MLS Archives

Leveling the Playing Field Leads to Disaster
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Leveling the Playing Field Leads to Disaster

Broker-Agent Information, Main category

Leveling the Playing Field Leads to Disaster

I read a story today about a social studies professor who engaged his students in an experiment to demonstrate the long-term effects of socialism or leveling the playing field. This is a topic that is so dear to the hearts of today's real estate brokers that I could not resist sharing the story. The day of the first test, the teacher advised the students that he would average the score of each student and issue the average grade to everyone. The students took the test. The average was a B, and everyone was given a B. As you can imagine, [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:24:17-07:00January 31st, 2014|Broker-Agent Information, Main category|Comments Off

Why Brokers Get Upset With Their MLS

Some of our time at WAV Group involves supporting brokers and their technology vendors at problem solving. Yesterday we encountered an issue with the data feed to a vendor. The vendor claimed that everything was working. The broker knew this was not the case. So we got on a call and did a screen share to match the listings in their system to the listings in the MLS. The marketing staff member for the broker is not a savvy expert of using the MLS. But the broker does pay associate fees every month so she has access and she goes [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:24:18-07:00January 22nd, 2014|Broker-Agent Information, Main category, MLS Insights, Our Services|1 Comment

Your MLS Technology Business Rules – Bet You Don’t Know Them!

I have worked with hundreds of MLSs around the world and been personally involved in over 100 installations and/or conversions and one thing I have discovered over the years is a little-known fact. MLSs don’t know the business rules that are built into their MLS systems to control their data, member access and overall permissions and MLS vendors have never created a way for you to see them! When you consider the complexity of our MLS systems today this is both understandable on one level and really inexcusable on another. Unfortunately, this lack of knowledge usually comes to light when [...]

By WAV Group|2018-05-03T21:24:19-07:00January 12th, 2014|Main category, MLS Insights, Our Company, Our Services, Strategic Planning|Comments Off

MRIS Tackles Coming Soon Listings

MRIS is among the few multiple listing services in the country that manage their own listing input system. Keystone, developed, owned and operated by MRIS, gives MRIS the ability to respond directly to subscriber needs for innovative listing management tools. Often, third party vendors have a difficult time responding to local market needs, in particular when it comes to listing input solutions. Based on market research, MRIS has been, and continues to, progressively update and enhance Keystone using a phased approach. Keystone provides an easy to use intuitive user experience to input and maintain listing data and facilitates the easy [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:24:19-07:00January 6th, 2014|Broker Technology Research, Main category, MLS Insights|Comments Off

Brokers Should Audit Their MLS

2014 may well be the year of the broker, or as they are referred to in MLS speak, the year of the Participant. If your MLS has adopted the National Association of REALTORS® template for MLS Rules and Regulations, you will find that brokers are Participants and agents are Subscribers. As a Participant in the MLS, brokers accept full responsibility to adhere to MLS rules and regulations. The MLS does a pretty good job of enforcing those rules. But who among you is making sure that the MLS is not running afoul? WAV Group MLS clients are traditionally the largest [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:24:20-07:00December 30th, 2013|Broker Technology Research, Main category, MLS Insights, Strategic Planning, Technology Evaluation|Comments Off

Broker Intellectual Property At Risk

Many real estate brokers are being asked to sign new MLS Participant Agreements. The cause for a new agreement is based upon the MLSs efforts to support real estate brokers to protect their intellectual property. This is a very important initiative that every broker should take very seriously. Every broker should also consult with their attorney to discuss ramifications and meet with the MLS in a forum to discuss the best path. There are a couple cases before state supreme courts (MD and MN) that are ruling on the ability for the MLS to defend the intellectual property rights when [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:24:20-07:00December 20th, 2013|Broker Technology Research, Broker-Agent Information, Main category, MLS Insights|Comments Off

It’s Your Data – Make Sure You Can Use It!

