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 [...]

Listing Input Forms Rise Again

If you are like me, you recognize that it was not very many years ago that agents relied on completing a listing input form as a primary method to submit a listing to the MLS. Indeed, in many markets today, MLSs still allow agents to fax in their listing, or broker administrators enter the listing for the agent. This is all happening at a time when many agents are clamoring for MLS listing input using their mobile device or tablet. In a tale of new school meets old school, Instanet is providing a new listing input service; the very service [...]

Attention Brokers – Learn how to take back the web from third parties!

While brokers have lots of technology tools at their fingertips today, a high impact website is still a critical tool driving success for any size real estate company.  Third parties continue to gain traction and traffic with consumers because they know what consumers are looking for and they deliver on their needs consistently!  If brokers want to become THE source for real estate consumers, they need to find ways to enhance and re-invent their own web presence. Brokers also need to learn about how to use their online presence to nurture new customer relationships for their agents. RED and RE [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:24:48-07:00November 1st, 2012|Broker Technology Research, Broker-Agent Information, How to Make Strategic Planning Really Work in your MLS, Main category|Comments Off on Attention Brokers – Learn how to take back the web from third parties!

Your company is a mess and that’s ok

If you look around your business and recognize a mess, everything is probably working a lot more smoothly than you imagine. It sounds counter intuitive, but companies that are progressive and evolutionary are likely to have many things left undone. Here are three things that you are likely to recognize in your company that are unseemly, but good. Wrong People There is no such thing as a perfect business team. When you evaluate your team, you will recognize that they all have strengths and weaknesses. Everyone is always working on improvement in some area of their professional responsibility. In today’s [...]

What’s Right for Me?

A new era is born for MLSs delivering technology solutions to their subscribers: Tiered Pricing. What do I get from My MLS/Association? Service levels offered by MLSs across the nation vary widely. Some MLS offerings are as minimal as a base MLS system, rules enforcement, and a RETS server. No training or help desk (vendor does that); no tax system, just a core MLS. Minimum Service MLS: This is really not as minimum as it sounds. MLS systems today are feature rich and have many necessary features that come standard like: CMA; User defined Hot Sheet; Roster; Prospect Management & [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:24:53-07:00August 29th, 2012|Main category, MLS Insights, Technology Evaluation|1 Comment

CoreLogic 2012 User Group Meeting and Summit

WAV Group partner, Victor Lund will be attending the 2012 CoreLogic User Group Meeting and Summit in Chicago next week. The event looks to be information-filled with presentations that provide insight in guidance into the future developments of MLS systems that power about half of America's MLS. Some of the topics include updates on the ongoing development of the core functionality in Fusion MLS, Matrix, and Tempo. These systems are deployed to many of the largest MLSs in the country. CoreLogic will also be releasing information on advances in Mobile, Fusion CMA, Social Media, Fusion Contact Management, Fusion Stats Pro, [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:24:56-07:00June 13th, 2012|Main category, Strategic Planning, Suveys and Research, Technology Evaluation|Comments Off on CoreLogic 2012 User Group Meeting and Summit

Last Day for Midyear Webinar!

Tomorrow we will bring attendees up to date on critical industry issues and trends via our last Industry Update Webinar, including: Economic forecasts for the real estate industry in 2013. Hot NAR topics and policy issues like the new proposed IDX rules. CMLS updates on new industry initiatives. Broker topics like syndication and online marketing effectiveness. Emerging technology trends for brokers and agents. MLS technology update. Promising non-dues revenue for MLSs to offset declining membership...and much more WAV Group founding partners and industry experts Marilyn Wilson, Mike Audet and Victor Lund will be sharing valuable on-the-spot insights gained while attending [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:24:58-07:00June 6th, 2012|Main category|Comments Off on Last Day for Midyear Webinar!

Attention Real Estate Professionals

WAV Group Webinar: Midyear Update Staying in touch with critical industry issues is essential for today’s real estate leaders whether they are managing an MLS or running their own real estate company and it isn’t easy. To help you better understand these key issues essential to your organizations, WAV Group founding partners and industry experts Marilyn Wilson, Mike Audet and Victor Lund will be sharing valuable on-the-spot insights gained while attending the annual Midyear NAR Conference held in Washington D.C. from May 15th – 19th, 2012 via two webinars on June 5th & June 7th, 2012 from 10:00 - 11:00 AM [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:24:59-07:00June 4th, 2012|Broker-Agent Information, Main category, MLS Insights|Comments Off on Attention Real Estate Professionals

New, simple way to keep your Board of Directors up to date on key issues facing MLSs

When we facilitate strategic plans for MLSs across the country, we often hear that board members would like their MLS to do a better job of keeping them up to speed on the key issues facing MLSs today.  With today’s budget crunches it is virtually impossible to send all of a MLSs leadership to conferences and workshops. We thought that maybe there’s a way for WAV Group to bring the conference to MLS boards so that each board member can stay up to speed without having to spend the time and money attending conferences all over the country. That’s why [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:24:59-07:00June 1st, 2012|Broker-Agent Information, Main category, MLS Insights, Our Company, Our Services|Comments Off on New, simple way to keep your Board of Directors up to date on key issues facing MLSs

Trulia Launches Mobile Agent App on Adroid Phones

Trulia and other online portals understand mobile very well. They clearly recognize that mobile will be the primary user experience of both consumers and agents today, and evermore in the future. In this latest announcment, Trulia provides a mobile solution aimed at engaging the mobile agent and connecting them with consumers in the best possible way. This is a great strategy; but it begs many questions. Where is the broker mobile strategy? Most brokers and franchises depend on telephone and email for connecting agents with inquiring consumers. It works, but mobile apps work better. I would expect to see franchises and [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:25:00-07:00May 30th, 2012|Broker Technology Research, Main category|Comments Off on Trulia Launches Mobile Agent App on Adroid Phones

Webinar: WAV Group Midyear Update

Looking for an easy way to provide your Board with an update on important industry trends and programs?  Don’t miss out on the big news that came out of the National Association of REALTORS® Midyear conference. The WAV Group team was on the spot in Washington, D.C., and they have prepared a webinar that shares all the must-know details, as well as analysis of the issues that are going to shape the future of your business and our industry. To register for the webinar on register for Midyear Industry Update on Tuesday, June 5, 2012 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM [...]