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How Strategic is your Strategic Plan?
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How Strategic is your Strategic Plan?

Broker Technology Research, Broker-Agent Information, How to Make Strategic Planning Really Work in your MLS, Main category

How Strategic is your Strategic Plan?

The real estate industry is in a state of flux – many of the rules as we know it are changing before our eyes. Demanding consumers now require a lot more from their agents. Agents expect more from their brokers. Brokers believe their Associations and MLSs need to do more to help them survive. Every group in the real estate “food chain” is at risk of becoming overpriced, irrelevant or both by the changes before us. So what is YOUR organization doing to prepare for the inevitable changes being thrust upon it? Is your group looking at “worst case” scenario [...]

By Marilyn Wilson|2018-05-03T21:25:09-07:00March 15th, 2012|Broker Technology Research, Broker-Agent Information, How to Make Strategic Planning Really Work in your MLS, Main category|Comments Off

Century 21 takes heat for National Advertising Fund

Century 21 is probably a bit hot under the collar in their corporate offices today. Not only are they in the news for the settlement of a lawsuit involving the alleged mis-handling of the franchise advertising fund, but now many franchises across the country are expecting a check that they may not be eligible to receive. According to a story published in Inman News yesterday, Century 21 Real Estate Corp. settled a class-action lawsuit that the franchisor and its parent company misappropriated franchise feeds paid by brokers. It is a common practice for all franchise organizations to create a pool of advertising [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:25:09-07:00March 14th, 2012|Broker-Agent Information, Main category|Comments Off

Running an Association does not have to be a “Life Sentence”
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Running an Association does not have to be a “Life Sentence”

Main category, Strategic Planning

Running an Association does not have to be a “Life Sentence”

Association Executives serving a 'Life sentence" At WAV Group we work with leading associations and MLSs around the country helping them to find world class talent to continue an organization’s growth and evolution. We are lucky enough to be able to observe board dynamics, internal operations and CEO-led initiatives. As an industry, we are blessed with loyal leaders and followers who value the tradition of real estate and the process of governing the industry as well. They clearly understand the unique needs of REALTORS® and are passionate about nurturing the real estate industry. Many of them have [...]

By Marilyn Wilson|2018-05-03T21:25:09-07:00March 13th, 2012|Main category, Strategic Planning|Comments Off

Century 21 Announces Deal With Market Leader to Provide Tools to Century 21 Agents Throughout the US

Century 21 announced today that it will provide its U.S.-based real estate professionals with new tools from Market Leader including marketing, lead follow-up and a full CRM platform. Market Leader and the CENTURY 21 marketing team worked together to define a customized solution, leveraging a number of the integrated building blocks that make up Market Leader’s comprehensive software platform. The base system that will be provided to all agents at no cost while advanced capabilities will be available for high-end producers at a small premium. PRESS RELEASE […]

By WAV Group|2018-05-03T21:25:09-07:00March 13th, 2012|Broker-Agent Information, Main category, Press Releases|Comments Off

Best Days to Reach Agents

There is an old pubic relations myth that indicates that the best day for issuing PR is on Tuesday. This opinion is likely formed from the days when media was printed on paper or broadcast on TV. Tuesday is not the top day anymore. For today’s MLS, Association, or any other company that supports real estate agents, communication is very important. The timing of that communication is also very important. Despite the nay-sayers that preach “REALTORS don’t read,” we have learned that they do. They read a lot. In fact, the problem with communicating to real estate professionals may not be [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:25:10-07:00March 13th, 2012|Main category, Marketing, MLS Insights|Comments Off

Real Estate and Scented Print Ads

Oh the sweet smell of real estate. Open house month conjures up fresh baked cookies or home made bread. Agents have put scent into their open house strategy for decades. More than myth, scent is a great marketing tool! When I think of scent marketing, I think of the perfume ads that still show up in magazines. I am not a big fan of those ads, but they do catch your attention. They make you smell, even if only to reconfirm your distaste for the perfume. Today, scent marketing has extended beyond fragrances. Leading brands like Dove, Neutrogena, and Airwick [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:25:10-07:00March 12th, 2012|Main category, Marketing|Comments Off

Is the MLS responsible for the Syndication Mess?
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Is the MLS responsible for the Syndication Mess?

