if a Long Beach seller asks what the best way to showcase a house is or if they ask about generic contract information; since I am licensed in California, I will also answer that, with a clarification that I am a Marin Realtors. I some times will venture to answer out of state questions if it is again, a generic enough question or an answer about buyer/seller strategy / psychology with a clarification about where I am located.

A lot of times buyers and sellers in a certain location will ask generic questions. There is no reason why agents from out of state can not answer those questions.

I also glance through Trulia many times a day and I only answer questions that interest me and benefit others, whether it's consumers or realtors.

I like to think that when I received TUs or Best Answers, it’s because people thought my answers somehow are helpful or makes sense.

So, not going down to the detail, that’s my general position in answering Trulia questions.

Now, to the core of your question or how I see the real estate community who decide to not participate in Trulia - as you are quite honest, I will be very upfront also.

Yes, we all want to get knowledge and presence through internet; and Trulia happens to be one of the venues. When you invest more time and resource on a specific medium, you receive more in return.

Unfortunately, I would love to see many agents participating in Trulia; because that’s precisely how equity can be built and how a true Local Top Voice can be found.

Truth is, a Marin agent like me is not going to be able to become top voice in Long Beach if both you and I answer the same amount of questions about Long Beach. My assumption is that a Long Beach agent’s answer about Long Beach will be much more valuable than the other agents unless that Long Beach agent is just not a good agent.

However, since they obviously decided not to invest time on Trulia, they are not going to be the Top Voice on Trulia for Long Beach or any other area.

My honest opinion is that by choosing not to participate in Trulia for whatever reason, I don’t see how they can have any right to complaint or comment about Trulia.

For example, I dabble on Active Rain but I devote my time on Trulia, not Active Rain; so I am not top rank on Active Rain and I will not complaint about that because I have not earned the right to do so..

So, my answer to any agent anywhere who has that perception about Trulia is to challenge them and invite them to come onboard and answer their local questions. Yes, it takes time and energy, but they will see that they are climbing up the ranks and they will too become the Top Voice for their area.

I know I am top voice in some areas now, but I also know that others will pass me by quickly if I stop participating; the is just the fact of life and I have nobody to blame other than myself.

Sitting on the sideline and complaint does no good, participate and contribute! This is my philosophy about Trulia and Life in general.

This is my challenge to you and all Realtors out there who wonders how to become a Top Voice anywhere. Instead of 'If I come back', say 'Now that I have decided to come back'

So, welcome back Laurie! Also, hope to see you in the next National-Open-House.com

Best,
Sylvia

Hey Jay I see you got that thumbs down you were looking for, lol, so far I only have 2. I'm certain that will increase, it is the very nature of the beast.

JR,
Your complaints seem to be falling on deaf ears.
Long for the "good old days"? I dunno if I would go that far but it was nicer then.

Ute,
Everything that we do on the internet is marketing, whether you want to admit it or not. What does any professional have to gain marketing themselves outside of their local area? I agree many of the Q & A here are good for entertainment value, I do wonder if the consumer feels the same way or if they think it is sound advice from a real estate professional.
I am glad that we agree that the rating system is flawed. Perhaps Trulia will hear us now.

Tisza,
Long time no see.......where ya been hiding?

If I were to return to Trulia Voices I would try to keep it as local as possible. I don't think there is anything wrong with asking a question,or asking for clarification on out of area posts, but offering advice seems out of line.

Did you know that there is a strike of sorts going on against Trulia Voices? Check out Jays blog and the links from there its interesting reading. Bet this comment gets some thumbs downs, huh? lol...

The City by the Sea is beautiful, as ever - thank you.

Have you become the top voice in Claremont now? I would think you have.

Wendy,
I agree it is puzzling. I see you too have earned a couple of thumbs down. You too must be doing something right.

Lawrence,
At the bottom of the Long Beach question page.

Patrick,
Yes, Trulia needs to change it. Pete Flint has indicated that he is aware of the issues and has his people working on it. We will see what they come up with.

Self policing? Hasn't really worked so far, has it? Maybe time to torture a few, lol.

Behavior and etiquette = Professionalism. Either you have it, or you don't.



Oh am I gonna get some thumbs downs here. Don't care.
For every thumbs down you give me, you prove that I am right, so have at it.

I don`t want to sound negative. However,

It will not change, until Trulia Changes it.

