Dot MLS May Face a New Opponent

Dot MLS Domains The United States Senate may be a new challenger to the successful bid by a group of MLSs (MLS Domains Association) to gain approval for a Top Level Internet Domain. A top level internet domain is .com, .net, .org, .XXX, or the curent application for the new .MLS. .MLS promises salvation for many of the ills that torment consumers and real estate brokers online. Notably – it suggests a rule set for displaying listings to consumers in order to qualify to purchase a .MLS domain. By subscribing to the rules of .MLS, publishers provide [...]

The Bigger LPS Paragon 5 Story

LPS, developers of the Paragon MLS system, announced that they have secured an agreement to replace a competitors’ MLS system with Paragon 5. This only happens about 12 times each year. The news is less about just getting a win, but tells a larger story about the future of MLS and how one MLS vendor is positioning for long term success. WAV Group performs upwards of 40 MLS customer satisfaction surveys each year to help MLSs understand what agents and brokers expect from their MLS. The number one complaint is Apple compatibility and Mobile compatibility. LPS knew this many years [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:25:21-07:00December 1st, 2011|Main category, MLS Insights, Technology Evaluation|0 Comments

FSBO Sites Grow as Broker and Franchises Languish

One of the pleasures of working at the WAV Group is the barrage of business questions that we are tasked to answer on a regular basis. Often, the questions challenge conventional understandings about the effectiveness of strategies in real estate. A key strategy discussion among executives at large broker firms and at large franchise organizations surrounds listing syndication to FSBO websites. Syndication strategies that each firm chooses varies relative to local market competition and consumer behavior. I highlighted that last sentence because it is the most important statement in this blog post. Many brokers and franchises are looking at what appears [...]

Increasing the relevance of MLS organizations – How about expanding the scope of data offered?

MLSs are under siege right now.  Since they control the most consistent and profitable cash flow source in the industry, they are very attractive targets.  They need to continue to innovate to increase their value and relevance since many are chipping away at their positions right now. It’s clear from the work we’ve done with MLSs. Data quality and comprehensiveness is the core value proposition common to all MLSs. No other organization has figured out a way to deliver the breadth and depth of quality real estate information that MLSs offer today.  Even well financed venture-backed start-ups have not figured [...]

By |2021-06-22T13:22:18-07:00November 29th, 2011|Main category, MLS Insights|4 Comments

WAV Group 2011 MLS Technology Survey Results

From September 23, 2011 to October 21, 2011 WAV Group fielded the WAV Group 2011 MLS Technology Survey to participating MLSs.  66 MLSs, representing 33 different states and provinces participated in the survey at both staff and user level. 10,779 individual participants filled out the survey completely making it the largest survey of its kind. National survey information serves as a great foundation to show you how your system stacks up with other MLS systems and what users are saying about each of these systems.  Thirteen vendor MLS systems had enough responses to be represented in the survey at both [...]

MLS Staff and MLS Users See MLS Technology Differently

  WAV Group recently completed our 2011 MLS Technology Survey where we received feedback from nearly 11,000 respondents, from 66 MLSs around the US and Canada.  Most importantly, the feedback was from both MLS staff which is always important,  and the actual users.  In fact, we only included results for MLS systems that had both staff and user ratings.  The results were very interesting! We will be publishing an Executive Summary of the results next week for download but one of the more interesting things we noted was that MLS staff and MLS users see their technology quite differently and [...]

Great Vendors Embrace Rules

There has been a lot of conversational concern about companies that enter into new verticals of data management and service offerings. Four such instances were announced this year. REALTORS® Property Resource contracts with LPS for data services and LPS subcontracts to Real Estate Digital. Zillow purchased an IDX vendor, Diverse Solutions. MOVE purchased Threewide, the providers of the popular Listhub syndication service. CoreLogic launched a new appraisal tool leveraging MLS data. In every case, the vendor has been virtuous and adhered to contracts and data use rules. In each of these cases, many feared that data could be misused or [...]

Putting the teeth back into the REALTOR® Brand

Real estate agents in our industry spend millions of dollars as a group annually to become a REALTOR® and to stay a member of the REALTOR® family. As someone who cut their teeth working with some of the most highly trusted brands in the world like Fisher-Price, Sesame Street and others, I have a few observations of the real estate industry’s branding efforts. First, when I ask most REALTORS® what makes them different than non-REALTORS® they say “the code of ethics”. While I appreciate the fact that those that live to the letter of the code of ethics may treat [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:25:22-07:00November 21st, 2011|Main category, MLS Insights|3 Comments

Is the technology bubble over?

In a report released on November 15th, we see that Technology spending may be getting worse this holiday season, but it is not as bad as other sectors. 14% of consumers plan to spend more on technology this year than they did in years past. Unfortunately, 29% intend to spend less on technology than in years past. The good news is that at 14%, Technology is the leading sector across all industries for increased spending. Books and Apparel come in a close second with 13% intention to spend more. Music and videos did not fair much better with 40% and [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:25:22-07:00November 18th, 2011|Main category|0 Comments

My Florida Homes MLS presents their Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Carolina Panthers My Flyaway Giveaway

MyFloridaHomesMLS.com launched their My Flyaway promotion giving people a chance to win a VIP Flyaway to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Carolina Panthers game on December 11th. The Grand prize includes flight tickets to Jacksonville, in-flight meal, VIP transportation to and from the game, pre-game hospitality, and 2 tickets to the game. MyFloridaHomesMLS.com is also offering 5 Second Place Prizes which include 4 tickets to the December 4th Buccaneers home game vs. the Carolina Panthers. […]

By |2018-05-03T21:25:22-07:00November 17th, 2011|Main category|4 Comments

Why MLS sold data is bad, and a note about the comma

Oversights are interesting. They are even more interesting when they are fixed.  Let me explain a little bit about “reporting Sales to the (MLS) Service” in the model MLS rules. Up until the recent meeting of the MLS Issues and Policies Committee meeting at the NAR Annual Convention, agents were required to change the listing status to Sold when a transaction closed. This is a case whereby the rule did not clearly indicate the behavior. As written, the agent was required to update the status of the listing, not enter the sale price from the contract. This is a significant [...]

RatedAgent Provides Ear to Ear Smiles

What’s More Painful: A Root Canal or Finding a Real Estate Agent? With RatedAgent.com, It’s Now Ear-to-Ear Smiles   With the Launch Today of the First-of-its-Kind Website, Consumers Can Now Access Objective, Customer Satisfaction Scores from Actual Home Buyers and Sellers Traditionally, finding a real estate agent to help buy or sell a home has been a hit or miss proposition at best. No longer. Beginning today and at no cost, consumers can get honest, unfiltered reviews about agents written by actual home buyers and sellers — and then even select an agent — using the nation’s first-ever objective real [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:25:23-07:00November 8th, 2011|Main category|0 Comments