Everytime I read an article on RISMEDIA ref agents business growing due to internet leads they all refer to Blackwater Consulting Group. As anyone worked with them?

Yes and not as good as they say they are. They seem to have a system that has worked for some but when rinsed and repeated does not work for others, me included.

The worst service provider experience I have had in more than 20 years in real estate was with Blackwater Consulting (Michael Parker) / CompassSearch (Sean Hogan).

In one year of the service, I got one legitimate lead. One lead, in one year, for which I paid several thousand dollars and invested countless hours of time jumping through all kinds of hoops and making numerous changes, repeatedly, to my online content.

Michael (Mike) Parker is an effective front man. His "articles" in Broker-Agent on SEO are reasonable and competently written. I have met numerous others on Point2 whose experiences with Blackwater / Compass have been equally miserable.

During one in-person visit to the Compass office, I was given an "inside" look at their most successful client. It turns out that her success is due to her posts on Craig's List and really has nothing to do with Compass.

In my experience, this is really nothing more than a cruel and sophisticated scam. Dealing with someone as deceptive, evasive, unethical, surly and gangster-like as Sean Hogan made the whole episode one of the most unpleasant of my life.

I would strongly encourage anyone to think very carefully before giving Blackwater / Compass your credit card information and signing an agreement with them. Do your due diligence before you get stuck with them for several thousand dollars.

There was inconclusive online information on this outfit when I signed up with them, in 2008. That should no longer be the case.