MLS System Branding- Take credit for your most valuable tool

MLS organizations many times suffer from branding confusion. When they are a division of the association, for example, yet they have their own identity members don’t know the name of the MLS entity. When regional MLSs deliver their services through local associations their brand recognition gets even more muddied. Here’s one area where there may be an opportunity to deliver a more clearly-branded service to build the strength of the MLS organization’s brand - the MLS system. WAV Group conducts member satisfaction research all over North America.  When we ask members what MLS organization they belong to they will often [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:26:05-07:00June 16th, 2010|Main category|Comments Off on MLS System Branding- Take credit for your most valuable tool

CoreLogic Launches Partner InfoNet

CoreLogic made it official today with the launch of their  Partner InfoNet program.  The program allows participating MLSs to share revenue that results from its inclusion in various risk management products.   Press Release SANTA ANA, Calif., June 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ – CoreLogic (NYSE:CLGX - News), a leading provider of information, analytics and business services, today officially launched the Partner InfoNet, a special program for sharing revenue with multiple listing service (MLS) organizations. Through the program, an MLS licenses its listing data for use in a variety of new risk management products for mortgage lenders, servicers and the capital markets. Until [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:26:06-07:00June 14th, 2010|Main category, MLS Insights, Press Releases|Comments Off on CoreLogic Launches Partner InfoNet

Just too funny not to share!

John Mosey, one of the funniest MLS executives out there shared this list with me and I thought you might enjoy it. While words on this list have been touted as winners of the “Washington Post Mensa Invitational". From what I can gather it appears as though the “invitational” may be, in fact urban legend, but the words are really funny nonetheless.   This list has been floating around it appears since 2005, but they still seem pretty topical. “Here are the winners of this year’s Washington Post’s Mensa Invitational which once again asked readers to take any word from [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:26:06-07:00June 9th, 2010|Main category|Comments Off on Just too funny not to share!

Edutizing with Market Statistics Proves it has staying power

WAV Group strongly believes that the best way to attract consumers is to provide them with valuable information to help position an agent as a local expert.  We believe that advertising is dead and “edutizing” is replacing it.  According to Socialnomics, 78% of people rely on research and referrals to make product decisions, while only 14% trust advertising as an information source.  It appears as though the market, at least in California agrees. Real Estate Business Services Inc. (REBS) today announced that two real estate associations, Ventura County and Victor Valley both renewed their agreements to provide robust market statistics [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:26:06-07:00June 8th, 2010|Main category|Comments Off on Edutizing with Market Statistics Proves it has staying power

Divorce and Real Estate

WAV Group performs volumes of research for MLSs and Associations each year.  As part of collecting subscriber and member surveys, we also collect basic demographic data - Male or Female, Age, etc.  Much of this demographic information allows us to associate general age group trends of American demographics and apply them to our understanding of the culture within an MLS or Association.  We have never asked marital status, but I wonder what role that plays in understanding the mindset of today’s REALTOR. One of the research instutitions that we value for information is Pew Research Center.  Today they released a [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:26:06-07:00June 8th, 2010|Main category, MLS Insights|Comments Off on Divorce and Real Estate

New Jersey MLSs step up data sharing

I caught this on the Real Town blog today.  It was published by Thomas Wissel, Information Technology,  Toms River,  NJ   Jersey Shore MLS, Middlesex County MLS and Trend MLS are now using the MarketLinx Data Co Op to efficiently share listings between 3 different MLS platforms. This may be “old hat” to other MLS operators in the country, but NJ has been rooted in the past by forcing agents to subscribe to multiple services. There are 9 MLS services that cover the state and right now only 3 have fully embraced the notion of making it easy on the users by [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:26:06-07:00June 4th, 2010|Main category, MLS Insights|Comments Off on New Jersey MLSs step up data sharing

Update SentriLock(TM) card with your Blackberry(TM)

