Listing Bits

I hope you enjoy this great conversation with the co-founders of HŌM, Jeff Zakrzewski and Nhan Vo. In a wide ranging conversation we discuss their orgin story.  Where they came up for the idea of their app and the struggles of going to market with a real estate software solution. If you are new vendor getting in to the space, an MLS exec, or franchisor professional its worth a listen.  HŌM is a well designed app that is doing a lot of interesting things with data and collaboration with some great people behind it. Join us!   Find out more about the HŌM experience homagent.com | myhom.ai   Reach Out: Connect with Jeff Connect with Vo   Our Sponsor: Trackxi - Real Estate's #1 Deal Tracker   Production and editing services by: Sunbound Studios

"Hotel California", is one of the phrases people attribute to the organized real estate industry, "you can can check-out any time you like, but you can never leave". Kelly Robinson is an industry pioneer in that she co-founded a software company, Realty Plus Online, that created one of the first web-based MLS systems. In my conversation with Kelly we talked about the old days, her journey, and what brings her back to organized real estate game. It's a fun conversation between old friends and talks about the challenges of the MLS vendor business.

The verdict against NAR in the Sitzer lawsuit has organized real estate up in arms. But Michael Lissack thinks the decision is the best thing to happen to the industry in 100 years. In fact, he sees the trade association as a criminal enterprise with little value beyond MLS access. Michael is Managing Broker for The Virtual Realty Group, a 100% commission brokerage that operates in 12 states.  On this episode of Listing Bits, Michael joins Greg to discuss the real issue behind the lawsuits against NAR and describe what he would do to make buyer’s agent commission negotiable. Michael explains why it’s necessary to decouple the MLS from NAR membership and how that would likely lead to bankruptcy for the trade association. Listen in for Michael’s provocative take on why associations don’t deserve a way forward in a world where MLS access is open to anyone with a real estate license.   What’s Discussed:   The real issue behind the lawsuits against NAR and several real estate brokerages What Michael would do to make buyer’s agent commission negotiable Why the DOJ takes issue with mandatory membership in NAR for MLS access How decoupling the MLS from NAR would impact everyday REALTORS What decoupling the MLS from NAR membership would do to the trade association (and what NAR might do to demonstrate its value and rebuild) What it would take to decouple local, state and NAR membership Why Michael believes a real estate license should be the only requirement for MLS access Running MLSs as not-for-profit organizations vs. for-profit entities Greg’s thoughts on providing a way forward for associations by compensating them for the work of building the MLS Why bankruptcy might be apt for associations who don’t provide value beyond MLS access   Connect with Michael Lissack: Michael.Travel Michael on LinkedIn   Resources: Sitzer v. NAR Michael’s LinkedIn Post   Our Sponsors: Trackxi

In 2020 Ben knew they needed to make a change.  So he went to the Black Knight board and made a pitch, “give me the resources to build a modern MLS system”.  To his surprise, they said yes. Now, 3 years later, that dream has been realized. His dream was a mobile-first MLS platform that understands the history of how MLS platforms operate but offers a modern user experience. That’s exactly what Ben Graboske and Lucie Fortier are working on, and their new product, Paragon Connect, is ready for its close up. Ben is President of Data & Analytics and Lucie is Executive Vice President of MLS Solutions at Intercontinental Exchange or ICE, the financial services firm that bought Black Knight in September 2023. On this episode of Listing Bits, Ben and Lucie join Greg to discuss ICE’s history of digitizing complex transactions and explain why its acquisition of Black Knight makes sense. Lucie shares her motivation for joining the team at Intercontinental Exchange, and Ben describes how ICE’s resources benefit his department in the development of Paragon Connect. Listen in to understand what differentiates Paragon Connect from other MLS vendors and learn how it simplifies the agent experience by providing an entire MLS platform on both a responsive and native app.   What’s Discussed:     ICE’s history of digitizing complicated transactions and why its acquisition of Black Knight makes sense How being an MLS vendor supports ICE’s vision for making mortgages easier Lucie’s journey to joining the ICE team and how technology drives her career decisions What features differentiate Paragon Connect from other MLS vendors Why Ben’s team decided not to change Paragon’s name (despite offering an entirely new experience) How Paragon Connect provides an entire MLS platform in a native app experience The talented team of designers behind Paragon Connect How Ben’s team benefits from ICE’s data assets and information security Lucie’s approach to transitioning existing users to Paragon Connect How Paragon is introducing a consumer app in Q1 of 2024 Why the rules around marketing to members need to change in an MLS system-of-choice model What makes Paragon Connect ‘the MLS platform of the future’   Connect with Ben Graboske & Lucie Fortier: Intercontinental Exchange Ben on LinkedIn Lucie on LinkedIn Email lucie.fortier@bkfs.com    Resources: ICE Acquisition of Black Knight Paragon Connect Demo Damien Huze on Listing Bits EP85 Paragon Connect on Vendor Alley   Our Sponsors: Trackxi  

