Where Real Estate Gets Its Dirt

Listing Bits Podcast: Pooling Resources & Expertise Among MLSs – with Betsy Hanson of Markt

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 an 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 an executive assistant at a small association to General Counsel at Markt

What differentiates the role of executive assistant from that of the 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

Industry Relations Podcast: Beating a Dead Horse a Fresh New Way

What should it take to be a REALTOR (r)? And, perhaps a better question is, what does it currently take to be a REALTOR? Homebuyers are using REALTORS more than ever before, but Rob seems to think that doesn’t mean realtors are performing better; in fact, it’s quite the opposite. This episode of Industry Relations dives into the world of the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the standards by which REALTORS operate, and whether or not today’s REALTOR is living up to the NAR’s mission of creating professionals in the real estate industry.

Watch us on YouTube!

Connect with Rob and Greg: 

Rob’s Website

Greg’s Website

This podcast is produced by Two Brothers Creative 2023.

Industry Relations Podcast: SVB Failure: Good or Bad For Real Estate?

How will the Silicon Valley Bank failure affect real estate? Was the government stepping in a good move? Rob and Greg take a dive into the Silicon Valley Bank failure, exploring what caused it to crumble and how its collapse could shake up real estate. Was it a perfect storm or a moral hazard? Will it be good or bad for real estate?

Watch us on YouTube!

Connect with Rob and Greg: 

Rob’s Website

Greg’s Website

This podcast is produced by Two Brothers Creative 2023

A Little Chat About ChatGPT and the Recent CoStar Move

Why is Andy Florance not acquiring Realtor.com? Could ChatGPT help us finally determine what the value of an MLS is? Just what is and isn’t copyrightable when it comes to real estate data? This episode of Industry Relations dives into recent Co-Star moves, how AI is infiltrating real estate, and whether Rob and Greg are just making a big deal out of nothing. Toward the end of this episode, Rob and Greg dive into Sam DeBord’s recent article “The Value of MLS: ChatGPT, Commissions and the Other 4Cs,” which you can read here!

Watch us on YouTube!

Connect with Rob and Greg: 

Rob’s Website

Greg’s Website

 This podcast is produced by Two Brothers Creative 2023.

Industry Relations Podcast: The Big Why, the Key Issue, and the Consequences of Commission Lawsuits

Lawsuits are on the horizon – but how will they affect NAR and the real estate market? Why are these lawsuits even happening, and what’s the one issue that they revolve around? In this episode of Industry Relations, Rob and Greg make their predictions for what the consequences of these lawsuits will be and whether or not you should be worried.

Watch us on YouTube!

Connect with Rob and Greg: 

Rob’s Website

Greg’s Website

 This podcast is produced by Two Brothers Creative 2023.

Listing Bits Episode 77: Using Showing Data to Guide Decision-Making with Wes Hartman of Showingly

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

Industry Relations podcast: The Impact of NAR vs. DOJ

NAR wins a major hurdle in the DOJ antitrust probe. But what does it mean for the rest of the real estate industry? How will this affect other lawsuits? In this episode of Industry Rob and Greg do what they do best and take a deep dive into the impact of the NAR and DOJ antitrust probe. Why Rob believes that this is far from over and why Greg thinks there’s going to be a lot of industry mistakes made in the near future.  

Watch us on YouTube!

Connect with Rob and Greg: 

Rob’s Website

Greg’s Website

This podcast is produced by Two Brothers Creative 2023.

Industry Relations Podcast: Shifting Priorities of MLS Organizations

What are some of the shifting priorities at MLS organizations? Have you ever wondered what challenges MLS organizations are facing? In this episode on Industry Relations, Greg chats with special guest, Katie Smithson CRO at CRMLS to break down the transforming priorities within the field. Tune in for all the current industry intel and how MLS organizations are shifting priorities.

Nestfully PR mentioned in the show. 

CRMLS Press Release Styldod

Watch us on YouTube

Reach out to Katie either by email, Twitter: @katiebug621 or LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/katiemsmithson

Connect with Rob and Greg: 

Rob’s Website

Greg’s Website

This podcast is produced by Two Brothers Creative 2023.

Industry Relations Podcast: Making Better Agents and Listings

Ever wondered how to get the most out of your listings and become a better agent? In this episode, Rob & Greg touch on the different technologies and marketing strategies that agents can use to get an edge in sales. Tune in for why Rob believes great photography is the best way and why Greg thinks it’s just putting lipstick on a pig and pricing is the best strategy.

UPDATE 1-26-2023

A representative of Homes.com has reached out and said that the new version of their website has rolled out and has been live for the last couple of months.  Though there has been no industry-wide notification and they have still yet to launch any of their much-touted “listing enhancement” products.   The new site features include:

  • Completely new tech stack with noticed speed improvements
  • Historical AVM chart with three models + average
  • Deeper set of property characteristics from MLS, 
  • New design, 
  • IDX data via Ten-X in 460+ MLS markets (no more supplemental data via ListHub)
  • New agent search with updated agent profiles (includes transaction history)
  • New Homes Pro dashboard for agents on the back end (full integration with Homesnap Pro), and agent-client instant messaging for collaboration

Watch us on YouTube!

Connect with Rob and Greg: 

Rob’s Website

Greg’s Website

This podcast is produced by Two Brothers Creative 2023

Listing Bits Episode 76: Turn Your Clients into Lifelong Fans – with Rivers Pearce of Milestones

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

Sponsored By Cubi Casa