Where Real Estate Gets Its Dirt

John Holley

North Texas Real Estate Information Systems (NTREIS) CEO John Holley Announces Retirement After 20 Years of Transformational Leadership

“Since Holley assumed his role in 2005, NTREIS has expanded from 19,000 to over 53,000 subscribers, supporting 15 Realtor Associations across 44 counties in North Texas and parts of Louisiana. Under his leadership, NTREIS adapted to an era of rapid technological advancement, enhancing service offerings and ensuring subscribers could access superior, cutting-edge tools to succeed in a competitive real estate market. Known for his forward-thinking approach and dedication to serving the real estate community, Holley has left an indelible mark on the organization and the industry.”

John, in my eyes, has always been a true gentleman in every sense of the word. He has been incredibly kind to me over the many years we have known each other. I first met John when he was working at the MLS in San Diego. From my memory, there was always a bit of drama in the San Diego real estate market (and there still is today), but John was a steady voice amidst that drama. He saw something in our little company (IRIS, then selling Lightning – Easy MLS Access) and helped pave the way for us. He offered the same steady hand when he moved to Dallas to work at NTREIS, navigating this new market and its nuances with a “dedication to serving the real estate community.”

I’m not sure anyone truly understands the seismic shift the internet brought to the real estate industry (and especially the MLS) back in the day. MLS leaders of that era had to manage the fury of brokers and agents who had previously acted as gatekeepers to the data. Keeping the MLS industry alive and enabling it to grow was an enormous challenge. I often think about that today with the turmoil we face and wonder if the new generation of MLS leaders will be able to navigate these troubled times as successfully.

I’m going to miss getting together with John for a show or dinner at The Palm during Inman NYC. I will deeply miss this gentle-man who has done so much for our industry. However, I know that he and Cathy will thrive in this next chapter of their life together.

Happy Trails John

CRMLS and Bright MLS now allow “guest access”

California Regional MLS and Bright MLS Reach Agreement to Provide Reciprocal Listing Data Access for Each Other’s Matrix MLS Systems

“California Regional MLS (CRMLS), the nation’s most recognized multiple listing service, has teamed up with Bright MLS, the largest MLS on the east coast, to offer their users reciprocal data access (aka “guest access”) to each other’s listings. CRMLS currently has 127,000+ active listings while Bright MLS has 115,000+.”

To me, this is kind of a ‘proof of concept’ play—meaning, ‘let’s build this and see what happens,’ which is smart. I’m not sure how many referrals this will generate from people moving from the East Coast to the West Coast (and vice versa), but I’m betting they’ll learn something new—something we haven’t thought of. I also like the vibe of promoting further cooperation, which the MLS (especially in these times) needs to lean into more.”

Aligned Showings passes 2 millionth mark and introduces usage-based pricing

Aligned Showings Reaches 2 Millionth Showing and Introduces Usage-Based Pricing

“Having booked over 2 million showings across our MLS partners is a huge milestone for us. We continue to add new features to Aligned Showings, which has led to over 91% of active listings using the platform in RMLS alone,” stated Kurt von Wasmuth, CEO of RMLS in Portland, Oregon.”

Many MLS software solutions are bundled or provided at little or no cost. The drawback to these tethered solutions is that they limit choice and competition. Additionally, many of these vendors require licensing and terms that MLS organizations would rather not concede. As the saying goes, ‘When the product is free, you’re the product.’

With Aligned Showings usage-based pricing, MLS organizations can now offer more choice to their agents without surrendering unwanted or aggressive data usage rights.

Get your hotel room for MLS Reset

I’m still buzzing about MLS Reset. Having attended so many conferences in my career, being able to personally curate the content of an event is a dream come true. I can tell you that Staci, Amy, Chris, and I are swinging for the fences when it comes to speakers and content. We just booked a fantastic speaker that I think will be perfect to kick off the show.

While I can’t share specifics yet because we haven’t nailed down all the details, and we want to keep the content fresh for January, Amy has put together a brief list of some of the content plans. And please if you have any suggestions email me!

There are more updates coming and we are working on our website which will be launched soon.

Also, I was told by Amy to relay a couple things

  1. Early bird pricing end after on October 31st.
  2. The Scottsdale Plaza is notorious to filling up fast. So make sure you follow the separate link on the event sign up page to book your hotel room.