Listing Bits EP085: A Less, But Better Approach to Real Estate Software Design – with Damien Huze of Lone Wolf Technologies   Among Dieter Rams’ Ten Principles of Design is the idea that good design is as little design as possible.   Less, but better.   And Damien Huze believes that the next evolution of real estate software will apply this concept, offering fewer high-quality apps that work together in a fluid system.   Damien is Senior Design Manager and Principal Designer at Lone Wolf Technologies, a software company working to build an end-to-end solution for real estate.   Damien served as Chief Design Officer at W+R studios before the Lone Wolf acquisition, and he is responsible for the design of Cloud CMA, one of the most popular apps in real estate.   On this episode of Listing Bits, Damien explains how making design a priority benefits companies building web-based apps and why he defines design as a skill aimed at problem-solving.   Damien describes how Lone Wolf is working to combine the tools of proptech into a single streamlined experience and shares his team’s user-centric approach to the problem of simplifying real estate.   Listen in for insight on the power of relentless focus and learn about Damien’s vision for designing real estate software that delivers more with less.     What’s Discussed:   What Damien learned from growing up with creative parents who immigrated to the US How making design a priority benefits companies building web-based apps (and why so few do it) How Damien thinks about design as a skill aimed at problem-solving What Lone Wolf is doing to bring several real estate apps together in a single end-to-end solution Why Damien believes the next evolution in real estate software is ‘less but better’ Lone Wolf’s upcoming announcement at the T3 Technology Summit What it means for good software to have an opinion vs. being too flexible or customizable How Damien’s team brings a user-centric, design thinking approach to simplifying real estate  Greg and Damien’s take on the advantage of simple tools that get the job done The well-designed product that’s had the biggest impact on Damien’s life Why relentless focus boosts productivity and how Damien applies that tenet to design   Connect with Damien Huze: Lone Wolf Technologies Damien on X Damien on LinkedIn   Resources: Dieter Rams’ 10 Principles of Good Design T3 Technology Summit Starlink FaceTime on Apple TV Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson    Our Sponsors: Trackxi

