New Home Buyers Being Courted by 2 Listings Services

In a previous post we talked about the launch of Zoocasa, a new entry in the online real estate game and competitor for every new home buyer's favourite online destination - mls.ca.

Seems there is more to the story than we first realized. A recent post on blogTO offers more details/critiques about Zoocasa along with some unkind words about MLS. While we are not interested in taking sides, the post is worth reading for the facts it unearths.

For example, there is no information anywhere on Zoocasa to indicate who runs it. Intrepid blogger Tim did some digging and discovered that it is owned by Rogers Communications. While uncertain as to why it is so hush-hush, with that information in hand Tim was able to find and interview Jay Lewin who was hired by Rogers to work on Zoocasa. The resulting Q&A is part of the post, and from it we learn that Zoocasa is still in beta (testing mode) so its full functionality is not yet available. Planned enhancements include a feed for agents to copy listings from Zoocasa directly to the Facebook Marketplace. But the main goal is to provide a tool that goes beyond mere listings to describe important attributes of the neighbourhood surrounding each house for sale.

Perhaps anticipating competition, MLS is up for some major changes. In October the site will relaunch as realtor.ca and include more interactive mapping functions and improved searching.

Both sites will continue to have supporters and detractors. It's just good to know that as we shift into a buyers' market, there are more online options available to help with new home purchases.