I do a lot of work helping MLSs choose their next MLS technology vendor and I also work with brokers that use multiple real estate technology tools. The one thing both sets of technology have in common is the fact that without good data the technology is worthless. Numerous roadblocks exist today, however, on the data front that often derails the best software. Some roadblocks come from within the MLS but some come from the technology vendors themselves. MLSs can serve as roadblocks to listing and sales data at the source, meaning they may put arbitrary restrictions on data use [...]

By WAV Group|2018-05-03T21:24:23-07:00December 9th, 2013|Broker Technology Research, Main category, MLS Insights, Technology Evaluation|Comments Off

WAV Group 2013 MLS Technology Survey Report

It is our pleasure to share the results of the WAV Group 2013 MLS Technology Survey report with you. The WAV Group 2013 MLS Technology Survey was fielded on September 13 and closed on October 16. 11,176 staff and users completed the survey. Survey results are only included for those MLSs that provided both staff and user ratings. Staff and user results are presented separately in the report. Overall, MLSs are happy with their MLS technology but there is some churn in the industry. 43% for the participating MLSs have been with their vendors for 10 years or more. [...]

By WAV Group|2018-05-03T21:24:23-07:00November 27th, 2013|Main category|1 Comment

Why are MLSs surprised?

WAV Group has been purposefully quiet during the storm of enlightenment whereby the industry pundits that recognize the role of the real estate broker in our industry. In truth, the leading MLSs in America are perfectly cognizant of the role and needs of brokers in real estate. Frankly, many of The Realty Alliance brokers own MLSs or are standing members of the Board of Directors. Even in the absence of having a broker-owned MLS or having broker led governance in your MLS, there is plenty that you can do that involves the broker in your MLS strategic planning. Every WAV [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:24:24-07:00November 5th, 2013|Broker Technology Research, Broker-Agent Information, MLS Insights, Our Company, Our Services|Comments Off

IDX Reboot
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IDX Reboot

Main category, MLS Insights, Technology Evaluation

IDX Reboot

This is a rather obscene notion, but sometimes the best way to innovate is to ask a bunch of questions about the status quo. For brokers and MLSs to innovate, they need to question the effectiveness of IDX. I would not question its value. Rather, I believe that it has uncompromising value to MLS participants and subscribers. I question how we can make it more valuable. Perhaps it is time for a reboot. A reboot is a process where you turn something off and turn it back on to stop routines from running that undermine the operation of the machine. [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:24:25-07:00October 24th, 2013|Main category, MLS Insights, Technology Evaluation|2 Comments

Thinking About Regionalizing Your MLS?

We all know there are too many MLSs in the US. It’s just a fact. MLSs were originally set up according to Board boundaries established by NAR based on market areas that existed many years ago. Times and technology have changed everything. Real estate market areas have expanded far faster then our industry has responded so in many areas of the country we have multiple MLSs serving areas that should logically be served by one. It is hard to argue that cooperation and ultimately consolidation is good for everyone involved in buying and selling real estate. Brokers and agents who [...]

By WAV Group|2018-05-03T21:24:25-07:00October 23rd, 2013|MLS Insights, Our Company, Our Services|2 Comments

CRIS and NORMLS MLS Move to CoreLogic Matrix System

After an extensive RFP process the Centralized Real Estate Information Service (CRIS) and the Northern Ohio Regional Multiple Listing Service (NORMLS) have chosen CoreLogic's Matrix system as their new MLS platform. CoreLogic's press release follows; IRVINE , Calif., October 1, 2013—CoreLogic® (NYSE: CLGX), a leading residential property information, analytics and services provider, today announced that the Centralized Real Estate Information Service (CRIS) and the Northern Ohio Regional Multiple Listing Service (NORMLS) have entered into a new five-year agreement to license the Matrix™ suite of multiple listing products and services. “The decision to contract with CoreLogic for its Matrix platform was [...]

By WAV Group|2018-05-03T21:24:26-07:00October 1st, 2013|Main category|1 Comment