In 2021, Vijay Gopalswamy’s real estate business was growing like gangbusters. And at one point, he had 32 active transactions.   Which meant Vijay was spending every morning with his team, going over each transaction and asking, ‘Did you send this? Did you follow up with that? Did this contract get signed?’   But when he looked at the “transaction management” software on the market, Vijay realized that it was built for brokerages, not agents.   So, he set out to solve his own problem.   Vijay is Cofounder and CEO of Trackxi, a deal tracking software platform that helps agents visualize the next step in each transaction and provides full transparency for the consumer.   On this episode of Listing Bits, Vijay discusses his successful career in mechanical engineering and explains how he became an accidental real estate agent.   Vijay describes what differentiates Trackxi from other transaction management solutions and how it serves teams, transaction coordinators and new agents.   Listen in for insight around the visual nature of Trackxi’s tracking system and find out how the app can help you demonstrate your value prop with clients and grow your real estate business!   What’s Discussed:     How Vijay moved to the US to pursue his Master’s in mechanical engineering Vijay’s successful 20-year career in engineering, finance and sales with Daimler How Vijay became an accidental real estate agent How the challenge of managing 32 open transactions inspired Vijay to build Trackxi The advantage of a dedicated app that does one or two things well Why Trackxi is a deal tracking software platform (vs. transaction management tool) What differentiates Trackxi from other transaction management tools  How Trackxi serves teams, transaction coordinators and new agents How Trackxi’s tracking system provides transparency around the agent’s value  How Trackxi’s visual dashboard delivers a State of the Union of an agent’s business What to expect from Trackxi’s hands-on onboarding process   Connect with Vijay Gopalswamy:   Trackxi Email vijay@trackxi.com  Vijay on LinkedIn   Resources:   Trackxi Review in Inman The Close Picks for Best Transaction Management Software for 2023   Our Sponsors:   Trackxi

MLSs and associations face an issue Nick Gough refers to as RDR, an acronym for REALTORS don’t read.    So, what can these organizations do to communicate more effectively with the members they serve?    Nick is Founder and CEO at NoteRouter, the all-in-one email and texting platform designed to help organized real estate achieve record-high member engagement.   On this episode of Listing Bits, Nick shares his experience in leadership of associations and MLSs, explaining how it drove him to build NoteRouter.   Nick describes how NoteRouter helps users write content that connects with REALTORS individually and discusses why the presentation of your message matters as much as the value you provide.   Listen in for Nick’s insight on leveraging influencer marketing to reach more REALTORS and learn how to humanize your outreach by focusing on the real pains your members face.   What’s Discussed:     Why Nick dropped out of college and became a real estate agent at 18 Nick’s experience in leadership of associations and MLSs and how it drove him to build NoteRouter How NoteRouter solves the problem of member engagement  Using email and text outreach to help associations and MLSs connect with the people they serve How NoteRouter helps users write content that connects with REALTORS individually Why presentation matters just as much as the value you provide NoteRouter’s expertise in outbound communication through email service and telecom providers Why NoteRouter is designed around the principle of permission-based marketing Why it’s crucial for MLSs and associations to learn influencer marketing The relationship between email open rates and subject lines The benefit of humanizing your outreach and focusing on real pains members face How the latest MLS outage impacted Nick and the team at NoteRouter   Connect with Nick Gough: NoteRouter Nick on LinkedIn Email nick@noterouter.com    Resources: Seth Godin The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcom Gladwell   Our Sponsor: Cloud CMA for Brokers

Teams are the future of real estate. And one proptech vendor is capitalizing on this trend by helping team leaders run an effective business. What’s more, most of the teams on his platform double their business every year—even in the current market. Brian Charlesworth is Founder and CEO of Sisu, an end-to-end real estate platform for teams that streamlines the transaction process, bringing all REALTORS, vendors and clients together. On this episode of Listing Bits, Brian shares his background in technology and explains how helping his wife build her real estate team inspired the creation of Sisu. Brian discusses the coaching Sisu offers to help team leaders scale their business and describes how the platform changes the culture of a real estate team.  Listen in to understand how the Sisu client portal works like a ‘pizza tracker’ and get Brian’s advice for other proptech vendors on building for real estate teams.   What’s Discussed:   Sisu’s function as an end-to-end real estate platform for teams How Brian’s commitment to help his wife build her real estate team inspired the creation of Sisu The coaching Sisu offers to help team leaders run an effective business Why Brian believes teams are the future of real estate What proptech vendors should consider in building for teams Using the Sisu dashboard to track a team’s progress (e.g.: sales, potential revenue, etc.) How Sisu integrates with CRMs and other platforms to streamline and automate real estate transactions How Sisu changes the culture of a real estate team Why most teams on Sisu double their business every year—even in the current market How the Sisu client portal works like a ‘pizza tracker’ What Sisu is doing to make sure clients work with the same real estate professionals for years to come Brian’s advice to proptech vendors on understanding how agents think What real estate companies can do to solve for agent retention   Connect with Brian Charlesworth: Sisu Brian on Instagram   Resources: Sisu Mastery Side PLACE   Our Sponsor:  Cloud CMA for Brokers

