patrick.net

Generic forms so that we can bypass realtors altogether...

elliemae says

Generic forms so that we can bypass realtors altogether…

How about a section with tips for those interested in selling by themselves (FSBO)?

ror.com has good market stats for Santa Cruz. This is a very useful service.

redfin.com is my go-to for search.

one thing existing services don't do well is showing school commutes and crime statistics. Throw in Megan's Law data for extra fun.

doubleup says

Patrick.net is a pretty good community website. Can you incorporate it?

I was thinking physical community vs virtual community but perhaps a resources page with links to useful sites such as Patrick.net would work?

Conejo .... You are on a site where most of the posters here are radical leftists. They typically hate free market capitalism and hate particularly real estate agents. Their perceived moral superiority comes through on virtually every post. Most of these people, if given a choice, would be divided only on the issue of whether or not all agents should be shot or hung, or in some cases probably both. Have fun trying to talk sense to this crowd. LOL

Ray, not all of us hate agents. When I bought my condo just over a year ago, my agent went to bat for me in looking for a loan, explained the somewhat-arcane property ownership records, negotiated with the previous owner, and even met me on my schedule and at my convenience.
It was my first purchase, and I don't begrudge him my share of his fee at all. He earned it.

Radical?
It seems to me that "radical" is Rush Limbaugh paying one million dollars to Elton John for performing at his fourth wedding ceremony, especially when Tony Orlando is always available and works cheaper, not to mention that the Captain and Tennille would probably do it just for the chips and dip alone.

mikey says

his fourth wedding ceremony

Are you sure? I thought this was his 6th.

COMPS -
recent neighborhood comps so folks can be real about the offering price

What would be of most value to buyers is extreme honesty.

What I hate is deception, and traps, and a political system which promotes deception and traps to benefit campaign donors.

If you want to help people and still make a living, then put in offers and do other work for buyers on an hourly basis. If you advertise yourself as taking no percentage commission at all, you will be able to compete with supposedly "free" agents who push people into making bad decisions.

Be hyper-honest about the deception and traps inherent in our current real estate system. That will get attention. It will probably get you fired too, but then you'll be a free agent.