Welcome to the New MB Confidential

Welcome to our new-look MBC. Can we call it MBC 3.0?

There’s a lot to see here. It should look great on your mobile device. Try it on your iPhone, iPad or even your Galaxy Note 7. (Too soon?)

One goal here was to make everything more visual. The Ticker now features images, instead of being all text – a change we’ve made with the popular MB Dashboard also. (Look under "NOW" at the top.) We’ve got video on the front page.

All of the most recent listings in Manhattan Beach also appear on the front page on desktop computers, arranged by each of the four sections of MB. On mobile, the very most recent single listing by section will appear, with a quick link to see more in that area.

The powerful “intelligent” search bar at the top of the screen is always ready for an inquiry. You can find listings (active and sold) by address, and neighborhoods, among other things, from that search bar any time. We reworked the programming to make it faster.

There’s more: A new “power search” down a bit on the front page helps you to easily narrow down the kinds of listings you’re looking for within Manhattan Beach. Looking for 4+ bedrooms in East Manhattan at 3500+ sqft. and under $2.750M? It takes just a few seconds to set up a perfectly tailored search.

The “power search” tool also makes it very easy to develop your own comparative market analysis. Set the criteria for the kinds of sold properties you want to find, similar to a property you’re evaluating, or that you might like to sell. Instantly, the comps appear.

There’s more. Click around!

You might ask: Dave, why are you spending a preposterous amount of time and energy on a website like this?

The answer is quite simple: From Day One – almost 10 years ago – the mission of MB Confidential has been to push out more and better data and analysis into our local real estate market. It’s a passion. (Obviously.)

That passion comes from seeing how real estate markets are imperfect, information is often hidden or spun or selectively presented, and here in Manhattan Beach, knowing that multi-million-dollar decisions hang in the balance. It just feels wrong.

The solution – the only way to “scratch” that “itch” for “more and better” information – is to craft new ways to package and distribute the data. Make it easy. Make it fun. Make it nice to look at.

Selfishly, MBC is the sort of local real estate website that we’ve always wanted. No Redfin or Zillow can compete with a truly local focus. And what we want changes. Our expectations rise. So MBC evolves. We’re happy to share.

Ah. About “sharing.” MBC remains free. You can still get a lot of what you might want from MB Confidential completely anonymously.

But we are going to start asking you, more and more, to register with the site, and agree to our new Terms of Use, to get certain kinds of information. One example is access to pending and sold properties. To see full details on listings in those statuses will require registration.

Soon, we are going to start restricting occasional blog posts about the Manhattan Beach real estate market to registered users. Sign up as an “Insider” and you'll receive privileged access as a result. The blog will be a mix of "public" and “Insider” posts. The main reason for that is to free up the commentary – some might say to “unshackle” the blog – to give more frank and valuable info to a smaller circle of MB Confidential visitors who wish to get it.

Last, but certainly not least, please understand: MB Confidential is a project of Dave Fratello, now a very active local realtor, with a support team here, ready to help. Since his entry into local real estate, full-time, in April 2012, Dave’s a top-3 buyer’s agent in town. He’s sold great homes here and in nearby communities. He’s touched to have great client reviews.

So, if you like MB Confidential, please give Dave a chance to help you with your purchase or sale here in Manhattan Beach – when the time rolls around.

Till then, just enjoy MBC!