Two years ago, NAR policy was updated to give brokers and agents attribution rights, meaning they get to decide how they appear in listings.   But Homes.com employs a ‘your listing, your lead’ model, displaying the listing agent’s contact information.   So, does this comply with NAR’s attribution policy? And what else do we need to think about as companies like Zillow and Homes.com switch to IDX?   On this episode of Listing Bits, Michael Wurzer, CEO of real estate software company FBS, Greg Fischer, Owner of indie brokerage West + Main, and Andy Woolley, VP of Industry Development at Homes.com, join us to consider how ‘your listing, your lead’ jives with NAR’s IDX attribution policy.   Andy explains how ‘your listing, your lead’ differs from the referral model used on other sites, and Greg asks what is changing at Homes.com now that it’s a participant in the MLS.   Listen in for Michael’s insight on the repercussions on policy that come with mixing different use cases for data feeds and find out why it’s important for MLSs to develop a standard way for national portals like Homes.com to license data.   What’s Discussed:     How NAR IDX policy changed to give brokers and agents attribution rights Whether Homes.com’s ‘your listing, your lead’ model complies with NAR’s attribution policy Why most brokers aren’t using the ‘attribution source’ field in RESO’s data dictionary Homes.com’s decision to display the listing agent’s contact information Why Homes.com made the switch from its original MLS feeds to IDX What is changing at Homes.com now that it’s a participant in the MLS vs. a media publisher The potential repercussions on policy that come with mixing use cases for data feeds What differentiates Homes.com’s ‘your listing, your lead’ from the referral model used on other sites How Homes.com allows buyer’s agents to protect their relationships on the site How showing a listing agent on a lead placard compares to seeing their name on a yard sign The challenge Homes.com faces when it comes to agent responsiveness Why it’s crucial for MLSs to create a standard way for national portals to license data   Connect with Michael Wurzer:   Michael at FBS Michael on Twitter   Connect with Greg Fischer:   West + Main Greg on Twitter   Connect with Andy Woolley:   Homes.com Andy on Twitter   Resources:   Greg’s Twitter Thread on Your Listing, Your Lead NAR’s IDX Policy RESO Data Dictionary Homesnap Pro   Our Sponsor:   Cloud CMA for Brokers

Lauren Martin began her career in the fashion industry to be among powerful women.   But when she transitioned to proptech, she realized that real estate is the true pinnacle of girl power. And yet, women are not always represented in leadership.   So, when she landed her current role as Senior Account Director of Partnerships at RentSpree, Lauren approached her CEO about creating RENEW, the Real Estate Network for Empowered Women, an initiative that seeks to connect and champion female professionals across all sectors of the industry nationwide.   On this episode of Listing Bits, Lauren shares her journey from the fashion industry to proptech, describing how what she learned in fashion translates to real estate.   Lauren discusses her role at RentSpree, explaining how the platform partners with MLSs and other proptech companies to streamline the rental process—in a way that serves real estate agents and renters.   Listen in for insight on what inspired Lauren to build RENEW and learn how you can get involved in her initiative to elevate women in real estate!   What’s Discussed:     How Lauren was poached from a catering company to work in sales at Remine What Lauren learned in the fashion industry that translates to real estate and proptech Lauren’s insight on approaching uncomfortable conversations with humor Lauren’s experiences working with MLS professionals who champion each other How RentSpree partners with MLSs and proptech companies to streamline the rental process The revenue sharing model at RentSpree and how MLSs benefit from it How REALTORS benefit from building relationships with renters early in their housing journey Lauren’s role handling both MLS and proptech partnerships at RentSpree Lauren’s best travel hacks for real estate professionals What inspired Lauren to start the RENEW initiative to elevate women in real estate   Connect with Lauren:   RentSpree Lauren on LinkedIn Email laurenm@rentspree.com RENEW Initiative The RENEW Podcast by RentSpree   Resources: Remine Project Runway Vendor Alley SentriLock Rent the Runway Teresa King Kinney & Liz Sturrock on The RENEW Podcast EP001 Betsy Hanson of Markt on Listing Bits EP078   Our Sponsor: Cloud CMA for Brokers

