High Rankings

REALTOR® Magazine tackles agent ratings and reputation in their March issue.  Here’s a snip of the coverage of AgentRank.com:

One site, still in beta testing, is AgentRank. Its rankings are composed of up to 25 data points. When you sign up to be evaluated, you provide information on your professional network, client endorsements, sales history, market forecast, blogs, experience, and designations. AgentRank is a sister site to RealtyBaron, a Web site that matches practitioners with consumers; practitioners pay a fee if the transaction closes.       

At AgentRank, real estate practitioners invite their customers and clients to post reviews, explains founder Marc Dugger. Negative reviews aren’t posted, but they do go into the overall evaluation, he says. “It’s not about tearing down agents or pointing the finger; it’s really about elevating great agents,” says Dugger. “No one is searching the Web for a bad agent.” 

Browsing these sites, it’s clear they’re not yet ready for prime time. A quick search at AgentRank of Dallas ZIP code 75204 shows five practitioners, only one of which has posted a photograph. The first—with a ranking of 9 out of 10—had no client recommendations, market forecasts, blogs, sales, or other information posted, just an invitation to visit her Web site.

The author pans us at the end.  And we probably deserve it for ranking an empty profile so high.  However, a major overhaul of how rankings are distributed is under development and will prevent the scenario she describes above.