Status request for miami-real-estate-agents.com

Hi,

I think this is a great forum. I have always found people to be very people. Great job ODP!
I submitted the site miami-real-estate-agents.com to the category
Top: Regional: North America: United States: Florida: Localities: M: Miami: Business and Economy: Real Estate: Residential: Agents

(about 6-7 months ago but never got listed)

Then after reading information on this forum I realized I probably should have posted the site to:
Top: Regional: North America: United States: Florida: Localities: P: Pinecrest: Business and Economy: Real Estate

Because this is where the agency is located. So I tried this about 3 months ago.

Still not listed. I hope this can get sorted out. The site has a lot of information about Miami and serves the whole area.
Thanks!

Re: Status request for miami-real-estate-agents.co

Your site has been rejected as a lead generator with little or no content.

Re: Status request for miami-real-estate-agents.co

All real estate sites are lead generators that is the purpose of having a site. But this site has over 300 pages of content. See http://www.miami-real-estate-agents.com/miami_info.html These pages were mostly there when it was submitted. It is possibly the best source of real estate information for Miami on the web.
Obviously the editor didn't take the time to review the site properly. Sorry for the harsh words, but it is frustrating when site that took months to research the information for the content it shows doesn't get listed because of lack of content. It is frankly ridiculous.

Re: Status request for miami-real-estate-agents.co

The editor in question probably read the first sentence on your front page ("Miami Real Estate Agents was designed to be the most efficient way to find homes for sale in Miami") and then set about looking for homes for sale. Needless to say he didn't find any.

I disagree that all real estate agents are lead generators. Much though they are derided, real estate agents do perform a useful service, they don't just put buyers in contact with sellers. Your site does not perform a service, it simply collects buyers and sellers details, and passes them on to an appropriate agent. This is what we call 'lead generating', and recent changes in our listing policies mean that we no longer list lead generator sites.

Re: Status request for miami-real-estate-agents.co

The site provides many useful services. It serves as an educator with more than 300 pages of real estate information. It helps those searching for real estate to do so easily. The ODP category is real estate agents. This category is about listing agent's sites. Agents create sites to find leads. This is not a bad thing.
If your rule is not to allow sites that generate leads than probably over 90% of the sites listed on the ODP would have to be removed. It doesn't make sense.
The web is designed for the purpose of exchanging ideas to create contact and to build business. Sites that encourage interaction are the best sites.
There is nothing in ODP's regulations that states it is against sites that this type of site can't be listed. The rules are clear. The category guideline:
"For agents concerned primarily with residential real estate."

ODP guidelines "Do not add mirror sites.
Do not submit an URL that contains only the same or similar content as other sites you may have listed in the directory. Multiple submissions of the same or related sites may result in the exclusion and/or deletion of those and all affiliated sites.
Do not disguise your submission and submit the same URL more than once.Example: http://www.dmoz.org and http://www.dmoz.org/index.html.
Do not submit any site with an address that redirects to another address.
The Open Directory has a policy against the inclusion of sites with illegal content. Examples of illegal material include child pornography; libel; material that infringes any intellectual property right; and material that specifically advocates, solicits or abets illegal activity (such as fraud or violence).
Do not submit sites "under construction."
Submit pornographic sites to the appropriate category under Adult.
Submit non-English sites to the appropriate category under World.
Don't submit sites consisting largely of affiliate links. "

The site is fine according to every rule set forth by ODP.
I know that content is always an issue with ODP and the site features tons of content. There is no reason for it not to be included.
Please help me and include this site.

Re: Status request for miami-real-estate-agents.co

I reviewed the site and have to agree with dfy and other editors who rejected it.

There are no properties for sale on the site, and the only service provided is simply collecting buyers and sellers details, and passing them on to an appropriate agent.

The "more than 300 pages of real estate information" are a perfect example of a good SEO job in pulling relevant keywords and splitting them onto several pages with an effective interlinkage pattern, but if you strip out all "Miami" occurrences and replace it with "Whatever" you won't notice the difference. This content just exist to get good results in SEs for your main target keywords, it's not "content" we can consider related to Miami Real Estate.

While as an SEO I can appreciate the efforts put in building up such well-organized, themed, and interlinked load of marketing hype, from an ODP editorial point of view this doesn't constitute "relevant, unique, Miami-related content" That is, this whole bunch of pages isn't the "main purpose" of the site, instead it serves the purpose of attracting potential customers (buyers and sellers) and driving then to the section where they can submit their personal info, so that they can be directed to an agent who will contact them. This is what we call "lead generating" in ODP.

