ICIWorld’s Full Response to Sushil Mishra’s Review

Thank you, Sushil, for taking the time to write a review of ICIWorld. Your article raises important questions. However, it is written from the viewpoint of a residential resale specialist who does not work daily with exclusive, confidential, or investment-grade real estate.

ICIWorld is a different category of service — an ILS: Information Listing Service — and it operates alongside MLS, not in competition with it. Below is our complete point-by-point response, written to help REALTORS® understand the purpose and proper use of the ICIWorld platform.

1. Is ICIWorld Outdated?

No. In fact, ICIWorld operates on purpose-built technology that delivers results in 3–10 seconds and has produced over $1 Billion in verified sales through broker-to-broker and broker-to-buyer connections.

This service is not designed to display full MLS-style listings with photos — because most opportunities are confidential, pre-MLS, exclusive, or assignment. Photos, addresses, and identifying information cannot be shown without written consent. This is standard commercial practice.

The ICIWorld platform serves a very different function than consumer-facing listing portals. Comparing the two is like comparing a private investment network to Realtor.ca — different tools for different purposes.

2. Business Value: Does ICIWorld Deliver Real Results?

Yes — and the evidence is public.

Over $1 Billion in reported sales.
Deals involving apartment buildings, plazas, land, retail, industrial, farms, businesses, medical/dental practices, and more.
Hundreds of named testimonials from Ontario and Canadian REALTORS®.

The purpose of ICIWorld is not “website traffic.” It is connections that lead to transactions. Our member testimonials speak to that better than anything else.

3. Understanding the Have & Want System

This system is not simply a bulletin board. It is a global matchmaking network for properties and buyers that cannot be fully exposed on MLS.

Haves = Opportunities to sell or lease
Wants = Buyers and investors actively searching

Brokers post:

Exclusive opportunities
Confidential situations
Assignments
Pre-MLS conversations (“Yes, I’d sell if you bring a buyer”)

These are often the most valuable transactions in commercial real estate, and they cannot be marketed publicly without written consent.

4. “Mostly Agents, Not Buyers?”

This is not a flaw — it is the design.

Serious buyers and institutions work through brokers.
ICIWorld is an association of brokers and salespeople, not a public portal.
Consumers mostly access ICIWorld content through IDX links on REALTOR® websites.

Buyers should search through their agent’s website — and many do.

5. Technology Comparison

ICIWorld is not a CRM, marketing platform, or consumer lead generator. It is:

A global Information Listing Service (ILS)
A clearinghouse for off-market and confidential opportunities
A 3–10 second search engine for matching Haves & Wants
A tool that integrates with any CRM an agent chooses

Its purpose is speed, simplicity, confidentiality, and reach, not flashy presentation.

6. Data Verification

ICIWorld does not verify financial statements, rent rolls, or NOIs — for the same reason MLS, CoStar, LoopNet, and brokerage websites do not verify them:

Verification happens in due diligence, not at the listing stage.

MLS relies on broker-entered data.
Commercial practice involves NDAs, financials, buyer qualification.
Many details cannot legally be posted until a buyer is vetted.

Expecting ICIWorld to “verify” all data misunderstands how commercial real estate operates.

7. SEO and Visibility

ICIWorld is not trying to win every broad Google keyword against billion-dollar corporations.

Our strategy focuses on:

Long-tail discovery
Mobile apps
Email digests
IDX links on 2,000+ REALTOR® websites
Broker-to-broker networking

Major commercial deals rarely originate from Google searches. They begin with broker networks, and that is exactly where ICIWorld excels.

8. Duplicate Listings

Duplication is normal in real estate. In fact, it is good marketing.

A $4M plaza once posted on TREB generated four calls. The identical information on ICIWorld produced thirty-two calls and sold.

More exposure = more calls = more opportunities.

9. Cost vs. ROI

The economics are simple:

One extra deal or referral can generate $10,000–$50,000+.
Membership is a fraction of that.
ICIWorld includes IDX tools, training, and global reach.
Four ways exist to effectively make the service free (VIP Card, referrals, etc.).

For the vast majority of members who use the system properly, the ROI is exceptional.

10. Scope of the Platform

ICIWorld is not limited to small plazas or entry-level commercial listings. It serves:

Apartment buildings & portfolios
Industrial & office
Retail plazas
Development land
Professional practices
Businesses of every type

CCIMs, commercial veterans, and major investors use ICIWorld daily.

11. Your Checklist—Our Answers

Are buyers searching ICIWorld?
Send buyers to your own website where ICIWorld content appears via IDX.

Can you generate real buyer leads?
Yes. Both public leads and powerful agent-to-agent connections.

Do investors ask about ICIWorld?
Many do. More importantly, their brokers use it quietly to source opportunities.

Does ICIWorld verify financial data?
No — because verification is part of due diligence, not listing.

12. Final Thoughts

MLS, CoStar, LoopNet, Broker Pocket, and others all have value. ICIWorld is not trying to replace them.

It exists to handle the large category of opportunities that MLS was never designed to handle:

Confidential
Exclusive
Pre-MLS
Assignment
Off-market
“I would sell if you bring a buyer”

ICIWorld is the global ILS — an essential complement to MLS and a proven source of income for REALTORS® who use it correctly.