Our agent included the price but not the address to ensure all leads came through the office. Calling for the address allowed them to qualify the buyer as well as add them to the mailing lists.
Perhaps this is just taking this to the next extreme.
Oh you have no idea about the level of data a real estate agency collects, and then the massive amounts of data the franchisor, has available. The statistical information is almost endless.
The really interesting thing thats evolving in the market is the information thats is collected about each and every property. Take a bog standard search provider like RPData, most agents use one like this. Now RPData is owned a group called Corelogic. Corelogic owns a suite of other information gatherers and providers. It also provides the systems that most valuers use when they value a house or property that you buy. This information is being collected and collated into single systems. So it won't be long before an agent, or anyone with a subscription can jump online and basically look at your house from a virtual perspective in great detail and I am talking photos, videos, plans, measurements, days on market, sale history, rental prices the lot.
The really good residential operators I know will also sell you your mortgage, insurance, arrange your movers and temporary accommodation if required.
Obviously I don't work in resi like Mark and KJohn, and commercial is a bit of a different specialty, but the seemlessness thats now developing in Real Estate, particularly resi, is only just the tip of the iceberg, and its because of this data collection that this is all happening.
I could go on and on
Cheers Nomad
This is all done in the name of market transparency.