Victor Lund, Author at WAV Group Consulting

Annual WAV Group MLS Technology Survey – Get the Benefits!

WAV Group has always been passionate about research and helping our industry obtain data that assists professionals in making the right decisions for their organizations. We conduct numerous studies every year to that end and this September we will be fielding one of the most important studies we do, the annual WAV Group 2012 MLS Technology Survey. We started this survey in 2011 meaning 2012 will be the first year we are able to see how this critical data is trending and to see how our vendors are moving up or down in various rating areas. We would like every [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:24:53-07:00August 28th, 2012|Broker Technology Research, Main category, MLS Insights, Our Services, Technology Evaluation|Comments Off

MLS Photo Fail

"A picture is worth a thousand words" is a rather famous old adage that refers to the notion that an idea with complex meaning can be conveyed in a single image. It allows the viewer to experience large amounts of information in a moment, and in doing so - often have an emotional reaction. In real estate, photos are the most powerful and compelling elements of a listing - they are the essence of meaning. Many suggest that without the substance of a photo, you fundamentally do not have a listing. The notion dates back to the days of Aristotle, [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:24:54-07:00August 28th, 2012|Main category, MLS Insights|8 Comments

Contagion is a New Word for Brokers

If you spend much time around me, you would know that I get attached to words like “curate,” and use them so frequently that it annoys the good people who are around me every day. I am working on that. I have been a student of the effort to develop, to launch, and to save the Euro. A currency sharing standard among nations is more serious, and more important than a data sharing standard. However, in many ways real estate data sharing standards are analogous. I love some of the terminology used by economists and leaders to talk about the [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:24:54-07:00August 17th, 2012|Broker Technology Research, Broker-Agent Information, Main category, MLS Insights|Comments Off

Great Companies Execute Effectively

Marilyn Wilson's post yesterday set off a storm. The DMV, known for its historically horrid service experience has changed their ways. They do a good job, at least here in San Luis Obsipo, CA. When WAV Group is providing strategic planning support to an MLS, Association, Technology company, or broker - we measure stuff. There is usually a comparison chart created that shows a checklist of features or service offerings that compares company or product A vs. company or product B, C, and D. This is an important exercise and the information drawn from this type of benchmarking is helpful [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:24:54-07:00August 16th, 2012|Broker Technology Research, How to Make Strategic Planning Really Work in your MLS, Main category, MLS Insights, Product Management, Strategic Planning|Comments Off

RE Technology weekly traffic

In a way, RE Technology is a sand box for WAV Group. We get the opportunity to look at patterns of behavior and communications among real estate agents and brokers on a macro level and a micro level. Recently, we began to modify activities to determine how it may impact RE Technology readership. Our latest test was to change the time that the RE Technology daily digest goes out. The RE Technology daily digest is an interesting communication tool. Only agents who opt into getting the RE Technology newsletter receive it. Most agents choose to access RE Technology content through the message [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:24:54-07:00August 10th, 2012|Main category, MLS Insights, Product Management, Technology Evaluation|Comments Off

WAV Group White Paper: Brokers Missing Their Customers

Many real estate brokers believe that search engine optimization is a key tactic to master in their online strategy. There is a tendency to use statistics to make assumptions about your search engine optimization strategy that can lead you astray and have you investing your efforts and marketing dollars ineffectively. We all know the NAR research. 35% of buyers and 40% of sellers start their home search online. This is a totally misunderstood statistic. It does not tell us where the consumer starts their search online. Do not assume that it is a search engine like google, MSN, AOL, or [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:24:55-07:00August 9th, 2012|Broker Technology Research, Broker-Agent Information, Main category, MLS Insights|Comments Off

dotLoop and Trulia partner up

Press Release: SAN FRANCISCO, CA, Aug 01, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- INMAN CONNECT -- dotloop, the first real estate software company that eliminates paperwork and Trulia, a leading online marketplace for homebuyers, sellers, renters and real estate professionals, today announced a partnership to simplify the real estate process from search to close. As part of the partnership program, Trulia and dotloop will jointly promote their online real estate services to agents and homebuyers. Under the partnership, Trulia and dotloop will jointly promote both services to member agents, and help simplify real estate transactions by bringing the process online. More [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:24:55-07:00August 2nd, 2012|Broker Technology Research, Broker-Agent Information, Main category|Comments Off

Defense of Commissions

American business is founded on the principal that pricing for a product or service is based upon what a willing seller will accept, and what a willing buyer will pay. This happens on an individual basis with each transaction, and price fixing is not allowed. Recently, Casey William Hyland who purchased a home from a Home Services of America brokerage, Semonin REALTORS brought a suit challenging the 6% commission rates on real estate transactions. His claim indicated that the 6% rate was price fixing and is a Sherman Anti Trust Act Violation. When there are multiple transactions of commerce, pricing [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:24:55-07:00July 27th, 2012|Broker Technology Research, Broker-Agent Information, Main category, MLS Insights|1 Comment

Brokers pulling out of IDX

Game changers happen when businesses test radical strategies. When a company breaks from the pack they learn things that none of their competitors learn. They understand a strategy that nobody else as any experience with. They grow their business wisdom and often find new ways to edge out the competition. By studying the impacts of strategies like withdrawing from listing syndication; launching single listing websites or virtual tours; and, withdrawing from IDX, marketers can learn volumes about how these strategies impact their online strategy. Listing Syndication Strategies that work WAV Group has been studying listing syndication strategies for more than [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:24:55-07:00July 25th, 2012|Broker Technology Research, Broker-Agent Information, Main category, Virtual Office Website Series|1 Comment

Loyalty Marketing in Real Estate

An innovative concept known as loyalty marketing was heralded by the launch of American Airlines AAdvantage in the early 80’s and has since evolved to become competitive table-stakes as loyalty programs have saturated the business landscape. It is curious that an industry like real estate, powered by 80% repeat and referral business has missed the mark on loyalty marketing. Real Estate is not the only industry getting it wrong. It’s safe to say that the majority of programs consumers experience today have been designed “By Boomers for Boomers,” all while fundamental shifts in consumer purchase behavior demand that new models [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:24:55-07:00July 23rd, 2012|Broker Technology Research, Broker-Agent Information, Main category, Marketing, Sales Advisory, Strategic Planning|3 Comments

Scott Dixon and Partner buy The Real Estate Book

WAV Group congratulates our friend Scott Dixon and his colleague Stewart Christian for purchasing The Real Estate Book and affiliated publications. Scott and WAV Group partner Victor Lund have been friends for years. Lund has always admired Dixon's vision for the role that highly targeted and well produced print publications play in real estate. "Certainly, The Real Estate Book has done a great job working with their national footprint of publications. We are excited to see the next chapter of the company development under its new ownership," says Lund. The new company name is NewPoint Media Group. Here is the press release [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:24:56-07:00July 12th, 2012|Broker-Agent Information, Main category, Press Releases|Comments Off

Zillow brings battle to Listhub

Zillow launched a preemptive strike against Listhub yesterday by requesting IDX feeds from the nation's MLS providers. Zillow Executive Bob Bemis sent an email to all MLS CEOs and Executives titled "Why two data feeds when one will do." In the email, Bemis admits that Zillow.com is focused on improving data accuracy and timeliness. The note goes on to explain that Zillow's IDX service, Diverse Solutions, already has the data, why not allow Zillow to use it for Zillow.com so Zillow can circumvent their reliance on Listhub data feeds. A battle ensued when Listhub got word that Zillow was calling them out on [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:24:56-07:00July 3rd, 2012|Broker Technology Research, Main category, MLS Insights|6 Comments

About Victor Lund