The Council of Multiple Listing Services (CMLS) hosted its annual conference in Minneapolis last week. HIS CEO Lin McIntosh was invited to participate on a panel entitled “Public Records: Now You See Them, Now You Don’t.” Her portion of the presentation addressed the question, “What do real estate agents need from public records?”

Her answer: “The ability to make more money!”

How can agents make more money with public records?

“The first, and most obvious, way is to find property that matches their buyers’ needs that is not listed in the MLS,” Lin said.

“Because the State of Hawaii did such a good job in computerizing their records in 1983, agents can search the database for a condo on a specific floor with a specific apartment number in a project that has tennis courts, recreation centers, child care, et cetera,” she said. “You can search for oceanfront properties by searching the street address.”

Do you know which side of the street has the odd numbers?

Later, more ways to make money with public records. Questions? Ask Lin!