From a vendor’s perspective, small MLSs are the most challenging to work with. And that’s no surprise, seeing as how they have fewer resources than the big players in the space.   So, how do we support MLSs with fewer than 400 members in keeping up with NAR rules, for example? Is there a way MLSs might share marketing, support and compliance services in a way that makes the market work better for all involved?   Betsy Hanson is General Manager and General Counsel at Markt, a multi-MLS service organization focused on pooling resources and expertise to serve MLSs, brokers and agents.   On this episode of Listing Bits, Betsy shares her journey from executive assistant at a small association to her current role at Markt, describing how she avoids the attorney’s reputation as the Department of No.   Betsy offers her take on what organized real estate is missing about the life and times of an ordinary REALTOR, why the average agent doesn’t understand the lawsuits facing the industry, and how those lawsuits might change the way we do things moving forward.   Listen in to understand how Markt works as an MLS back-office provider and learn how Betsy and her team are uniquely positioned to help MLSs of all sizes with local market delivery.   What’s Discussed:     Betsy’s journey from executive assistant at a small association to General Counsel at Markt What differentiates the role of executive assistant from that of chief of staff How Betsy avoids the attorney’s reputation as the Department of No Betsy’s experience teaching English in China between undergrad and law school What organized real estate is missing about the life and times of an ordinary REALTOR Why the average REALTOR-on-the-street doesn’t know about the lawsuits facing the industry How public perception of REALTORS remains positive despite lawsuits around compensation Betsy’s predictions re: how the lawsuits facing organized real estate might play out How Markt began as a way for MLSs to pool support resources and create efficiencies Markt’s potential to solve the challenge small MLSs face in keeping up with NAR rules   Connect with Betsy: Markt Email betsy@themarkt.com   Resources: Notorious ROB Industry Relations Podcast Turn On by 1000watt   Our Sponsor:   Cloud CMA for Brokers

Most showing management software aggregates data. But how useful is it to get a report at the end of the month?   What if the data was presented in a way that helped agents answer seller questions in real time and make informed choices based on the numbers?   Wes Hartman is CEO of Showingly, a showing management solution that uses data and analytics to guide better decision-making.   On this episode of Listing Bits, Wes walks us through the key metrics Showingly looks at to drive pricing decisions and marketing strategy for a property.   Wes explains how Showingly is aggregating showing, offer and closed data to determine the best day and time to list a home and explores what simple things a seller can adjust to secure more showings.   Listen in to understand how the desire for choice might impact the future of showing management software and find out if Showingly’s approach is right for your brokerage or MLS.   What’s Discussed:     Wes’ background as an aspiring fighter pilot, professional cyclist, real estate agent and tech vendor How Showingly’s use of data to guide decision-making differentiates it from other showing management solutions The key metrics Showingly looks at to drive pricing decisions and marketing strategy for a property What Wes’ team is doing to get honest feedback on a property (and why that’s such a challenge) How Showingly uses showing, offer and closed data to determine the best day and time to list a home How sellers might adjust pricing and Open House hours to get more showings Wes’ take on the future of showing management software Showing Hub’s solution to the demand for choice in showing management software Why Wes is focused on building relationships with brokerages, MLSs and other showing management providers How Wes thinks about MLSs building their own showing solutions and why competition drives innovation   Connect with Wes: Showingly Email wes@showingly.com   Resources: ShowingTime Showing Hub TourZazz   Our Sponsor: Cloud CMA for Brokers

