Managing Your Training Department

Training, support, and customer service are key features to any organization in real estate. Although these are three separate functions in large organizations, they typically are handled by one or two departments in most real estate organizations. For the purpose of this article, we will discuss this as one department, Training. WAV Group encourages the discipline of measuring satisfaction with the training department whenever a real estate organization performs focus groups, telephone interviews, or user surveys. Frequently the primary reason for dissatisfaction with a product or service is grounded in some part by poor training. Real estate is an adult [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:24:39-07:00March 23rd, 2013|Broker-Agent Information, Main category, MLS Insights, Our Services, Reports|Comments Off on Managing Your Training Department

Monetizing Listing Data…Is it Possible? Let’s find out in 2013

To Syndicate or not to Syndicate, that is NOT the question! WAV Group Response What an exciting day in real estate media. 1000Watt Consulting is having a spirited discussion blog to blog with Dale Ross of NAR's RPR. And, in an exciting development, Zip Realty did a data accuracy study that somewhat mirrored the WAV Group data accuracy research performed for brokers, Redfin, Windermere, and Long and Foster. They concluded that 30% of the listings on Zillow and Trulia are not on the market. To keep things rolling along, my friend Saul Klein from Yardi published a spirited article about [...]

Brokers harvesting business from their data

Real estate brokerages are way behind in the curve of excellence in lead management. This report is not about best practices of routing leads to agents, it is focused on measuring lead quality, and appending lead information with business intelligence that will convert more leads to drive more revenue. WAV Group’s brokerage business is focused on enterprise brokers, 500 agents or more – and usually a brokerage that also has some type of relationship with a mortgage or an insurance company. We use the term “home services” or “ancillary services” to refer to a brokerage that provides a full suite [...]

METROLIST® SELECTS CORELOGIC® MATRIX™ MLS SYSTEM––Colorado’s Largest MLS to Provide New Product Suite to 15,000 Real Estate Professionals–

IRVINE, Calif., February 6, 2013—CoreLogic® (NYSE: CLGX), a leading residential property information, analytics and services provider, today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Metrolist, Colorado’s largest multiple listing service (MLS) and provider of REcolorado, to provide the CoreLogic Matrix MLS system to 15,000 Colorado real estate professionals. For more than 25 years, Metrolist developed and hosted its own proprietary MLS systems. “The pace of innovation has profoundly accelerated since the company was originally founded in 1984 and we found that a transition to a vendor-based product suite made a lot of sense,” commented Metrolist President and CEO, [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:24:41-07:00February 13th, 2013|Broker-Agent Information, MLS Insights, Press Releases|Comments Off on METROLIST® SELECTS CORELOGIC® MATRIX™ MLS SYSTEM––Colorado’s Largest MLS to Provide New Product Suite to 15,000 Real Estate Professionals–

Putting the Broker in Charge of the MLS Service Offerings

Most MLSs today have a very simple pricing structure.  One size fits all. Every MLS customer receives exactly the same level of service and technology tools. There is no consideration for what services they may have available from their brokerage. This is the crux of why many large brokers are not best friends with their local MLS. They believe the MLS is “leveling the playing field”.  Large brokers believe their secret sauce and recruiting advantages lie in the technologies they offer to their agents.  They argue that the “full-service” MLS is diluting the impact of their significant investments in breakthrough [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:24:42-07:00January 31st, 2013|Broker-Agent Information, Main category|5 Comments

RE/MAX Expands Marketing Technology Platform: New Integrated Solutions Deliver a “Digital Upgrade” to the RE/MAX Design Center

January 16, 2013 (New York, NY)– RE/MAX agents will be getting a “digital upgrade” to their Design Center with the ability to create mobile-ready Single Property Websites, YouTube enabled videos, and dozens of professionally written marketing campaigns for email, print and mail, and social media. This new suite of products, which will be available to over 70,000 RE/MAX agents in the U.S. and Canada beginning in January, delivers advanced mobile-enabled technology and engaging consumer content to help agents sell more homes and develop their personal brands. RE/MAX agents can use the new automated marketing campaigns to target first-time homebuyers, move- [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:24:42-07:00January 30th, 2013|Broker-Agent Information, Main category, Press Releases|Comments Off on RE/MAX Expands Marketing Technology Platform: New Integrated Solutions Deliver a “Digital Upgrade” to the RE/MAX Design Center

