Trulia in the Zillow Era

As an analyst for many brokerages, franchises, and MLSs, WAV Group looks carefully at reports from publishers to understand dynamics that can be leveraged to enhance performance. Sometimes, we encourage firms to keep their strategy the same. At other times we encourage trying something new or redeploying investment. I like Trulia’s reporting. It is something that other publishers (including their parent company) could benefit from. Below I will provide a discussion about each. Leads – in their purest form, leads count. Even bad leads. If you are a broker and you are not producing leads for your agents, you may [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:40-07:00June 25th, 2015|Main category|0 Comments

5 Ways Towards a More Perfect Panel

The old cliché “You get one chance to make a first impression” still resonates with me, particularly when I attend a real estate conference and listen to panels and presentations Each speaker, moderator and panelist has the opportunity to make a powerful impression with the audience, but to do that right; most people can’t just wing it. Nearly everyone who speaks at a conference needs to take NFL Quarterback Russell Wilson’s advice: “The separation is in the preparation.”  You need to prepare, and not on the plane on the way to the conference. The hubris of so many executives thinking [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:40-07:00June 25th, 2015|Main category|0 Comments

It’s time to replace Core Standards with the Gold Standard

NAR announced its Core Standard program for local Associations just over a year ago.   In essence it is designed to help every association ensure that they are delivering a minimum standard of code of ethics enforcement communication, advocacy, consumer outreach and fundraising to its members. The program is a good start.   At last count it had led to at least 90 mergers, likely with smaller associations who simply did not have the resources to meet the minimum standard. The number will probably be higher than that after the deadline of June 30th has been reached.   I applaud the effort to [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:40-07:00June 25th, 2015|Main category|3 Comments

An Industry At Risk

I am an optimist, so I live under the warm blanket of confidence that everything is going to be all right. But during the past month of traveling to every corner of our nation, I have encountered the twisty, curvy road to progress. I found greatness, and I found stagnation. I found agile innovators alongside good ol’ keep-it-is-ers. It’s hard to characterize our industry. We use most of the same words to describe our flocks of agents, brokers, Associations of REALTORS®, and MLSs. At times, is it is unfair to call some by their name. Are you an agent if [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:40-07:00June 25th, 2015|Main category|2 Comments

Austin Board of REALTORS® Seeks New MLS Director

The Austin Board of REALTORS® is seeking an MLS Director to lead its 11,000 member Multiple Listing Service, ACTRIS. The company is looking for a progressive Leader and Manager adept at creating positive change for MLS systems and services to help increase the value and relevance of their MLS operation. The ideal candidate is someone who thinks creatively about ways to make the MLS more relevant and profitable. The Director of MLS will have a proven ability to drive an organization to be more customer-centric while finding creative and affordable ways to take the MLS to the next level; positioning [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:40-07:00June 23rd, 2015|Main category, Our Services|0 Comments

Change and Balance

WAV Group holds a quarterly webinar called the WAVes of Change. It allows companies and senior executives to get a one-hour overview of change that is happening in our industry. We wear a lot of hats in our capacity as industry researchers, investors, capital markets advisors, consultants, RE Technology publishers, and though our newest endeavor - WAV Group Communications. WAVes of Change webinars aim to pack all of this into a big ball and throw it your way so you can hit it out of the park in your business. Another way to look at change is innovation. Some call [...]

The Ones to Watch: Upstream, Broker Portal, and the Kid in the Basement

Historically, the words, “location, location, location,” have guided the real estate industry; but today, a strong argument can be made to suggest that, “portal, portal, portal” has replaced location as a symbol of mysterious change and almost certain disruption. Forecasters and trend watchers such as Stephan Swanepoel, Jeremy Conaway, and Steve Murray have, for several years, warned us we were witnessing the final unraveling of our increasingly dysfunctional status quo. Our collective tone-deafness to broker concerns, including their desire to own profitable businesses and control their listings, the endless wave of new third party portal competitors and the ever present [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:43-07:00June 10th, 2015|Main category, MLS Insights|1 Comment

Putting Marketing on Autopilot

Today, not a single agent among the nearly 3,000 that staff 170 RE/MAX of New Jersey offices is marketing a single listing. That’s because their marketing is on ‘Autopilot.” That’s the name of RE/MAX of NJ’s new marketing automation solution. Not one of their agents has to lift a finger to market a listing: It is being done for them, automatically, for every single listing. Autopilot creates, publishes and distributes both digital and print marketing material, including a printed “Just Listed” flyer and postcard, a digital ePostcard, a Single Property Website for the listing, a Virtual Tour and posts a [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:43-07:00June 10th, 2015|Main category, MLS Insights|0 Comments

Broker Public Portal Elects Executive Committee

The Broker Public Portal announces that the Board of Managers has selected the first Executive Committee. Chairman: Merle Whitehead, CEO Realty USA Vice Chairman: John Mosey, CEO NorthstarMLS Secretary: Craig McClelland, Director Metro Brokers Treasurer: Paul Wells, CEO RE/MAX Barrington At Large: Cameron Paine, CEO Connecticut MLS At Large: Chris Heller, CEO Keller Williams Realty "It's an honor to contribute to this vital initiative," says Chairman Whitehead. "The resolve to introduce a new type of property search portal for consumers has never been stronger. Now that we have our new Board of Managers and Executive Committee in place, the talented [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:43-07:00June 4th, 2015|Our Services, Press Releases|0 Comments

RESO Enables Real Estate Technology Innovation Through Standardization

 Four Major MLS Firms Adopt Data Dictionary Morrisville, NC – June 4, 2015 – The real estate industry’s Real Estate Standards Organization (RESO) is fast becoming the industry’s “innovation enabler and cost-saver,” as technology firms serving the real estate industry will be unleashed as property data becomes standardized by the nation’s estimated 850-plus Multiple Listing Service (MLS) firms. Driving the welcome change is the National Association of REALTORS® mandated deadline for the adoption by Realtor affiliated MLSs of the RESO Data Dictionary by Jan. 1 of 2016 – just six months away to ensure industry adoption on enabling standards. Four [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:43-07:00June 4th, 2015|Main category, Press Releases|0 Comments

Instanet Provides Remote Add-Edit to 100000 Agents

There has been a lot of discussion about the challenges of separating listing add/edit from MLS systems. This has long been the practice is many MLSs and this announcement today adds yet another to the list. Instanet Solutions Implements New Listing Upload Interface for NWMLS NWMLS members reduce redundant data entry using InstanetForms® in TransactionDesk® June 3rd, 2015 Austin, TX - Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS) members can now create an MLS listing from a listing input form in TransactionDesk®. With one click, the data entered in the listing input form is processed and uploaded to the MLS as an [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:43-07:00June 3rd, 2015|Main category, MLS Insights|1 Comment

Are you Obsolete as a Leader?

According to NAR’s newly released D.A.N.G.E.R report, one of the threats facing Associations today is the average tenure of its leaders. The report goes on to say that Association leaders run the risk or burn-out and lack of action because they have been at the job too long. While I clearly understand why this one made the list I would also like to make some suggestions about how to deal with the reality of where we are today. If you’re one of those Association Executives or MLS CEO’s that have been in your position for a very long time, here’s [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:43-07:00June 1st, 2015|Main category, MLS Insights, Our Services|0 Comments