A solid fan base is what makes a rock band successful, and it’s no different for real estate professionals.   But most of us focus on the individual transaction and miss an opportunity to build long-term relationships with our existing clients and turn them into raving fans.   And that means missed opportunities for referrals and repeat business.   Rivers Pearce is CMO of Milestones, a homeowner management platform that helps agents and lenders turn single transactions into forever clients.   On this episode of Listing Bits, Rivers shares his background as a touring musician and transition to proptech, discussing how he built the lead generation department at BoomTown.   Rivers explains why agents should market themselves as a trusted advisor for all things home and explores how real estate professionals benefit from referring business to home service professionals and other local businesses.   Listen in for Rivers’ insight on nurturing relationships with your existing database and learn how Milestones can help you provide the kind of value that turns one-off clients into lifelong fans!   What’s Discussed:     Rivers’ background as a touring musician and how he transitioned to proptech How the skills Rivers developed as a performer translate to real estate and proptech Rivers’ experience in building the lead gen department at BoomTown How the way proptech supports real estate agents with lead gen has evolved over time How Rivers thinks about using sphere of influence vs. portal aggregation to generate business The opportunity to build relationships with homeowners that most REALTORS miss Why agents should market themselves as a trusted advisor for all things home The benefit of referring business to home service professionals and other local businesses How Milestones functions as a homeowner management platform for agents How Milestones creates a custom maintenance plan for homeowners How Milestones helps REALTORS nurture relationships with their existing database   Connect with Rivers:   Milestones Rivers on LinkedIn Rivers on Twitter Rivers on Instagram Email rivers@milestones.ai or ashley@milestones.ai for a 3-month free trial   Resources:   BoomTown Mark Davison on Listing Bits EP042 Curaytor CallAction Agent Legend Drew Meyers of Geek Estate Tom Ferry   Our Sponsor:   Cloud CMA for Brokers

Listing Bits is back! If your role in real estate involves sales demos or any kind of training, you’re likely familiar with the frustration of delivering the same webinar over and over again.   Or worse, preparing a webinar that is either poorly attended or no one shows up.   But what if you could do 100 or even 1,000 webinars a month—without getting in front of a camera?   Melissa Kwan is Cofounder and CEO of eWebinar, a platform that saves people from repeatedly delivering the same webinar by turning videos into automated, interactive webinars.   Prior to eWebinar, Melissa founded and successfully exited the real estate tech startup Spacio, a check-in app for open houses.   On this episode of Listing Bits, Melissa shares her journey as a proptech entrepreneur, describing how she developed her mad sales skills and why she was ready for a new challenge after Spacio.   Melissa discusses how her experience with onboarding and training for Spacio inspired the creation of eWebinar and explains what differentiates the platform from Zoom, YouTube videos and webinar replays.   Listen in for insight around Melissa’s intentional approach to life and learn how your real estate business might leverage eWebinar to get your time back and spend it on things you enjoy!   What’s Discussed:     The initial idea for Spacio and how it evolved into a check-in app for open houses How Melissa developed her hustle and sales ability out of necessity Melissa’s successful exit from Spacio after 4 years of running the business The real estate leadership dinner that launched Melissa’s career as an entrepreneur What differentiates eWebinar from YouTube, Zoom and webinar replays How Melissa’s experience with training for Spacio inspired the creation of eWebinar How brokerages and real estate teams are using eWebinar to qualify leads The benefit of using eWebinar in terms of video quality and availability of content eWebinar’s use cases for sales demos, onboarding and training How Melissa runs eWebinar to reflect her work less, enjoy more philosophy of life   Connect with Melissa:   eWebinar Melissa on LinkedIn ProfitLed Podcast   Resources:   Spacio Inman Connect Greg’s Post on Melissa in Vendor Alley Pocket SAP HomeSpotter The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss   Our Sponsor:   Cloud CMA for Brokers