Get ready to push that reset button!

MetroList finds a voice

MetroList Introduces Revolutionary Voice-Activated Property Add-Edit Feature

“MetroList President and CEO Dave Howe highlighted the significance of this launch, “This new Add-Edit feature is important for the industry to radically modernize the day-to-day business of real estate professionals. We are thrilled to continue partnering with Lundy and Rapattoni to set new real estate standards.”

Pretty cool! The new voice search on MetroListMLS.com (also powered by Lundy) just keeps getting better and better—super fast! So, adding their voice recognition to listing input seems like a no-brainer.

Side note: Zillow’s voice search experience on the iPhone is much slower and more finicky, in my experience, compared to what Lundy has accomplished. Not sure why Zillow (or Realtor.com/Homes.com) hasn’t bought Lundy already… hint, hint.

That being said, I mostly use voice as an input device at home with Siri on my HomePod: “Siri, start a timer for 4 minutes,” or “Siri, what’s the weather like today?” I’ve just started getting more comfortable using voice with ChatGPT. I’m still a little self-conscious about it, but I know that will fade as AI improves.

Great to see MetroList and Rapattoni driving this innovation—it’s really close to magic!

Lauren Hill joins Perchwell

The rumor mill has been spinning but I now can confirm Lauren Hill has joined Perchwell as their sales director. I spoke with Lauren and she was kind enough to give me a quote,

“I’m absolutely thrilled to join this incredible team that’s passionate about making an impact in the MLS space. They truly have something special to offer and I can’t wait to share this exciting journey with everyone” 

Smart move by Perchwell. Having a seasoned rep like Lauren to drive sales and relationship efforts is key. Congrats Lauren! I hope Boston has enough Champagne.

James Reynolds to retire

Congratulations on Retirement, James Reynolds

“As Mr. Fisher’s first hire following NAR’s acquisition in 2003, James recruited our initial 100 Association customers in just our first 36 months of operations, laying the foundation for our growth as a leading technology company, serving over 400 Associations and over 400,000 REALTORS®.”

Legendary. One of the good guys. It’s hard to say if anyone ever “retires” from this business (that’s why we call it Hotel California) but maybe James will be one of the lucky ones that escape the gravity pull. Happy Trails James!

Dana Bennett is new CEO of REColorado

Dana Bennett Appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of REcolorado

“I’m excited to bring fresh insights from my previous roles at REcolorado and other organizations, to help propel the company into its next chapter. I’m eager to connect with brokers to understand their needs, and implement initiatives that enhance our data offerings. In this highly competitive time for the MLS industry, I see this as an incredible opportunity to not just navigate the challenges, but to use them to elevate REcolorado—creating value for our subscribers and partners while positioning us for success.”

I think most vendors will remember Dana, due to her previous role as Vice President and Chief Business Development Officer at REcolorado. Lots of palace intrigue going on in Denver so she’s definitely got her work cut out for her!

RentSpree delivers 10 million in non-dues revenue to MLS partners

RentSpree Delivers $10 Million in Revenue for MLS Partners

“Our goal is aways to support MLSs and their members,” said Michael Lucarelli, CEO and co-founder of RentSpree. “That means we don’t charge MLSs or agents for our proprietary rental integration. The real key to driving successes like this is in providing great products that gain significant adoption. Earnings come as a byproduct of delivering solutions that address real problems.”

$10 million is legit!




REcolorado acquisition complete

MAZL, LLC Completes Acquisition of REcolorado

“We are committed to ensuring that REcolorado not only remains the foundation of Colorado’s real estate community but continues to set the standard for excellence and innovation as a subscriber-focused MLS,” stated Joseph Burks, President of MAZL, LLC. “As a market leader, REcolorado has always been at the forefront of delivering top-tier services. Our goal is to collaborate closely with its exceptional team to strengthen the company even further, ensuring it continues to deliver MLS services that bring unparalleled value to its subscribers and their clients, adapting and innovating to meet the evolving needs of today’s real estate professionals.”

Welp, I guess it’s official now. There are still many questions surrounding this deal. Including some brought up by the Notorious one.

Acquisition

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