Two Largest MLSs in Connecticut Approve Merger
” The merger announcement follows the successful, unanimous votes of Directors and Brokers in both multiple listing services (MLSs) as well as the Board of Directors of Connecticut REALTORS®. “I could not be more proud of the Realtor® spirit of this merger whereby the combined leadership of the CTMLS and GFC CMLS Board of Directors made a conscious decision to stay focused on the best outcome for our Realtor® members and the clients they serve,” said newly named SmartMLS President Michael Barbaro, he continued “as a result we were able to make it to today’s announcement in record time of four months.”
This brings membership to over 18,000. Both are on Matrix. And it looks like Cameron and Kathy will serve as Co-CEOs of the new MLS. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen that before.
In the meantime if you are looking to merge a few MLS providers and need to come up with a name that screams intelligence then time is running out!
BrightMLS and now SmartMLS are now taken. But Vendor Alley is here to help. Take your pick!
GeniusMLS
WiseMLS
BrillantMLS
SharpMLS
WhizMLS (personal favorite)
BrainyMLS
Consolidation might be a good thing if for no other reason than the power of money and number of subscribers. More money and subscribers could aid in getting better deals on member benefits that really count. And by really count, I mean services that help agents compete with online portals and make them look better in the eyes of the public as well as offer concrete benefits to agent productivity. The MLS in our region is on the way to doing but it is not an easy task. Lot’s of politics involved beyond contracts and money. It is difficult to course correct a big ship.
In my eyes there can be too much fluff and dead wood in the agent benefits that are offered to agents through their MLS or AOR. You need only a few core benefits. Weed out the rest and invest more wisely. Agents will appreciate the value they get and will be able to present a superior value proposition to their buyers and sellers.
And just for the heck of it – CoreMLS. Maybe it’s already out there.
Intergalactic MLS
In a sea of MLS’s that remain fastened to the past, Bright and Smart – have put a lot on the line to make these mergers happen. They are rising to the call so many have issued to MLS.
Bright was chosen to reflects their vision and depict their promise to create a better and more innovative and evolved MLS. It was purposely designed to abandon the acronym based naming conventions of MLS and paint a picture of a better, brighter future for them, MLS and their members.
The name is fitting.
The people at Smart most were most likely influenced by Bright – arguably the catalyst that will spur a new naming trend for MLS. We’ve seen this occur throughout history – insect based band names influenced by Buddy Holly and the Crickets (Beatles, Bee Gees, Doug and the Slugs, Scorpions, Iron Butterfly, Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders from Mars) and the modern trend of modern app/software/product names constructed with dropped vowels, Compound Words, mashups, human names, etc.
Heck, even your flagship product name is derived from a popular naming trend that mashed up what your product is with where it is housed. That was a good thing. It set you apart. I believe what Bright and Smart are doing is no different.
It’s the beginning of a movement to shake out the old thinking. I think that’s pretty cool actually.
Going forward, I look to Vendor Alley to track the progress of these MLS’s to see how well each live up to their chosen names and how successful they are in delivering on their purpose and promises. I’m bullish that they will. That’s something this blog is so uniquely qualified to do.
Rock on!
Well said Marc. I have absolutely no experience in blowing up a successful organization like MRIS. But when we (MRIS, TREND, and 7 hugely successful MLS organizations in the mid Atlantic) made the decision to do so, we also decided that creating a new name was critical to helping foster a new culture; to make an overt gesture that demonstrates our collective commitment.
I don’t have substantial experience in creating a product or company name either. None of us do. That said, the name “Bright” really seems to reflect all that we aspire to be. The proof of our commitment will be in the success we hope to achieve for the 84000 real estate professionals counting on us over the next few years. I am not naive enough to think it will be easy.
What’s in a name? For the Connecticut MLS and the GFC CMLS, our names were geographic identities, nothing more. They described how we were different, rather than what we stood for.
The choice of SmartMLS as our name is a conscious decision to be both inclusive and to bring a new, smarter perspective to what the MLS should be and the role it should play in the lives of our brokers and agents. As a naming convention, the choice of SmartMLS is descriptive rather than competitive. We look forward to working with Bright MLS and all others that are investing in the future of the MLS.
Sincerely,
Cameron