PCMS positions for growth in 2013

Atlanta, GA (January 29, 2013) - PCMS founder and chief visionary, Jose Perez, today announced several key personnel decisions designed to support expansion plans in 2013. The company plans to leverage the success it has experienced since its founding in 2008 to provide a higher level of value and support to its clients and the industry in general. Former Realogy Regional Vice President, June Huber, recently joined PCMS as Vice President of Business Development for the Western United States. Based in Southern California, Ms. Huber brings over 20 years of real estate, mortgage and title experience to PCMS. "I had [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:24:43-07:00January 29th, 2013|Broker-Agent Information, Main category, Press Releases|Comments Off on PCMS positions for growth in 2013

Time is Running Out!

RE Technology is hosting an exciting 60-minute webinar with Cartavi and DocuSign on: January 29, 2013 at 10:00 am PST, 12 pm CST, 1 pm EST to learn how you can leverage your iPad and become mobile and paperless agent. The presenters of this interactive webinar will show you how to take advantage of the cloud, your iPad and technology such as DocuSign and Cartavi to better serve your clients from wherever you are. Take your business to the next level by saving time, saving money and providing your clients with an exceptional level of service when and where they [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:24:43-07:00January 25th, 2013|Broker Technology Research, Broker-Agent Information, Main category|Comments Off on Time is Running Out!

MOVE, INC. ACQUIRES eFROGPOND, INC. ASSETS TO EXPAND MARKETING SOLUTIONS

SAN JOSE, Calif., January 14, 2013 – Move, Inc. (NASDAQ:MOVE) today announced  the expansion of its suite of free marketing tools with the acquisition of certain assets of eFrogPond, Inc. an integrated communications and marketing solutions provider best known for its Housing Trends eNewsletter.  This acquisition signifies an enhancement to the Move, Inc. series of industry-leading marketing solutions.  Move, Inc. is the operator of TOP PRODUCER Systems and REALTOR.com. The Housing Trends eNewsletter will continue to function in its present form and Top Producer Systems CRM subscribers can distribute Housing Trends eNewsletters automatically to their customers.  Going forward, subscribers can [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:24:43-07:00January 15th, 2013|Broker-Agent Information, Marketing, Press Releases|Comments Off on MOVE, INC. ACQUIRES eFROGPOND, INC. ASSETS TO EXPAND MARKETING SOLUTIONS

Broker Profitability POD concept

This may be the real future of real estate brokerage. You will need to endure a series of short product stories to understand the POD concept for real estate brokerage. The coffee industry hit a home run with coffee pods. As it turns out, consumers would be happy to pay more for coffee if they do not need to deal with filters, scoops, and cans. The coffee pod industry was able to sell less coffee for a higher price by offering convenience. The pod revolution did not end with coffee. The rather smart dudes and dudettes at P&G took one [...]

Adding Broker and Agent Branding to Syndication

The gray skull of shame is the single most tarnishing factor of an agent’s online reputation. Yet today, more than 30% of listings on leading third party websites are missing photos or display incorrect contact information about the agent. There is absolutely no reason for this to happen. Today, listing syndication service providers and MLSs can fix this with ease. In truth, no change in real estate data is easy. Unless there is profit motivation, change takes place at a very sluggish pace. In order for agent and broker branding to be added to syndication, standards need to be developed. [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:24:47-07:00November 28th, 2012|Broker Technology Research, Broker-Agent Information, Main category|Comments Off on Adding Broker and Agent Branding to Syndication

Zillow expands rental offering with Hotpads acquisition

Market leading real estate publisher Zillow expanded their footprint by entering into an agreement to purchase Hot Pads today. The strategy behind the acquisition seems squarely aimed at conquering a larger audience of real estate consumers, namely consumers interested in rental properties. In October, Hotpads had nearly 2.8 Million Unique Visitors. Depending on how you add up traffic to Zillow and their other sites like realestate.yahoo.com, it adds up to less than a 5% increase in traffic. Moreover, Zillow picks up highly skilled staff that understand the real estate portal business, and how to manage data. Although Zillow already has [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:24:47-07:00November 26th, 2012|Broker Technology Research, Broker-Agent Information, Main category, MLS Insights|Comments Off on Zillow expands rental offering with Hotpads acquisition