Technology Evaluation Archives

MLS Staff and MLS Users See MLS Technology Differently

WAV Group recently completed our 2011 MLS Technology Survey where we received feedback from nearly 11,000 respondents, from 66 MLSs around the US and Canada. Most importantly, the feedback was from both MLS staff which is always important, and the actual users. In fact, we only included results for MLS systems that had both staff and user ratings. The results were very interesting! We will be publishing an Executive Summary of the results next week for download but one of the more interesting things we noted was that MLS staff and MLS users see their technology quite differently and [...]

By WAV Group|2018-05-03T21:25:22-07:00November 23rd, 2011|Clients, MLS Insights, Our Services, Reports, Suveys and Research, Technology Evaluation|Comments Off

Great Vendors Embrace Rules

There has been a lot of conversational concern about companies that enter into new verticals of data management and service offerings. Four such instances were announced this year. REALTORS® Property Resource contracts with LPS for data services and LPS subcontracts to Real Estate Digital. Zillow purchased an IDX vendor, Diverse Solutions. MOVE purchased Threewide, the providers of the popular Listhub syndication service. CoreLogic launched a new appraisal tool leveraging MLS data. In every case, the vendor has been virtuous and adhered to contracts and data use rules. In each of these cases, many feared that data could be misused or [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:25:22-07:00November 22nd, 2011|Broker Technology Research, Main category, Marketing, MLS Insights, Product Management, Strategic Planning, Technology Evaluation|Comments Off

CMLS reviews pending IDX policy changes

I am a big fan of CMLS, the acronym for the Council of MLS. The Council does more than any other organization to support best practices among MLS service providers. Today, CMLS hosted a member webinar that provided a 360-degree overview of the pending IDX rule change, a consideration that will be discussed and submitted to the NAR Board of Directors for approval at the NAR Convention in Anaheim. The suggestions to the NAR Board of directors from the call were simple. Cathy Holefelder of Heartland MLS provided a great summary of the call and suggested this synthesized overview. – [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:25:23-07:00October 31st, 2011|Broker Technology Research, Main category, MLS Insights, Strategic Planning, Technology Evaluation|Comments Off

RE Technology launches VScreen Training Videos

Leading real estate technology media site, RE Technology, has partnered with VScreen to create agent training videos from top industry trainers. Arroyo Grande, CA (September 2011) – As a leading technology resource for the real estate industry, no one understands the value of video for websites better than the team at RE Technology. The company has partnered with VScreen, a leader in real estate training video creation and distribution, to improve their website’s home page: www.RETechnology.com. “We’ve published many articles about video on our website,” says Victor Lund, CEO of RE Technology, Inc. “We figured it was time to ‘walk [...]

By Marilyn Wilson|2018-05-03T21:25:30-07:00September 8th, 2011|Broker Technology Research, Broker-Agent Information, Main category, Our Company, Technology Evaluation|1 Comment

Online Reputation for Brokers and Agents

In real estate, QSC is the leader in Agent Ratings, but today, Facebook is raising the bar and having an impact on the online reputation of agents and brokers. Facebook is big, really big. In fact, it is the most heavily trafficked website in America. It is bigger than Google! And it has an impact on your broker and agent brand – especially if you do not have a facebook page. Although Google is the leader in search, Facebook is catching up and they have partnered with Microsoft Bing to deliver search results that are informed by your friends. When [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:25:38-07:00June 27th, 2011|Broker Technology Research, Broker-Agent Information, Main category, Technology Evaluation|Comments Off

Googles Next Step in Real Estate Search

Google Real Estate Last July, search and technology giant, Google announced an agreement to acquire ITA Software for around $700 Million. ITA software is a company that cut its teeth in the travel industry powering websites like Orbitz and Kayak. Google has been struggling with supporting consumers in real estate search for many years. They have had many fits and starts, including Google Base. With Google Base, the company tried to aggregate listing data and sort it out. Google Base was a failure and they shut it down. Now with ITA Software, Google may be [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:25:38-07:00June 25th, 2011|Broker Technology Research, Main category, Technology Evaluation|Comments Off

Move makes a move into Rentals

It is no surprise to anyone in real estate that the rental market has caught fire. Many MLSs are scrambling to expanded offerings to meet the needs of brokers who have focused on growing their property management business to meet demand. “Nobody wants to own a vacant home,” says Amy Gallagher of Century 21 Hometown. “We represent investors in buying rental property, and attract them with our strong property management business - we capture a side or two of the sale, and an ongoing business relationship that lasts years.” One thing that you can always trust consumers to do is vote with [...]