Until that happens self policing specific answers ,in certain areas actually works well, at least in Arizona it works well.

As far as Behavior, and etiquette. That is learned on a personal level with time.

Hi Laurie,

When I look at the Long Beach leaderboard, the top three voices are all from the Long Beach area. What top voices are you referring to?

It is puzzling why someone would answer a question about an area unless they currently know the market. It is not doing the best service to the consumers who are genuinely interested in what Trulia is all about.

Laurie - thanks for keeping us all honest and making Trulia a great forum for pros as well as the consumer.

Hi Laurie,

I for one try very hard to only answer questions that are within the scope of my knowledge, training and experience. I also tend to restrict my answers to the market area that I service - Claremont. Sure, I like to read the answers that some folks offer for different areas, but if there is a question that is area, market, city or state specific and I am not in that area, market, city or state, I stay out of it.

I also agree with you that the public in not being as well served if the RE professional who answers the question is not really a local expert for that area. Kind of defeats the purpose of this forum - to allow RE professionals to connect directly with the public they serve.

After all, if you don't live or work in that area then it is not really where you serve now is it?

Hope things are well in the City By The Sea. And, just for the record, I KNOW who the top voice in Long Beach is bar none :-)

Take care,

Tisza, Realtor, Keller Williams Claremont/La Verne (909) 837-8922

Yes Laurie, I agree that real estate is local. The thing is that everybody here has their own reason for answering questions. When I answer a question, I don't think about what I have to gain as that's not the mindset that I have when I turn on my computer and go to Trulia Voices. I have to admit that reading many of the other answers has some entertainment value and it's interesting to see how things are done in different parts of the country. I don't think of comments from "outsiders" as interference in the local market. As long as there is adequate disclosure, I still think it's ok.

I also think many questions would go unanswered altogether if only local agents were to post comments. Perhaps that would be a good thing. By the way, I have also e-mailed local Trulia Voices agents to alert them to questions that pertained to their specific market so that they could post their answer. I have mentioned in some of my posts that I was hoping that a local agent would answer their questions and I have mentioned names of agents who I knew were serving that market and posted on Trulia regularly. Guess what, I received TDs for just doing that.

I also agree that Trulia Voices has changed since it started. I don't know of anyone who answers questions here full time. You complain about the undertone on Trulia and how it's gotten nastier and I think part of the reason for that is that people read too much into answers or don't read the answers carefully. I have found myself on the hotseat a few times and have removed a few posts as they were completely misunderstood and in the end defeated the purpose for which they had been posted. I had been accused of telling a consumer to avoid attorneys when I said no such thing anywhere in my answer and you sometimes wonder what people read and how they came to a certain conclusion.

I find it interesting that you seem to complain about how things have gotten nastier on Trulia Voices, yet you insult your Top Voices colleagues when you say they have nothing else going on. Since I am one of them, I can assure you that I have lots going on and I just manage my time very well.

Enough said for a Saturday morning.



I agree that the whole rating system is flawed and I also agree that it's unnecessary and I have made this comment a few times. Only Trulia can shed light on what they were thinking when they implemented the system. I can only speculate.

Not speaking for anyone else, Laurie, I don't even have a profile, I am not looking for business, I am simply participating in a public forum. I have complained my self about various things, for example I don't see why so many agents are so quick to give away the store, so to speak, and yes, it seems to me too there are people who just post in order to up their count, and other posters who write what seem to be "aren't I great essays". It sounds as if you long for the "good old days" as an original on this board, which is not unusual, I see it all the time, being a message board denizen myself.

Carrie,
While some of the questions may be general in nature state laws and markets vary in subtle ways which can very well affect an answer. Don't you think that a consumer seeking an answer in Long Beach California would be best serviced by a local professional?

Lets say you, as a real estate professional, answered a question that you thought was generic in nature which caused a consumer to make an error that cost them a lot of money. If that consumer decided to sue you for the advice, which would be well documented here on Trulia Voices, do you think your E & O insurance would cover you?

I think any Real Estate Professional who is spending valuable time here in Trulia Voices is hoping to pick up some business in their respective areas. Out of state Realtors answering questions in areas they do not do business in interfere in that process and everybody loses.

Ute,
The 3 professional voices I am referring to are at the bottom of the Long Beach CA questions page. I agree, the way this system is set up that it seems to be OK for the questions to be answered, but as a true professional you would have to agree that real estate is local. Why would you interfere in another market? What would you expect to gain?

