Compass International Holdings is asking MLSs to exclude any data related to the firm’s listings or agents from any data they give brokerage recruiting software companies like Courted, Brokerkit and Brokermetrics.
The Robert Reffkin-helmed firm sent this request in a letter, obtained by HousingWire, to MLSs earlier this week. Compass did not immediately return HousingWire’s request for comment regarding the letter and its contents.
In the letter, Compass claims that vendors like Courted, Brokerkit and Brokermetrics package its “agent-level production metrics, agent-level listing information, agent-level closing transaction history and agent roster movements into platforms that brokerages buy and use to target and recruit [its] agents.”
“While we support MLS data sharing for cooperation, the data we provide the MLS for cooperation purposes should not be sold to a technology company like Courted that in turn further sells that data with their agent recruitment technology,” the letter states.
Compass goes on to claim that the MLS “powering competitor recruitment tools strays far beyond the core mission of the MLS.”
“The MLS exists to facilitate real estate transactions—not to weaponize our operational data against us for competitor poaching,” the letter states.
Due to this, Compass asks the MLSs to confirm which data feeds they provide these brokerage recruiting software companies, to exclude any data related to its listings or agents from any data the MLSs give to Courted and any other brokerage recruiting software and to clarify Compass’s right as a participant broker to opt out of non-IDX/VOW vendor data distribution. The letter notes that its franchise broker owners would be allowed to opt-in to sending this data to these vendors if they so choose.
“Mandatory listing submission to the MLS when the MLS profits from selling that same agent level data to technology companies that sell to brokerages that recruit our agents, results in damage claims to the MLS,” the letter states.
Compass goes on to state that it will release any claims against the MLSs if they agree to these requests and implement the action within 30 days of receiving the letter.
This is not the first time Compass International Holdings has sent a letter to the MLSs requesting changes to their practices. In March, Compass, along with Rocket and Redfinsent a letter to MLSs urging them to adopt policies that support pre-marketing and phased marketing distribution and to cease penalizing or punishing agents for carrying out “seller-directed marketing plans.”