  NAR’s MLS Policy Statement 8.6 goes into effect on September 1, 2022.   So, what tools are available to make the implementation of the new One Data Source Policy easier for MLSs?   Katie Smithson is Director of MLS Relations at Zillow Group, where she leads the team building their MLS data licensing and distribution platform, Bridge Interactive. Prior to joining Zillow, she spent eight years with W+R Studios as Director of Enterprise Sales and Director of MLS Services.   On this episode of Listing Bits, Katie walks us through Policy Statement 8.6, explaining what problems the mandate does solve and why it’s a problem to provide vendors and brokers with data in a single feed.   Katie discusses the Bridge platform’s current functionality and describes the new feature her team is developing to help MLSs implement 8.6, the One Data Source Solution.   Listen in to understand how MLSs can use Bridge to auto-approve certain vendor agreements and find out if the One Data Source Solution is right for you.   What’s Discussed:     How MLS Policy Statement 8.6 requires that MLSs offer participants data in a single feed The security issue with leaving it up to brokers and vendors to know what data can be used in a VOW, IDX or back-office feed What problems the new One Data Source Policy does solve How the Bridge platform alleviates pain points around data distribution for MLSs What differentiates the Bridge platform from CoreLogic’s Trestle How Katie thinks about asking MLS boards to give Zillow their data (and pay for the service) How Bridge gives MLSs a simple way to combine existing data feeds for members The benefit of adding field-specific tags to MLS metadata via the Bridge One Data Source Solution How MLSs can use Bridge to auto-approve certain vendors or certain types of data access agreements Connect with Katie: Bridge Interactive Katie on Twitter Katie on LinkedIn Email: katiesm [at] zillowgroup [dot] com Resources: MLS Policy Statement 8.6 CMLS Implementation Guide—One Data Source Policy 8.6 Lone Wolf Technologies Trestle by CoreLogic Marilyn Wilson’s TSA Pre-Check Concept Inman Connect Las Vegas 2022   Our Sponsor:   Cloud CMA for Brokers

What if it was easy for an MLS to raise money to develop the data services it needs and run the software its customers use? Colette Stevenson is CEO of REsides, the premier MLS in South Carolina. Formerly known as Hilton Head MLS, REsides serves REALTORS who represent properties in both South Carolina and Georgia, maintaining the most dependable and powerful data in the marketplace.  On this episode of Listing Bits, Colette shares the story of the rebrand from Hilton Head MLS to REsides, explaining what differentiates her team’s vision from that of the average MLS. Colette describes how REsides is developing a new business model to address the challenge of raising capital for software development and discusses why she’s open to collaborating with MLSs anywhere in the US. Listen in to understand Colette’s disciplined way of thinking about potential changes to cooperation and compensation—and learn how REsides is empowering agents and brokers with data in a way that keeps the industry at the center of the real estate transaction. What’s Discussed:   How Colette’s background in the ticketing industry informs her work at REsides What REsides is doing to keep the industry at the center of the real estate transaction The story of the rebrand from Hilton Head MLS to REsides What differentiates REsides’ vision from that of the average MLS (and how being small benefits Colette’s team) Where buyers in the Hilton Head market come from and why Colette is open to collaborating with MLSs anywhere in the US How REsides is developing a new business model to address the challenge of raising capital for software development Colette’s take on what keeps MLSs from making bold moves (and how REsides is overcoming it) Colette’s disciplined way of thinking about potential changes to cooperation and compensation REsides’ mission to empower agents and brokers with data Connect with Colette: REsides Colette on LinkedIn Resources:  ‘Atlanta’s No. 1 Broker Bought Homes for Big Investors From 600 Miles Away’ in The Wall Street Journal Our Sponsor: Cloud CMA for Brokers

