4,583,659
Is your description uniquely "yours"? Plagiarism lawsuits in real estate. I wonder. Fair or right? Likely not. Lawsuits? Hmm...this could be a true "Honey, stop the car" moment if we want to keep the advertising reference that was made previously. Interesting question.
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Debe Maxwell, CRS
Charlotte, NC
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Nina Hollander, Broker
Charlotte, NC
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Peter Testa
Danbury, CT
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Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
-
Ron and Alexandra Seigel
Carpinteria, CA
-
Dan & Laurie Pittsenba...
Bellingham, WA
-
Candice A. Donofrio
Fort Mohave, AZ
-
Rose Mary Justice
Dandridge, TN
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Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
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Ernie Steele
Lebanon, PA
5,115,252
Well, I wouldn't do it. I know our MLS does not allow using another agent's photos. As for copy, I'm not sure... it just doesn't feel right. I'd check with your MLS what the rules are.
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Anna "Banana" Kruchten
Phoenix, AZ
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Peter Testa
Danbury, CT
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Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
-
Dan & Laurie Pittsenba...
Bellingham, WA
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Candice A. Donofrio
Fort Mohave, AZ
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Wayne Zuhl
Cranford, NJ
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Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
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Richard Weeks
Dallas, TX
921,504
Is this right?
Well, life is not fair. Zdevil, franchises and local associations have made that crystal clear.
The problem with condos is they all share many of the same features. What you can do is call the agent and ask for the definition of the select words you used in your description.
Otherwise, although disappointing, your text is fair game. In a sea of common thought and diminishing creativity, stealing the creation of others is common practice among real estate professionals.
Congrats! You created something worthy of stealing!
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Debe Maxwell, CRS
Charlotte, NC
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Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
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Ryan Huggins - Thousan...
Thousand Oaks, CA
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Dan & Laurie Pittsenba...
Bellingham, WA
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Wayne Zuhl
Cranford, NJ
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Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
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Lyn Sims
Schaumburg, IL
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Ernie Steele
Lebanon, PA
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
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Denise Copeland
Jupiter, FL
716,529
Yep, it happens all the time. Move on, go sell a house.
Send a note to the agent that you are flattered with the use of your prose.
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Debe Maxwell, CRS
Charlotte, NC
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Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
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Candice A. Donofrio
Fort Mohave, AZ
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
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Nina Hollander, Broker
Charlotte, NC
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Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
5,583,328
why would anyone want to do that.... it's NOT right.... but it would also depend on what your MLS rules are... I doubt if that's acceptable anywhere.
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Debe Maxwell, CRS
Charlotte, NC
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Anna "Banana" Kruchten
Phoenix, AZ
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Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
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Nina Hollander, Broker
Charlotte, NC
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Dan & Laurie Pittsenba...
Bellingham, WA
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
2,246,105
Lazy and unoriginal. Or flattering that no one can improve on your prose and narrative Tim Ball . If it was hogwash it would not be duplicated in the copy and paste.
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Debe Maxwell, CRS
Charlotte, NC
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Candice A. Donofrio
Fort Mohave, AZ
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
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Nina Hollander, Broker
Charlotte, NC
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Dan & Laurie Pittsenba...
Bellingham, WA
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
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Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
1,847,471
No, not really but you can't really call copyright on listing words. Photos are a totally different story. I know what you mean though about some agents not being able to complete a sentence about their own listing.
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Debe Maxwell, CRS
Charlotte, NC
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Peter Testa
Danbury, CT
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
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Nina Hollander, Broker
Charlotte, NC
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Dan & Laurie Pittsenba...
Bellingham, WA
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Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
1,057,254
This is a great question! I don't know if you can claim ownership to words in this context. I have seen this over and over again.
I find people who cannot come up with their own words, thoughts, personalities, to be quite pathetic.
But this is good news for people who are original. Because they're always going to be a step ahead.
It's a signal to remember to change it up. Keep it fresh. Let the wannabes try to catch up. As if.
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Anna "Banana" Kruchten
Phoenix, AZ
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
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Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
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Carol Williams
Wenatchee, WA
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
1,390,113
I'm not a lawyer, but it strikes me as unethical but probably not illegal. Certainly lazy.
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Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
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Nina Hollander, Broker
Charlotte, NC
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Dan & Laurie Pittsenba...
Bellingham, WA
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
902,238
I don't think there's a law against it; don't believe plagiarism applies, but it's not right. Guess they just love what you write.
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Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
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Nina Hollander, Broker
Charlotte, NC
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Dan & Laurie Pittsenba...
Bellingham, WA
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
2,401,959
Yes. It's not verbatim and you are not writing a novel. Take it as flattery Tim Ball , you are obviously good at it and inspiring to this other agent.
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Peter Testa
Danbury, CT
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
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Nina Hollander, Broker
Charlotte, NC
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Dan & Laurie Pittsenba...