This is a nice video to share with your members/subscribers if you offer Sentrilock in your marketplace. REALTORS® on the SentriLock system can now complete full SentriCard® renewals on the go, anytime and anywhere their busy day takes them, by using any BlackBerry phone* and BlackBerry SmartCard Reader. System users can purchase a BlackBerry SmartCard Reader V2 directly from SentriLock for $199. The SentriLock BlackBerry Card Utility Program is free. Please fill out the form below to order a BlackBerry SmartCard Reader.WAV Group has long suggested that the Blackberry phones are the best choice of smart phones for the professional [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:26:06-07:00June 3rd, 2010|Broker Technology Research, Main category|Comments Off on Update SentriLock(TM) card with your Blackberry(TM)

John Heithaus to lead Marketing at MRIS

06/01/2010– Press Release On June 1, John L. Heithaus joins MRIS as chief marketing officer. Bringing more than 30 years of real estate and executive experience, Mr. Heithaus will lead all marketing efforts for MRIS and be responsible for marketing operations, product management, partnership marketing and customer relations. He will also lead MRIS media and industry relations, advertising, interactive programs, communications and market and customer research. Prior to joining MRIS, Mr. Heithaus served as senior vice president of sales, marketing and REALTOR®alliances at SentriLock. He also served as senior vice president of partner and product development at Prudential Real Estate, [...]

By |2010-06-01T18:50:24-07:00June 1st, 2010|Main category, MLS Insights|Comments Off on John Heithaus to lead Marketing at MRIS

Android passes the iphone but is far behind Blackberry

  Big news from Googel Googles Android OS overtook the Apple iphone in US smartphone market share during the first quarter of 2010. Real Estate application developers should take note.  Many real estate technology providers have been quick to lead with iPhone apps, but have lagged in support for the Android or Blackberry.  This is not universally true - for example, GE led with their support for Palm, followed by Blackberry.  GE Announced this week that eKey support for iPhone. According to the NPD Group, Google now enjoys 28 percent of the smartphone market, earning the company the second-place spot [...]

By |2010-05-11T21:49:41-07:00May 11th, 2010|Broker Technology Research, Broker-Agent Information, Main category|Comments Off on Android passes the iphone but is far behind Blackberry

MLS data security still a big problem

Recently I was asked by a broker client of ours to review a product that they were considering implementing.  Without belaboring before getting to the point, upon investigation with the MLS, I learned that the vendor was not an approved data vendor in their markets.  Further questioning of the vendor revealed that they way they access the data required for their product is to use an MLS username and password provided by the broker.  After falling out of my chair, we notified the vendor and the MLS.  Clearly, the subject MLS does not have data security that prevents password sharing or [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:26:06-07:00May 7th, 2010|Main category|Comments Off on MLS data security still a big problem

New Google Search Results

Web 2.0 may be over.  Google has reverted back to the most traditional webpage layout ever.  Top Navigation and Side Navigation. I am using Google Chrome – this is the first layout of search results.  Notice that the Text Links at the top are now duplicated along the left side with icons.                       In this next image below, the search results change because I have logged into google.  You will notice how Google is storing my search result preferences and favorites by putting gold stars next to the products that [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:26:06-07:00May 6th, 2010|Main category|Comments Off on New Google Search Results

NAR MLS AE Forum Agenda Released

Looking forward to NAR Midyear next week.  Here is the final agenda for the NAR MLS AE Fourm   NAR MLS AE Forum: Washington, D.C.: Omni Shoreham Hotel, Empire Room Wednesday, May 12, 2010   Welcome & Overview: Tom Hurdelbrink, NWMLS, Bud Fogel, MRED NAR Policy: MLS may/may not require a photo: John Mosey, Northstar MLS & Council of MLSs Green the MLS: Al Medina, Director, NAR Green Designation MLS Domain Project (.MLS): Brian Larson, Larson/Sobotka Business Advisors Effective MLS Market Solutions (EMMS) : Kevin McQueen, Focus Forward Consulting RETS Update :Pat Bybee, MetroList MLS, Denver, CO RETS Genie: Carl DeMusz, NORMLS, Ohio ELF [...]

By |2010-05-06T21:47:34-07:00May 6th, 2010|Main category|Comments Off on NAR MLS AE Forum Agenda Released