Defending Jonathan Miller

Jonathan Miller, a revered appraiser in the real estate industry, finds himself at the center of a complex issue. His professional life has been a journey from facing challenges due to poor data to now grappling with data disappearing entirely. This shift has been largely due to agents withholding confidential information, often to boost their personal brand or gain media attention.

When reporters cover market sales, agents frequently decline to comment, giving the impression that the agent didn't respond when, in fact, they may have provided the information under a pseudonym.

Shaun Osher, Founder of CORE Group Marketing and author of the Padkos Blog, penned a piece defending Miller. Osher, who was quoted in The New York Times about the importance of contract data in assessing market health, recalls a contentious interaction with a large brokerage's CEO. Osher argued that transparency is beneficial for both consumers and agents, stating that an informed consumer is ultimately a valuable client. However, the data sometimes presented a narrative that was not favorable to certain interests.

Osher acknowledges that he has used data to support his own marketing strategies, citing the book "How to Lie with Statistics" by Darrell Huff as a guide to manipulate numbers and graphs to convey the desired message. At CORE, he promoted a statistic showing that the company sold more real estate per agent than any other firm, leveraging data to bolster their market position.

One of the core issues highlighted is the growing trend of brokerages controlling access to property listings through private networks, leading to intentional concealment of market data. While some legitimate privacy concerns exist for celebrities or those going through sensitive life events, the broader trend seems to be an industry-wide effort to withhold information. This has implications for all stakeholders, including sellers, buyers, developers, and lenders, who all depend on accurate and available data.

The irony here is that despite consumers having unprecedented access to real estate data via their smartphones, the same industry is opting to limit this information. Osher points out that this shift is reminiscent of the past, when only those with a vested interest were privy to the true market realities. As brokerages hide inventory from each other, they simultaneously obscure crucial information from buyers, sellers, and even potential lenders.

This concealment paradoxically brings the industry back to a time when only insiders had access to the real market dynamics.

Ultimately, Osher argues that Jonathan Miller may well be one of the industry's strongest allies rather than adversaries. Accurate data is essential for understanding market trends, regardless of whether the outcomes are favorable or not. The key lies in ensuring that Miller has access to comprehensive data, rather than blaming him for unfavorable market conditions.

Instead of attributing market challenges to Miller, Osher suggests that the industry should work to provide him with the full spectrum of data. By doing so, the real estate market could become more transparent, benefiting everyone involved.