Listing Bits

The Clash. The Police. Journey. Talking Heads. Some of the most well-known bands in recent history also happen to have some of the most powerful names. Names that describe their music and articulate what separates them from everyone else. Just like those bands, the name of your real estate brand has a job to do. So, why are so many of us afraid to break traditional paradigms? Why is every brokerag...

This episode was recorded live at the Clareity/Corelogic MLS Executive Workshop in Scottsdale.  Art and Josh were good sports when I spotted them at the lobby bar at the Scottsdale Plaza.  Also, full disclosure, I think I've had at least one drink. So, what's it going to take to get vendors to transition away from RETS to Web API? RESO is hoping that both a carrot (providing easy-to-use replicatio...

Is it better to develop an all-in-one CRM? Or focus on relationship-management and work with other vendors to create a flexible package of best-in-class offerings? In the ever-evolving world of real estate tech, LionDesk is choosing integrations, leveraging partnerships with top third-party applications to create a CRM that plays well with others—and allows agents to maintain their independence.  ...

We've all heard the rallying cry to drop RETS and move over to the RESO Web API. What's been less clear is exactly how to go about making that transition. So, what's step one? How exactly might vendors help make this shift happen?   Rebecca Jensen is the President and CEO at Midwest Real Estate Data , the real estate data aggregator that provides the Chicagoland multiple listing service to more th...

ShowingTime was built to help people buy homes more efficiently by making the process of scheduling a showing much easier. Since it was founded 18 years ago, the company has grown to include a family of technology products that serve MLSs, brokers and agents in the areas of showing management and market statistics. Mike Lane is the Co-Founder and President of ShowingTime, the most widely used show...

Tim Dain has a reputation for being the 'mad scientist' of the MLS world. He is not afraid to challenge established systems and ask WHY things are done a certain way. Tim facilitates innovation by assigning a creative writing piece, commissioning a study or building a spreadsheet—and then implementing the best ideas with a commitment to being of service.   Tim is the President and CEO of MARIS MLS...

Let's say you have your heart set on a kitchen with hardwood flooring, natural light and an island. Imagine having the ability to search images on the MLS for those specific features. With advancements in artificial intelligence, it is possible to have software read the images, identify the room type and even recognize the objects in it! There are an infinite number of use cases for the real estat...

As real estate professionals spend less and less time in the office and real estate offices host fewer and fewer walk-ins, you might start to question the merit of spending top dollar for office space in a high-rent district. What if you saved that money and reinvested it in agent services? What if you could build a full-service brokerage in the virtual world, conducting business and meeting with...

Talk of standards adoption at the recent RESO conference in Milwaukee sounded much like the conversation last year. And the year before that. And the year before that. So, how do we move beyond discussing the reasons for converting to Web API and begin to execute on that plan? What might vendors do to help facilitate a little less talk—and a lot more action?    Mike Wurzer is the President and CEO...

How do MLS executives make decisions around which technology solutions work best for their REALTOR-members? What motivates leadership to establish a system of choice? Are there benefits to offering agents options when it comes to MLS solutions? And what are the challenges associated with giving members more alternatives? DaVina Lara is the CEO of the Oakland/Berkeley Association of REALTORS and br...

How does design impact a real estate brokerage? Does it go beyond aesthetics to influence processes? How does quality design shape the user experience? And what are the benefits of an in-house creative team? Matt Beall is the CEO and Principal Broker at Hawai'i Life , the state's largest listing brokerage with over $25M in annual revenue across 13 commercial locations. He founded Hawai'i Life in 2...

How does a tech company maintain a startup mentality after nearly five decades in the real estate space? Rapattoni has held on to its spirit of independence since its inception, embracing change and demonstrating a pride of ownership that is rare in the tech industry.   Brian Tepfer is the Executive Vice President and CTO of Rapattoni, a 48-year-old startup that offers a suite of innovative softwa...

