I think that it depends on the terms of use of the service. If the MLS allows diclosure to potential clients, then all of us here are potential customers, aren’t we?
I don’t see anything wrong with disclosing information because all of it is public anyway. Technology now makes it easy. But otherwise, you can always go to the County Recorder’s office to dig around. In that respect, I think that technology is democratizing. In the past, only people “in the business” with subscription access to databases had access to the data — they had a competitive advantage.
The data is used for analysis and not to spy on neighbors. Like I say, if one really wanted the info, a trip to the County Recorder’s office will reveal it.
If people value their privacy, they should take steps to cover their transactions.
waitingtobuy, if you’re really serious to buy, you should subscribe to a service like realtytrac.com. The subscription fees are well worth it if you really want to buy. Or work with a Realtor (discount or full-fee) and he’ll give you all the info you want.
Personally, I think that it’s useful to have data independent from your sales agent because you’ll know it if he tries to lead you astray to a listing that he’s pushing.