Bellingham, WA
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
2,189,372
It's sad when agents are so uncreative that they can't come up with their own description. There are so many ways to describe the same thing. I never see a need to copy. Agents that do this are lazy and uncreative, which is also a sign of their overall marketing skills.
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Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
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Nina Hollander, Broker
Charlotte, NC
469,510
Typically at least a few words are changed. To answer the question, I would say yes as it happens all the time and it has been accepted as common practice.
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
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Nina Hollander, Broker
Charlotte, NC
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Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
1,242,104
Hard to win a lawsuit. However, I have agents copy my photos and post on MLS. Same broker just got escorted out handing out business cards at my open house. SHe probably has been that way for 20 years.
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
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Dan & Laurie Pittsenba...
Bellingham, WA
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
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Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
5,244,145
Annette Lawrence , Palm Harbor, FL 727-420-4041 has this one nailed.
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
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Dan & Laurie Pittsenba...
Bellingham, WA
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
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Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
556,536
Is it worth it to let yourself get worked up over this? are there not more productive uses for your time, effort and energy? If you prioritize your activities this one should be at the bottom of the list.
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
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Dan & Laurie Pittsenba...
Bellingham, WA
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Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
4,905,695
Send them an email and copy their broker. Totally not acceptable.
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Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
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Nina Hollander, Broker
Charlotte, NC
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
5,772,593
I agree with Nina Hollander . A
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
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Nina Hollander, Broker
Charlotte, NC
536,943
No I would not do it. Surely they could come up with their own description.
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
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Nina Hollander, Broker
Charlotte, NC
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
1,554,237
Is it right to plagiarize? No. But sometimes, baring the fluff piece, there's only so many ways to describe amenities and floor plans. I don't police my MLS, I'm too busy.
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
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Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
586,935
You can't copy anyone elses work without their permission. I can't even legally copy and ask this question. We must follow US Copyright laws.
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
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Nina Hollander, Broker
Charlotte, NC
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
855,769
Nope, nope, and nope. Oh, unless you really want to show your new seller how incredibly lazy and non-talented you are.
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
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Nina Hollander, Broker
Charlotte, NC
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
249,953
I suppose you could copyright the contents of your listing. I would be annoyed, but I’m not sure I could do anything other than that to stop them.
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Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
178,465
I contacted my Board of Realtors to ask the very same question I posed to all of you. The reply was that they do not condone that, and to let them know the listing number. The listing must have been reviewed, because the verbiage has been changed. Thanks for all of your replies.
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Margaret Rome Baltimor...
Pikesville, MD
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John Juarez
Fremont, CA
6,422,434
I wouldnt recommend it, on the other hand I would not let it upset me either.
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Jeff Pearl
Lovettsville, VA
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Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
1,202,382
I wouldn't lose to much sleep over this. Imitation is a form of flattery I've heard.
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Jeff Pearl
Lovettsville, VA
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Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
2,785,156
In colleges across the Nation this was rampant until they came up with software that tests it for originality. In other sectors like Real Estate, people who have no marketing skills or are lazy or tempted take the E_Z way. The search for identity (who are you) is at risk when you copy or imitate
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Doug Dawes
Topsfield, MA
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Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
759,785
Copy it verbatum, absolutely wrong. Doesn't say much about their work ethic either; writing a unique, appealing, verbose description is part of our job.
If they took the listing from you (expired) & then took your words then it's even more aggregious!
If you have no thoughts of your own or there is just not that many things to say then I suggest PARAPHRASING, that'll work.
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Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
3,168,124
it's not what I would do, but I'd "let it go"
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Bob "RealMan" Timm
Minot, ND
3,350,309
I echo what Ryan Huggins - Thousand Oaks, CA said. The MLS has rules and the board frowns on copy and pasting listing descriptions. There are agents out there that do that with entire websites!!! I know of 2 examples where they were so lazy and stupid they did not change the name or the phone number. Holy Crow!!!
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Ryan Huggins - Thousan...
Thousand Oaks, CA
1,506,613
In my area, it would not be allowed. It happens and if the thief does not correct it once called out on it, the board will usually come down pretty hard on them.
Now with that said, if it's a section in the writeup about community pools, parks, etc. there are only so many ways to say "Neighborhood has community pools, etc."
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Kathleen Daniels, Prob...
San Jose, CA
1,085,712
5,878,935
2,071,025
4,964,651
1,598,452
1,728,556
5,256,941
1,325,124
If your verbiage is unique and you have worked to make it different, it would be an affront to you to have it duplicated on another agent's listing. If it is descriptive of the features of the unit or community...well, there are a limited way of describing shared features...pool, community center, parking.
Yet, it is easy to see if the other agent just took the lazy way out out used your creativity or simply used common descriptors.
1,712,876
3,590,091
I would not suggest that to any agent. Create your own copy and also don't take my community photos for your use either. I see this going on all the time.
913,818
It's probably allowed and could be acceptable. Sometimes it's the seller that writes the description that they want agents to use. If sellers didn't create, other agent might have said go ahead and use it. Otherwise, new agent can give it their own twist. Not something I'd worry about.