Approximately 8 million appraisals were conducted in the US last year. By contrast, there are only 40,000 active real estate appraisers. So, it's no surprise that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are exploring appraisal modernization initiatives like the desktop appraisal option.   But to make these alternatives to the traditional appraisal work, we need data in the form of an accurate floor plan. And we need it at scale.   Jeff Allen is EVP of Innovation Labs Clear Capital, a leading property valuation tech company, and President of CubiCasa, an easy-to-use app for automating the creation of real estate floor plans. On this episode of Listing Bits, Jeff explains how the barrier to entry to become an appraiser has sparked a total transformation of the industry.   He discusses his work helping GSEs test alternatives to the traditional appraisal, describing why floor plans are an essential part of ‘bringing the house to the appraiser’ and how he discovered the CubiCasa technology that automates the process. Listen in for Jeff’s insight on the copyright dispute over real estate floor plans and learn how to support the creative partnerships necessary for CubiCasa to scale.   What’s Discussed:     How Clear Capital serves large financial institutions in the realm of property valuation How the barrier to entry to become an appraiser has sparked a total transformation of the industry Jeff’s work helping GSEs test alternatives to the full traditional appraisal Why floor plans are essential in ‘bringing the house to the appraiser’ How Jeff discovered the CubiCasa tech for automating floor plans and how it works The creative partnerships necessary for CubiCasa to achieve scale (e.g.: real estate photographers) How the desktop appraisal option supports CubiCasa’s efforts to scale The other major appraisal modernization initiatives coming from Fannie and Freddie Jeff’s take on the current copyright dispute over real estate floor plans   Connect with Jeff:   CubiCasa  Email: jeff [at] cubicasa [dot] com Jeff on LinkedIn Clear Capital   Resources:   10K Research and Marketing Appraisal Subcommittee Dodd-Frank Desktop Appraisals Vendor Alley FloPlan App Greg’s Post on FloPlan Copyright Dispute Over Real Estate Floor Plans Designworks Homes v. Columbia House of Brokers Realty CMLS’s Amicus Brief on the Floor Plan Copyright Dispute NAR’s Amicus Brief on the Floor Plan Copyright Dispute   Our Sponsor:   Cloud CMA for Brokers

We're baaaaaack!     I spend a lot of time at conferences explaining why MLSs, brokers, and franchisors should let the ‘professionals’ build their technology. And yet, there are real reasons why these stakeholders might want to design their own. So, when is it appropriate for an MLS to create its own tech stack rather than relying on a vendor? And what does the development process look like? Faith Geronimo and Colleen Yasuhara are the CEO and COO, respectively, of Hawaii Information Service (HIS), the MLS provider for the islands of Hawaii and Kauai. On this episode of Listing Bits, Faith and Colleen explore HIS’s history of building its own technology and explain their decision to spend the last four years creating a new MLS system. Faith and Colleen discuss the transition from their initial system, REsearch, to the new HIMLS, describing HIS’s partnership with software developer MEV and their experience working with a team of Ukrainian developers. Listen in to understand why the Russia-Ukraine conflict hasn’t disrupted the development process and learn how HIS leveraged research and user testing to inform the design of HIMLS. What’s Discussed:   HIS’s role as MLS provider for the islands of Hawaii and Kauai HIS’s history of building its own technology How Faith & Colleen’s decision to build a new system on their own was influenced by their ability to integrate public records and MLS data Faith’s take on why Hawaii needs 3 MLS providers What Faith & Colleen learned in their research on MLS systems and how it informed the design of HIMLS How the pandemic influenced the development process and allowed for rigorous user acceptance testing The timeline for the transition from REsearch to HIMLS from 2018 to present HIS’s partnership with MEV and how they built the portal and web API together before tackling the MLS Faith & Colleen’s experience working with developers in the Ukraine and why they flew the team to Hawaii early in the process How Ukrainian developers continue to work on HIMLS despite the Russian invasion and how they’re handling the conflict Connect with Faith & Colleen: The Story of HIMLS Hawaii Information Service Hawaii Information Service on YouTube Faith on LinkedIn Colleen on LinkedIn Resources: HIMLS Update on YouTube Inman Connect New York CMLS Conferences Craig Pennington Paragon Matrix Realist RESO Web API MEV Alex Natskovich   Our Sponsor: Cloud Agent Suite