MLS4owners.com Self Service Realty

Handspring Timeline

December 11, 2009 — Handspring calls to inform MLS4owners.com that it plans to shut down, and asks if there is a way for MLS4owners.com to help the current customers of Handspring.

December 11-18, 2009 — Discussions continue as MLS4owners.com consults with various multiple listing services about what would happen to Handspring's listings if Handspring closed. MLS4owners.com also drafts potential listing agreements and letters to sellers. On about December 15 Handspring's telephone service is cut off.

December 19, 2009 — The owners of Handspring and MLS4owners.com meet in order to collect contact information for Handspring's customer and mutually agree on the language of a joint communication to Handspring's customers with Active listings.

December 20, 2009 — MLS4owners.com reconciles Handspring's customer worksheet with MLS records, to try to match email addresses with MLS listings. MLS4owners.com sends the first email* to Handspring's Active single-family residential customers in the Northwest Multiple Listing Service. The HandspringRealEstate.com domain is re-directed to a custom page at MLS4owners.com so those attempting to reach Handspring will be aware of the shutdown. MLS4owners.com offers a no-cost courtesy listing lasting until December 31, 2010 for active Handspring sellers who act by December 31, 2009.

December 21-31, 2009 — Efforts continue to reach Handspring sellers in other multiple listing services. By December 31 roughly 45 sellers have been re-activated in the Northwest Multiple Listing Service. Due to people's busy holiday schedules, MLS4owners.com extends its offer of help to January 7. Multiple listing services advise that Handspring accounts will soon be turned off.

January 1-15, 2010 — Roughly 100 sellers have been re-activated in the several multiple listing services. Sellers who have not responded yet are called. At this point sellers have had no contact with Handspring for at least 30 days, and the Handspring website has been off for 25 days.

* Sample of letter sent to Handspring customers for whom we had email addresses

Dear current Handspring customer:

We are writing today to let you know that Handspring Real Estate is unexpectedly ceasing operations and MLS4owners.com has agreed to step in and help sellers who are affected. We know this will bring up a lot of questions.

What will this cost me?

Nothing. With your permission MLS4owners.com will take all of the property information from the multiple listing service of your currently active Handspring listing (including price, commission, remarks, and photos) and put it into the name of MLS4owners.com. This new listing will last until December 31, 2010. The multiple listing service requires that a new listing agreement be signed. To get started or to learn more, please visit the special welcome page MLS4owners.com has created for Handspring's customers.

Who is MLS4owners.com?

Since 2001 the customers of MLS4owners.com have closed nearly $1 billion in sales and saved over $35 million in commissions using a self service realty concept. Those customers have proved over and over again that homes priced well for their condition and location will sell when given the unique exposure and customer service offered by MLS4owners.com. Using the tools of a listing agent, exclusively for MLS4owners.com's customers, sellers can do it themselves and save. The system is designed to get the buyer directly to you, to increase the chance that you will pay no commission. In today's market about 75% of buyers still prefer to work with a buyer agent, and agents from more than 500 different brokerages have represented buyers in the purchase of the properties of MLS4owners.com's customers.

No offense, but what if I don't want MLS4owners.com to help me?

You are under no obligation to accept MLS4owners.com offer of help. As Handspring is ceasing operations your Handspring listing will need to be canceled in the multiple listing service database regardless of whether you decide to advertise through MLS4owners.com.

Why did this happen?

The past few years have been extremely difficult for homesellers and the real estate industry, and unfortunately Handspring is unable to overcome those difficulties. Handspring regrets the inconvenience these events are causing its customers, and MLS4owners.com looks forward to serving you now and in the future. If you have any questions please feel free to contact MLS4owners.com's broker Chris Nye or any of the staff at MLS4owners.com.

Matt Foster                                         Chris Nye
Broker                                                 Broker
Handspring Real Estate                      MLS4owners.com

MLS4owners.com - Sales@MLS4owners.com - (253) 460-1900
PO Box 65456 - University Place WA 98464-1456

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MLS4owners.com is a broker/member of the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, RMLS, Yakima MLS, North Central Washington MLS, Tri City MLS, and Spokane MLS, and has full rights and privileges of all other broker/members. MLS4owners.com is not a multiple listing service.

Some of the sales figures referenced on this site are based on information in the Northwest Multiple Listing Service. These statistics are not compiled or published by NWMLS.

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