Broker-Agent Information, Main category, Strategic Planning, Technology Evaluation

Is the MLS responsible for the Syndication Mess?

I give a lot of credit to the Council of MLS for their commitment to understanding the issues with listing syndication and formulating an effort to fix it. In the first place, the failure of many MLSs to understand listing syndication has been the cornerstone of the problems that exist today. Here is a little history lesson. In the beginning, only a few brokers with their own IT staff were able to supply a feed of their listings to publishers. When a broker has hundreds of listings or tens of thousands of listings like Howard Hanna, Prudential Fox and Roach and [...]

By Marilyn Wilson|2018-05-03T21:25:10-07:00March 9th, 2012|Broker-Agent Information, Main category, Strategic Planning, Technology Evaluation|2 Comments

Figuring Out The Non-Dues Revenue Equation

As membership numbers have declined, many MLSs and Associations are feeling more and more pressure to reduce their dependence on dues based revenues. At the same time, the cost of running an MLS is increasing. Members are more demanding for the scope of services they expect while they expect the pace of improvements and enhancements to keep up with the ever-increasing speed of technology innovations available today. Third, members are under increasing pressure to offer better service and information to their customers, putting even more pressure on the MLS to deliver comprehensive, accurate data and seamlessly integrate to third party [...]

By Marilyn Wilson|2018-05-03T21:25:10-07:00March 8th, 2012|Main category, Marketing, MLS Insights, Press Releases, Product Management, Strategic Planning|Comments Off

Scenic Coast – America’s First Hybrid MLS

Established in 1969 in slumbering Morro Bay, California, Scenic Coast Association of REALTORS (SCAOR) has established an amazing MLS Offering – Two MLS memberships for the price of one. This new solution is called the MLS Hybrid, and may be the first of it’s kind in the nation. SCAOR participates in the Central Coast MLS (CCRMLS). I have not reviewed their governance, but CCRMLS behaves like a data share among 7 Associations serving 2500 agents offering Rapattoni MLS, Realist Tax, Listhub, and REALTORS Property Resource (RPR is offered in some but not all AORs in CCRMLS). On February 10th, 2012, [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:25:10-07:00March 8th, 2012|Main category, MLS Insights, Strategic Planning|3 Comments

A Brief Quiz: What Type of Executive Are You?

When you are confronted with potential change to your organization, do you believe you are a “big picture” thinker or a wall builder? True leaders understand how resisting necessary change is never the right option. What type of leader are you? I recently had a conversation with an MLS/Association executive that made me realize how strong some of our leaders are, as well as how short sighted others are. This particular MLS executive who oversees a fairly good-sized organization with over 5,000 members brought up the issue of sharing data with another MLS. It really wasn’t the specific reason we [...]

By WAV Group|2018-05-03T21:25:10-07:00March 8th, 2012|How to Make Strategic Planning Really Work in your MLS, Main category, MLS Insights, Strategic Planning|1 Comment

NAR Will Face Its Greatest Foes

Our industry, and every industry faces foes. Some foes that challenge industries are ideological, some economical, some ethical, and some natural. Certainly, the real estate industry faces each of these foes today. Who will be the leader that guides the people, the agents, the brokers, the association executives, the mls executives? Remember this leadership statement? “Let every nation know… that WE shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and the success of liberty.” More than any political speech, this was the voice of a committed leader. In [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:25:11-07:00March 8th, 2012|Broker-Agent Information, Main category, MLS Insights|Comments Off

RE/MAX renews VOWS with Homes.com

Divorce happens in life and in business. Keeping a relationship together over a long term requires faith and dedication. When issues arise, strong partnerships raise to the occasion. Online competition is fierce today. RE/MAX is crushing all other franchises in America in terms of visits and page views, but there are new competitors now – publishers. It is harder to stay competitive unless you have a great team. There is always fear in any relationship. Fear that something could be better if you were partnered elsewhere. My goodness – look at the divorce rate in America. But today’s post is about a [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:25:11-07:00March 6th, 2012|Broker Technology Research, Broker-Agent Information, Main category, Marketing, Press Releases|Comments Off