The ODP Regional real estate categories list agent's sites (according to the city or town where their office is located). Sites whose main purpose is to simply generate leads for different agents won't be listed.

Bottom line is: your site doesn't have properties for sale, does direct the surfer to other "real" agents (who may have their sites listed in the proper category), does fall into the ODP definition of "lead generating site", and as such won't be listed.

Re: Status request for miami-real-estate-agents.co

Thank you for your review, however...
The site does offer information specifically about the neighborhoods in Miami see http://www.miami-real-estate-agents.com/Miami/
It does provide an educational service. Is there possibly a different category it should be submitted to?
Not all real estate agents are listing agents. Many agents work by connecting buyers with sellers, this is a service.
There is nothing in the ODP guidelines that states that sites have to show listings. If this were the case only the MLS should be listed because all the other sites just have mirror listings. It doesn't make sense.
If you feel the site is not appropiate for this category then that is fine, but what category should it be placed in? It is a valuable resource and should be part of the ODP's directory.
I appreciate your assistance.

p.s. You said the following: "does direct the surfer to other "real" agents (who may have their sites listed in the proper category)"
The answer to this question is yes. The agent is listed and her contact information is clearly stated on the site.

Re: Status request miami-real-estate-agents.com/

If Ettore, who is a Meta editor (the highest level volunteer editor) says that the site isn't going to be listed, then that is what he meant. Not just in that category, but in other categories as well. Resubmitting the site in its present form is futile. There is no ODP category for lead generating sites. There was an experiment to list MLM sites some time ago. It turned out to be so much hassle that the idea was dropped. Several other classes of sites, including lead generating sites would also turn out to be more hassle than they are worth. It's the surfer's experience that the ODP is trying to enhance, hence the decision to only list the sites that directly provide the information; cutting out the myriad of "middlemen". All sites submitted are reviewed, but No site is guaranteed a listing.

Re: Status request miami-real-estate-agents.com/

"There is no ODP category for lead generating sites."

This is not true actually there is an entire category devoted to lead generator sites.
Top: Business: Real Estate: Agents and Agencies: Referral Sites

"There was an experiment to list MLM sites some time ago. It turned out to be so much hassle that the idea was dropped. Several other classes of sites, including lead generating sites would also turn out to be more hassle than they are worth. It's the surfer's experience that the ODP is trying to enhance, hence the decision to only list the sites that directly provide the information; cutting out the myriad of "middlemen". All sites submitted are reviewed, but No site is guaranteed a listing."

I realize that no site is guaranteed a listing, but this site follows ODP guidelines and provides quality information. It lists the agent's contact information and all responses are directed to her (there is no middleman). There are many other sites listed with no listings and only links to other sites which offer information. Why are they listed and this site is being refused. If the goal of ODP is for the user's experience then doesn't it make sense to list sites that offer lots of useful information.
I resubmitted the site to the category
Top: Regional: North America: United States: Florida: Localities: M: Miami: Business and Economy: Real Estate

where most of the sites seem to be content oriented and few have listings. The site fits in well because it does for content. Though it probably would have made more sense to have it listed in the category where the agent is located.

By the way, the site is not a MLM or solely a lead generator and is not some site with only generated content. It does offer plenty of excellent information about Miami. Including pages on its neighborhoods like: Aventura, Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, Hialeah, Key Biscayne, Liberty City, Little Havana, Little Haiti, Miami Beach, Miami Lakes, Opa-Locka, Overtown, South Beach, Surfside, Virginia Key.

The whole idea of being against sites that generate leads doesn't make any sense. So you telling me if a site tries to generate leads for agents then it should be removed then ODP would be empty because every single real estate site's purpose is to generate leads. Do you not list Century21, RE/MAX, these are lead generating sites and act as middlemen. It is hypocritical to not list a site that generates leads for a single agent.
I can't believe that this discuss even has to continue. Why must I explain how business is done online.

According to DMOZ regulations and common sense sites that feature quality content and a unique resource should be listed. Actually, the DMOZ guidelines never state how much content is needed. They only state the site should not just be mirror site, affiliate link site, and feature questionable subjects (such hate language, etc.)

Please look at the site it has a lot to offer and should be listed.

Re: Status request miami-real-estate-agents.com/

>> It lists the agent's contact information and all responses are directed to her (there is no middleman). <<

Umm, it is you and your site that is the middleman. The ODP would prefer to list the agents' web sites directly, especially those that have lists of houses for sale or rent featured on the site itself.

Anyway, as I think Ettore probably considered his answer to be about the end of the conversation, and we don't appear to be communicating effectively, I'll also leave it at this point.