By WAV Group|2018-05-03T21:25:56-07:00November 23rd, 2010|Broker-Agent Information, Main category, Strategic Planning, Technology Evaluation|Comments Off

FBS – A Model For Cooperation

Having grown up in the MLS business and seeing it evolve from the days when we replaced books with MLS systems to today, where MLS sales are only made through taking a competitor’s account, I know how competitive the MLS technology landscape is. Over the past 20 years or so, we have also seen this market mature and with that maturation we have also seen intense price pressure placed on our MLS vendors to the point today where I question whether we have gone too far. MLS vendors today are the cornerstone of our entire real estate technology industry. Nothing [...]

By WAV Group|2018-05-03T21:26:07-07:00May 6th, 2010|Broker-Agent Information, Main category, MLS Insights, Technology Evaluation|Comments Off

FBS – A Model For Cooperation

Having grown up in the MLS business and seeing it evolve from the days when we replaced books with MLS systems to today, where MLS sales are only made through taking a competitor’s account, I know how competitive the MLS technology landscape is. Over the past 20 years or so, we have also seen this market mature and with that maturation we have also seen intense price pressure placed on our MLS vendors to the point today where I question whether we have gone too far. MLS vendors today are the cornerstone of our entire real estate technology industry. Nothing [...]

By WAV Group|2018-05-03T21:26:07-07:00May 6th, 2010|Broker-Agent Information, Main category, MLS Insights, Technology Evaluation|Comments Off

RPR – To Join or Not to Join is Not the Only Question!
Gallery
RPR – To Join or Not to Join is Not the Only Question!

Broker Technology Research, Broker-Agent Information, Main category, MLS Insights, Product Management, Reports, Sales Advisory, Suveys and Research, Technology Evaluation

RPR – To Join or Not to Join is Not the Only Question!

Since the announcement made by NAR on the formation of RPR and their public rollout at the NAR conference in San Diego, RPR and their proposed business model has been a major topic of conversation in MLSs across the U.S. Some MLSs seem to think this is an idea long overdue while others have expressed “no interest” while most seem to be somewhere in between with a “wait and see” attitude. c planning session we facilitated for a major MLS the topic of RPR participation was, of course, discussed. Our approach to the discussion, as with any business issue, is [...]

By WAV Group|2018-05-03T21:26:15-07:00February 1st, 2010|Broker Technology Research, Broker-Agent Information, Main category, MLS Insights, Product Management, Reports, Sales Advisory, Suveys and Research, Technology Evaluation|Comments Off

MARKETLINX LAUNCHES MOBILE MLS AUDIO SEARCH-Press Release

MARKETLINX LAUNCHES MOBILE MLS AUDIO SEARCH –VoicePad Technology Lets Agents “Search Any Home from Any Phone™"– SANTA ANA, Calif., Jan. 11, 2010 MarketLinx, Inc., a leading provider of information technology to the residential real estate industry and a member of The First American Corporation (NYSE: FAF) family of companies, announced today that it has partnered with VoicePad® to offer a mobile audio search tool to its MLXchange™, TEMPO™ and InnoVia™ multiple listing service (MLS) customers. Called VoiceLinx, the solution allows MarketLinx MLS users to hear spoken listing information from any mobile phone simply by calling a local phone number and [...]

By WAV Group|2018-05-03T21:26:17-07:00January 11th, 2010|Broker Technology Research, Broker-Agent Information, Main category, MLS Insights, Technology Evaluation|Comments Off

Real Estate CRM Company seeks venture partner

For the past four years, Technology Concepts, a veteran MLS provider, has been developing a Customer Relationship Management product for the real estate industry. The company has leveraged their experience serving MLSs, brokers and agents to architect and build one of the industry’s most advanced enterprise level CRM solutions. The product, named Eventus, is operational, installed and has realized outstanding results for the first tier users. Now that the product is ready for full deployment into the market place, the company is seeking a business partner to fuel marketing and fulfillment. The company will consider options from company or product [...]

By WAV Group|2018-05-03T21:26:20-07:00November 7th, 2009|Broker Technology Research, Broker-Agent Information, Main category, Marketing, Press Releases, Product Management, Technology Evaluation, Twitter for Real Estate, Virtual Office Website Series|Comments Off