California Legislature Approved 4 New Bills to Support Building Millions of Units of Affordable Housing in Commercial Corridors

California, like many states, suffers from a lack of affordable housing. According to the California Department of Finance, the median price of a single-family home in May 2022 in California was $898,980, up a significant 1.6% over the previous month and an increase of nearly 10% over the same time last year. AB 2097, amounts to a statewide boost to residential and commercial development near public transit. The bill prohibits local municipalities from imposing any minimum car parking requirements for projects located within a half mile of metro, bus, or other transportation centers. AB 2221, incentivizes ADU(Accessible Dwelling Unit) construction by clarifying rules around “granny flats”. Under existing law, developers are allowed to add the units only to existing multifamily buildings. AB 2221 extends that allowance to proposed projects. It also clarifies local agencies’ timelines for approving ADU, or accessory dwelling units, projects and raises certain height limits, and other changes.

By |2025-03-16T05:31:43-07:00September 1st, 2022|Bills and Policies, Industry Observations, News|Comments Off on California Legislature Approved 4 New Bills to Support Building Millions of Units of Affordable Housing in Commercial Corridors

MLS Leaders: Pay Attention to These 3 Key Measurements

There is a saying that goes, “The squeaky wheel gets the oil.” From a repair perspective, that is a good rule to follow, but far too often organizations let the “squeaky wheel” drive important strategic decisions that affect the future direction of the MLS or association. I have seen this happen many times first-hand while creating hundreds of strategic plans for organizations over the years and as an advisor for the Louisiana's broker-owned MLS, Greater Southern MLS. While customer feedback and interviews play an important role in understanding your challenges, as leaders on the board of directors, or in the executive offices, it is crucial that you temper what you hear with real numbers. WAV Group’s Customer Experience Index (CXI) is the first industry wide standard collecting and comparing numbers for MLSs across markets.

By |2025-03-16T05:29:40-07:00August 31st, 2022|Associations, MLS, MLS Insights, Strategic Planning|Comments Off on MLS Leaders: Pay Attention to These 3 Key Measurements

Five Easy Steps to Turn a Disgruntled Subscriber into a Raving Fan

From WAV Group’s over 20 years of fielding MLS and association customer satisfaction surveys, and from the launch of our new program the WAV Group Customer Experience Index, we have learned a lot about how to use survey results to turn a disgruntled subscriber into a raving fan. Here is a time-tested process that sometimes takes your worst critic and turns them into your most loyal supporter.

By |2025-03-16T05:28:34-07:00August 25th, 2022|Associations, MLS, MLS Insights, Strategic Planning, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Five Easy Steps to Turn a Disgruntled Subscriber into a Raving Fan

Shock is Over for BRN Brokers

The Broker Resource Network’s Leadership Roundtable had their summit yesterday to discuss key business themes impacting our industry. The Leadership Roundtable is a volunteer leadership group of the BRN that meets bi-monthly to guide the direction of the BRN in its 'Broker First' mission. They set the tone of advocacy and research which benefits brokers.

By |2022-08-25T13:22:57-07:00August 25th, 2022|Broker Information, Broker-Agent Information, Business Intelligence, Industry Observations, Thought Leadership|Comments Off on Shock is Over for BRN Brokers

Greater Southern MLS proves that training promotion CAN move the needle on engagement and satisfaction.

When we launched the WAV Group Customer Experience Index for MLS late last year, we were excited by all the insights and trends we knew this valuable program would uncover. We have learned that participation in training has a major impact on overall subscriber satisfaction. Analysis revealed that those that attend MLS training registered higher satisfaction across the board.

By |2025-03-16T05:27:27-07:00August 24th, 2022|MLS, MLS Insights|Comments Off on Greater Southern MLS proves that training promotion CAN move the needle on engagement and satisfaction.

Rental Beast Announces Partnership with Southwest MLS

Today, Rental Beast announced their partnership with Southwest MLS - located in the Central New Mexico region. They have joined in releasing a new service to help consumers find rentals more effectively. The partnership will help Southwest MLS brokers be trusted advisors for their clients when finding rentals.

By |2022-08-22T13:49:28-07:00August 22nd, 2022|MLS, Partnerships, Press Releases, Rentals|Comments Off on Rental Beast Announces Partnership with Southwest MLS

Florida’s Largest Real Estate Event of the Year Set for Orlando Aug. 24-25

This year's annual Florida Realtors® Convention & Trade Expo takes place Aug. 24-25, 2022, at Rosen Shingle Creek resort in Orlando, Fla. Realtors from around the state will discuss crucial issues that shape their profession, selecting from nearly 40 education sessions. Topics run the gamut, from how to sell luxury homes, the post-pandemic future of global real estate, how traditional brokerages can increase their profit margin, how to create videos people will watch, and proven strategies for "irresistible" listing presentations. The convention and workshop schedule is here. According to the Florida Realtors, the top keynoter is entrepreneur, celebrity, and self-made billionaire Martha Stewart, [...]

By |2022-08-19T12:09:54-07:00August 19th, 2022|Broker Information, Real Estate Technology, Technology|Comments Off on Florida’s Largest Real Estate Event of the Year Set for Orlando Aug. 24-25

Bright MLS simplifies workflow for their 100,000+ customers

Agents know that photos are one of the key ways to effectively promote a property, yet many limit the number of photos they upload to the MLS because the process can be very onerous. Bright MLS, after soliciting input from their subscribers about the best ways to simplify the process of setting up a listing, has made it a LOT easier to upload photos now.

By |2022-08-04T15:27:12-07:00August 4th, 2022|Announcements, MLS|Comments Off on Bright MLS simplifies workflow for their 100,000+ customers

RISMedia’s CEO and Leadership Exchange – Sept. 6 in Washington D.C.

It has been a long time since brokers have gathered to shake hands and reconnect on a professional and social level. More than anything, the RISMedia CEO & Leadership Exchange is a place for brokers to meet and learn from each other.

By |2022-08-04T09:20:26-07:00August 4th, 2022|Broker Information, Conferences|Comments Off on RISMedia’s CEO and Leadership Exchange – Sept. 6 in Washington D.C.

Rapattoni MLS Software adding Restb.ai computer image technologies to automate engaging photo descriptions and more

For the second time in as many days, restb.ai is announcing a second MLS partnership. Rapattoni MLS, a leading provider of MLS software, is making it easier for agents to provide in-depth, SEO-friendly photo descriptions for their listings.

By |2022-08-03T07:24:31-07:00August 3rd, 2022|Announcements, MLS|Comments Off on Rapattoni MLS Software adding Restb.ai computer image technologies to automate engaging photo descriptions and more

Beverly-Hanks REALTORS Joins Howard Hanna

There is a certain DNA to Howard Hanna. Despite the company’s size and breadth of market coverage, they have developed a company culture that attracts and welcomes legendary firms like Beverly-Hanks REALTORS®. This is the 22nd merger in the past five years by the Hanna family of companies.

By |2022-08-04T10:35:02-07:00August 2nd, 2022|Broker Information, Follow the Leader, Mergers & Acquisitions, Press Releases|Comments Off on Beverly-Hanks REALTORS Joins Howard Hanna