Access vs. Services
From Kinney’s recounting of the events immediately preceding the vote – in which the merger was approved 164 to 22 – the decision to join with JTHS hinged less on access to that association’s listings, and more on its ambitions to extend educational and marketing services to the smaller association’s membership, as well as broaden its international reach.
“When JTHS came to us, it was clear they had done their homework,” she said. “They said the reason they chose us was because of education, product services, marketing tools and our international outreach and connections. And now that I’ve gotten to know their market, I know it would be a good opportunity for them.”
As a 1,500-member association, it would be hard for JTHS to provide its members with the support and product perks available to larger Realtor groups, Kinney said, which is why MIAMI eventually agreed to allow a vote for merger.
When asked about the accusation that MIAMI has fraudulently entered RAPB’s MLS database, Kinney said that “it would make no practical or financial sense for the association to give 38,000 members access to a database they don’t need.”
This now makes 3 times Miami Teresa King Kinney at the helm has been sued for this type of conduct. When does it ever stop as she appears to be the only common denominator. This attempted grab of 1400 members in North Palm Beach County has now cost 38000 Miami members access to Palm Beach listing and JTHS could never merge absent to the RAPB MLS data. Kinney claims she never could have imagined this even though they were continually warned that this was going to happen? Really? Someone needs to be held accountable at both Miami and JTHS…heads should roll.
No! It has left Palm Beach and Broward sellers without access to 38,000 potential buyers, and without access to the international connections available in Miami. RAPB is at fault by cutting off access to this resource and damaging the income of good, hardworking agents.
Considering that less than 1% of Palm Beach listings are done by Miami agents who shouldn’t even be in Palm Beach in the first place and all of Palm Beach listings are fully available via MLS Advantage your suggestion falls flatly on deaf ears. This article certainly indicates that Miami leadership and management appear as corrupt and unethical as many of their membership conduct themselves when they attempt to do business in Palm Beach.