Why are so many of our strongest Association Executives getting fired?

Today, it is more important than ever that the real estate industry nurtures and protects its best and brightest staff executives. We need people that are thoughtfully helping the industry navigate the uncertain waters we are swimming in right now. I have noticed an alarming trend, though, counter to this need. In the past year or so, many progressive Association Executive leaders have been dismissed without cause, advance notice, or well-documented justification. It seems as though as the market has gotten tougher the number of firings has increased. This alarming trend made me think about a few things that may be lacking in training and governance orchestration we may want to consider.

The 5 Reasons why North Carolina Regional MLS successfully continues its Southeast expansion

The latest Association addition to North Carolina Regional MLS moves the organization beyond the walls of their state and opens them up as one of the MLSs gaining traction in the formation of Southeast MLS collaborations.  They are arguable one of, if not the fastest growing MLS in the country when measured by the addition of new Associations and moving beyond contiguous markets. When examining their meteoric expansion, I observed a few lessons that can be leveraged by other markets to deliver brokers the broader data access they are demanding. In my opinion there are five key reasons NCRMLS is successfully expanding to support its brokers and the agents and clients they serve:

By |2024-07-19T06:24:20-07:00July 19th, 2024|Industry Observations, MLS, MLS Insights|Comments Off on The 5 Reasons why North Carolina Regional MLS successfully continues its Southeast expansion

Cash offers: Accelerating a first-time buyer’s ability to “win the deal”

Higher interest rates, record low inventory, rising home prices, and investors snapping up the most affordable housing – it feels like all the market conditions are working against first-time buyers. Then comes the news that zavvie, teaming with Luminate Home Loans and its NEO Home Loans, has been helping hundreds of first-time buyers (and others) break the bad-news cycle. By giving more buyers the opportunity to buy a home with a cash offer, there is some really good news – especially for first-time buyers. As a former loan officer for 8 ½ years – and from my time at Fannie [...]

By |2024-07-18T00:21:17-07:00July 17th, 2024|Industry Observations, Mortgage, News, Press Releases, Technology|Comments Off on Cash offers: Accelerating a first-time buyer’s ability to “win the deal”

REAL AI: RPR AI video scripts, Goodbye Google Hello AI, facts, headlines and AI Quote of the Week

By Kevin Hawkins with Korey Hawkins | Vol. 2 Post 28 REAL AI is a human-created weekly roundup of all things AI in real estate and emerging AI innovations in other sectors likely to impact real estate. We post a new edition every Friday, and our free newsletter is delivered every Monday. AI from RPR creates market trend video scripts Video for real estate agents has presented a conundrum since YouTube launched nearly two decades ago. Agents know the power of video, but most efforts have focused on posting listing videos that get very few buyer clicks. Even though YouTube [...]

By |2024-07-15T12:41:57-07:00July 12th, 2024|Artificial Intelligence, Builders, Industry Observations, Marketing, Real Estate Technology, Technology|Comments Off on REAL AI: RPR AI video scripts, Goodbye Google Hello AI, facts, headlines and AI Quote of the Week

REAL AI: AI convenience versus risk, Cool Gemini AI party trick, headlines, fast facts and AI quote of the week

By Kevin Hawkins with Korey Hawkins | Vol. 2 Post 27 REAL AI is a human-created weekly roundup of all things AI in real estate and emerging AI innovations in other sectors likely to impact real estate. We post a new edition every Friday, and our free newsletter is delivered every Monday. AI convenience versus risk Trying to keep up with the latest AI developments is like solving a Rubik's Cube that changes colors every second. There's also an extra layer of cutting through the hyperbole and inaccuracies reported daily. For example, a recent blog post touted a "breakthrough" using [...]

By |2024-07-05T08:06:42-07:00July 5th, 2024|Artificial Intelligence, Industry Observations, PropTech, Real Estate Technology, Technology|Comments Off on REAL AI: AI convenience versus risk, Cool Gemini AI party trick, headlines, fast facts and AI quote of the week

Why are we not treating MLSs as the Technology Companies they are?

Approximately 75% of MLSs are owned by Associations today. With the history of being launched as a for profit arm of trade associations, MLSs naturally adopted the governance models and board make-up of their parent companies. Here’s why I believe that approach is no longer valid.

NP Dodge Teaches The Power of Community

Sharing what's happening in your community with your clients is not just about keeping them informed; it's about building trust, enhancing engagement, and fostering community spirit.

By |2024-05-31T10:45:53-07:00June 4th, 2024|Follow the Leader, Industry Observations|Comments Off on NP Dodge Teaches The Power of Community

An Unstoppable Legend: Ben Caballero Remains America’s Top-Performing Real Estate Agent

Ben Caballero is an improbable and incomparable real estate legend. How can an individual real estate agent based in Texas sell an average of more than 19 homes daily, every day of the week, including Saturdays and Sundays? Again, 19 homes a day, times 365 days last year, would be 6,935 home sales. Ben sold 7,012 homes in 2023. He is the sole listing agent on every sale, verified by every Multiple Listing Service he works with in Texas. He does not work with any other agent or team at HomesUSA.com, the brokerage where he also is CEO and founder. [...]

By |2024-05-14T10:40:07-07:00May 13th, 2024|Broker Information, Builder, Builders, Clients, Industry Observations, MLS, Podcast, Thought Leadership, Uncategorized|Comments Off on An Unstoppable Legend: Ben Caballero Remains America’s Top-Performing Real Estate Agent

Real AI: AI agents are the next big thing, AI and the Big Apple, fast facts, and AI quote of the week

By Kevin Hawkins with Korey Hawkins | Vol. 2 Issue 18 Real AI is a 100% human-created weekly roundup of all things AI in real estate and emerging AI innovations in other sectors likely to impact real estate, posting weekly. AI agents are the next big thing This week, Sam Altman, head of OpenAI, tells MIT Technology Review that AI agents are poised to become AI's killer app. Compared to what these new AI Agents will do, ChatGPT-4 will look pretty dumb, Altman says. What is the difference between an AI chatbot and an AI agent? Think of an AI chatbot [...]

By |2024-05-10T10:44:50-07:00May 3rd, 2024|Artificial Intelligence, Industry Observations, PropTech, Real Estate Technology, Technology|Comments Off on Real AI: AI agents are the next big thing, AI and the Big Apple, fast facts, and AI quote of the week

Safeguarding Success: How to mitigate risk from potential DOJ mandates and other outside threats

In the ever-evolving landscape of the real estate industry, Multiple Listing Service (MLS) executives face a myriad of risks that have the potential to disrupt operations, tarnish reputation, and compromise data integrity.  In such a dynamic environment, proactive risk management is not just advisable — it's imperative. In this article, we'll explore the importance of “scenario planning,” or anticipating and mitigating the worst-case scenario within MLS organizations, and we’ll outline strategies for fostering a culture of preparedness and adaptability.

By |2024-04-25T08:09:27-07:00April 25th, 2024|Industry Observations, MLS, MLS Insights, Strategic Planning|Comments Off on Safeguarding Success: How to mitigate risk from potential DOJ mandates and other outside threats

How RE/MAX Can Fix Falling Agent Count

Combating falling agent count is a challenge facing many brokerages today. Even a growing brokerage keeps their eye steadily on the ball of agent count and production.

By |2024-04-18T09:58:52-07:00April 18th, 2024|Agent Recruitment, Homeowner Under Management, Homeownership Hubs, Industry Observations|Comments Off on How RE/MAX Can Fix Falling Agent Count