Santa Barbara Association of Realtors Refuse to Release Sales Data

As reported in the Santa Barbara News-Press the realtors over at the Santa Barbara Association of Realtors refuse to share their sales information. During the housing boom times the realtors were glad to share their extraordinary sales. Now, as the housing bubble pops in Santa Barbara the realtors group is refusing to share their sales data.

Over the past several years, the News-Press has obtained sales and median price data for the South Coast from the Santa Barbara Association of Realtors. The group recently told the News-Press that it now refuses to make this data available to the newsroom. Other associations of Realtors across the county willingly continue to share sales and price information with the paper.

Pathetic. There is no law that says that they have to release their data. An independent source of the data gathered from city /county or state records needs to be compiled.

Potential buyers should contact the Santa Barbara Association of Realtors and inform them of their dismay at their decision. Tell them also that their actions make it more likely that they will use a real estate agent that is not a member of the association. The Santa Barbara Association of Realtors should do the right thing and release the market statistics as soon as possible.