'Defy mediocrity and deliver extraordinary experiences.' Century 21 has been in business for the past 47 years, and in that time, the branding has remained virtually unchanged. When Nick Bailey took the reins, however, he moved quickly to rebrand the company in a way that reflects the consumer-driven movement in the industry, engenders multi-generational appeal, and inspires his global team to del...

88 MLSs serve 80% of REALTORS. The remaining 20% are served by the rest—that's nearly 600 MLSs! We know that consolidation will make it much easier for brokers to serve consumers, but what is the best way to approach the issue? How can we work to understand the 20% in rural, small town and resort communities and bring that group in to alignment with the 80%? Kevin McQueen is the President of the T...

What do you think of when you hear the term 'MLS'? The software vendors? The providers? The database itself? What about MLS executives? We tend to use the label as a catchall for all of those things, which can get problematic.   Shelley Specchio has a handle on all aspects of the MLS system. In 1994, Shelley began her professional career publishing a home magazine for the Reno/Sparks Association o...

Real estate professionals spend $9B annually to drive traffic to their websites, but less than 1% of that traffic leads to conversion. What's to blame for this abysmal data? The vast majority of customers are looking to get an answer to a quick question, yet they are met with an aggressive chatbot who demands their contact information before agreeing to provide any information. And even if they do...

'You can change anything you want to change. People can sit around and complain all they want, or they can do something about it. We're consultants. We want to go do something about it. We're tired of talking about it. Let's just go do it.'   Victor Lund is involved in some of the most ambitious initiatives in the real estate industry. From Upstream to Broker Public Portal , Victor is passionate a...

As the saying goes, the best CRM is the one you use. Today's guest has enjoyed great success onboarding agents to his platform, and when brokers with a strong training culture employ his software, agent adoption is as high as 80%--compared to the industry average 6%. So what's his secret?   Zvi Band is the co-founder and CEO of Contactually, the leading intelligent CRM for real estate professional...

The vast majority of real estate professionals read the annual Swanepoel Trends Report for its analysis of the top developments shaping the industry. A phenomenal resource for agents, brokerages, associations, MLS firms and vendors, the T3 Sixty report offers in-depth research around what's happening in real estate—from investment in tech innovation to the direct buyer phenomena to the latest brok...

The concept of the MLS creates a strange contradiction for brokers who are both competing with one another, yet sharing inventory by way of compensation and cooperation. In the middle of it all is CMLS, challenged with refereeing any acrimony between brokers and MLSs, promoting best practices, and supporting its membership of 203 MLS providers representing 1.2 million subscribers. At the helm is D...

Katie Smithson picks her battles. Even well-meaning colleagues occasionally make insulting or offensive comments, and a professional woman has to decide what she can brush off and what she simply cannot accept. Though the lines can be blurry, nine years in the industry have taught Katie how to establish boundaries and present herself as a professional. Katie grew up in Franklin, Tennessee, and wen...

By 2009, mobile users could do a lot with smartphone apps—get directions, listen to music, take pictures, play games, even film a video. Aaron Kardell thought that you ought to be able to add 'look for a house' to the growing list of applications, and he founded HomeSpotter with the intention of doing just that.   Aaron grew up in rural Nebraska in a family of entrepreneurs. He started writing sof...

If you feared more of the same when Bob Goldberg was named CEO of NAR, take heart. The rhetoric of our new leadership is focused on engagement, openness and transparency—knocking down the façade of the 'Ivory Tower' and facilitating dialogue with members, even those who disagree. Bob Goldberg has been a senior executive with NAR since 1995, and his accomplishments include the launch of the REALTOR...

The Upstream Pivot with FBS CEO Michael Wurzer I had a chance to sit down with Mike Wurzer again at NAR Midyear to discuss the recent announcement about Upstream, well not really doing upstream anymore.  This was recorded before NAR announced the details to their additional funding.  More on that in a later blog post. The first step of problem-solving is to assign blame. Right?   That seems to be...

Henry Ford is credited with saying, 'If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.' True innovation provides you with the tools you didn't even know you needed. Today's guest understands the challenges of the real estate industry, and he created a platform that provides a unique solution tailored to the work we do. A solution that will make you wonder how you ever did...