JR,
Yes there is a reason not to answer - it's not your market. Are there only about 15 full time posters here now? I am not surprised. I was part of the original group who made it possible for Trulia Voices to get this system up and running when it first opened. We were a very supportive group, there was none of this ridiculous nastiness present on the system then. I took a look around here lately, it seems that many agents have more time on their hands and pent up aggressions which they are spewing here.
The very nature of the current posters here at Trulia Voices is repelling the local professional away from participating in the system.

Patti,
As a professional I am interested in what is going on in other market places and often pick up an idea or two along the way as well. While many of the agents here may be answering the questions in a professional manner, they are treading on dangerous ground answering questions out of their market areas.

The question I asked is not hostile. There is no jumping down anybodys throat here. Yes this is a public forum, the consumers are asking questions and expecting answers. If a consumer asks a question in Long Beach CA, I am certain they are expecting an answer from a local professional.

There is no reason to handle this in an email to anybody. The consumer has a right to know that an answer from an out of state professional may be tainted by differing state laws.

I see professionals here stating that they have informed the consumer that they are from out of state, but have yet to witness that in any of the Q & A I have read here. I have no fear of transparency in front of the consumer, no professional should. This is the perfect forum for this question to be addressed.

Jay,
Wow, no thumbs downs for you yet? There are some rather serious issues here that the point system seems to exasperate. Pete Flint mentioned that Trulia is looking into ways to minimize the issues. I wonder how far off that is? It seems to me that a point system isn't really necessary here on Trulia Voices. Perhaps more professionals would be inclined to drop by every so often to answer a few questions without such a system.
I wonder if the consumer realizes that the members with the most points, who are here all of the time, have the time to spend here because they don't have anything else going on?
Where is Joe Yo? He would have a party here.

Sure, many questions are generic, but many more are not. I see people outside the Phoenix area *all the time* answering questions *very* specific to locations they likely couldn't find on a map.

Ever wonder why are questions answered over and over with essentially the same answer? Does anyone read the answers to a question before they compose their answer?

Hmmmm.. Could it be that people answer questions they are unqualified to answer, and post a reply that adds nothing to the discussion because they want to increase their "counts" and climb higher up the Voices ladder?

Just maybe its the "points" that also causes people to answer questions that clearly cross the FHA/EHO line as well.

I'm not saying that people aren't professional or trying to help. And certainly not everyone is here to get to the top of an arbitrary popularity contest list. But clearly many answers are WAY out of area of expertise or even license revoking material. And clearly answer (and questions) are posted for no other reason than to win the popularity contest.

Don't everyone hit the thumb down button at once!

Laurie, I see postings of answers from people all over the country on different questions. Many questions are general in nature, and that wouldn't be a problem that I can see. Perhaps if they are answering a specific, like why did xyz house on my street get more money than mine- OK- that would be silly. But as far as general real estate questions- being a realtor in Boise probably takes the same skills as here in So. CA. In fact I picked up an idea the other day off a question, which I have never seen in my area and will start using.

I have found that most of the agents who answer questions on here have been very professional and willing to share their knowledge.

We need to show respect on this site, not just for those posing questions, but to those answering them. Let's not jump down each other's throat in here a public forum. Keep in mind, you can click on someone who answers questions and send them an e-mail. Most will respond back to you personally if you ask them something. That's always a good way to clear up something you may not understand here on Trulia.

Why can't agents answer a question asked in the state they aren't licensed in? It makes the same sense not to go FSBO in Long Beach as it does on Long Island. Unless it is state specific there's no reason not to answer. Some questions would NEVER get answered if you only answered in your own selling area, there are only about 15 full time posters here.

Hi Laurie. When I searched for the top Trulia voices in Long Beach, the top three where all from Southern California. Maybe I did not look in the same place. Are you referring to any particular questions about Long Beach that were recently answered or are you searching for Top Voices in the Long Beach Area in general?

I think as long as those who answer questions here disclose that they are not local experts, it's ok for them to post their comments.

Some of the questions are general and not necessarily about property. I don't presume to be an expert in California. I did answer the post about the living in California, because I used to there and I have personal experience with that. I think part of the problem is the sort does not really search agents in the area. I have noticed the same thing in Baton Rouge. No Louisiana agents are listed there.

I really want to know why agents who are not licensed in the state of California are answering questions in a state they are not licensed in.