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 [...]

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 [...]

Why Innovation Fails To Change Real Estate

Every year, real estate sees the launch of beautiful products, offering awesome features, advantages, and benefits. Excellent marketing programs back them and the press creates a jubilee – Innovator of the Year! Then the product launches, and the industry shrugs its shoulder. It is the conundrum of new product development and innovation for real estate. Most of these companies are doing everything right. They are doing research, spotting trends, holding focus groups, testing usability, and modeling lovely financials. If they can only get 1% adoption of this, or 3% of that, revenues will be awesome. There are 1 Million real [...]

MLS strategy to diversify revenue

WEBINAR RECAP WAV Group, RE Technology, and Zuora sponsored a webinar on the topic of non-dues revenue on February 15th, 2012. Panelists for the webinar included Jeremy Crawford of MLSListings.com, Melissa Olson of Metrolist Colorado, John Heithaus of Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, Kevin Green of Real Estate Digital, and Travis Hutch of Zuora. Victor Lund of WAV Group was the session moderator. Overview Associations and MLSs have been in the business of offering non-dues related products for some time now. They have sold yard signs, closing documents, certification training, and lock box products for years. [...]

Non Dues Revenue for MLS

WAV Group Webinar Feb 15th at 10:00am PST   This WAV Group webinar will focus on a panel discussion about the topic of non-dues revenue. Numerous MLSs around the country have launched or are in the process of launching these programs to provide lower cost business solutions to MLS subscribers. According to the recent CMLS survey - 54% of today's MLSs offer some form of non-dues revenue. "These companies are pushing the boundaries of their non-dues revenue programs," says Marilyn Wilson, WAV Group Partner. Topic: Why MLSs pursue non-dues revenue Different options for generating non-dues revenue How it is positioned to their [...]

Communication Strategy for Real Estate

One of the fundamental core values of the MLS (beyond offers of compensation) is the organization and communication of property information database. The role of the MLS as a communicator is a hotly debated topic, because the communicator becomes the identity and spokesperson to a wide range of agents and consumers alike. The MLS as a communicator is largely predicated by the governance of the MLS, its bylaws, and the standards set by the MLS shareholders and board of directors. Today, most MLSs have one or more REALTOR Associations as their shareholders. The board of directors is typically appointed by [...]

Broker Opt Out

Broker Opt Out Buttton The practice of MLS data licensing gives rise to new questions in our industry. The question before us today is: What does Broker Opt-Out mean? WAV Group reached out to a variety of respected industry executives to get an answer to this question. None were able to cite a rule or a legal case that outlined a definition. Moreover, none were able to produce a definition in their MLS rules and regulations. As such, our industry faces a new opportunity. MLSs may define Broker Opt-out and Broker Opt-in as it relates [...]

Making a Change Requires Some Tension

We have always been big believers that most change occurs as a result of some “pain”.   While we all would like to create change in our lives for positive reasons, and we certainly do at times, a good deal of “major” changes in business and personal lives come about as a result of pain or some “tension” in our lives.  It’s the old aspirin vs. vitamins story. We know we should take vitamins; they are good for us right?  But, if you have a really bad headache or muscle ache you are most likely going to take something for it more [...]

Job Posting – Executive Vice President – Association/MLS

POSITION TITLE: Executive Vice President-Association/MLS REPORTS TO: Board of Directors ORGANIZATIONAL DESCRIPTION The Greenwich Association of REALTORS®  (GAR) and Multiple Listing Service serving one of the most exceptional markets in the U.S., with average property values in the millions, is currently interviewing candidates for the position of Executive Vice President. The Greenwich Association of REALTORS® and Multiple Listing Service are driven by clear strategic goals and benchmarks designed to continually improve all member services from education to technology and data accuracy.  The Association has recently conducted a number of strategic initiatives and member research and is now looking for their [...]