The end is nigh…
CRS acquires iMapp?
Sounds like its true. From what I’ve heard CRS is going to aquire the iMapp tax business. Bill, Joel and Robert will not be involved post transition. Developing…
MongoFax where are you?
I heard a rumor floating around that MongoFax might be shutting its doors. Can anyone confirm?
UPDATE: It’s confirmed.
Who will be ARMLS’ next CEO?
The big news I can report is that ARMLS has formed a search committee to help choose their next CEO. This position has been opened since former ARMLS CEO, Bob Bemis, left to join Zillow.
Being one of the largest MLS providers in the country has certainly piqued the attention of many in the MLS industry on what ARMLS plans to do to fill this post.
The joke running around is that the next CEO would have to be named Bob, since the last 3 CEO positions have been occupied by people named Bob. Does this mean that Bob Hale is a candidate? Probably not. But Hale has a deep bench so maybe someone like Rene Galvan might be interested. You also have to consider others out there, what about Bud Fogel? I hear Bud spends a lot of time in Arizona, maybe he could make the move permanent? Or maybe someone looking for a warmer climate, say current CMLS president and CEO of Intermountain MLS, Greg Manship. Winters in Scottsdale sure sound better than winters in Boise!
But methinks that its going to be hard to beat Matt Consalvo, ARMLS’ current Interim CEO. The Phoenix market is heating up, and having gone thru a couple rough patches with their membership I think that they will be looking for stability. Matt is certainly up for the task and with the rest of ARMLS’ stellar staff they are certainly well equipped to rise to the challenge.
HomeServices to stop syndicating listings?
The shit just hit the fan…
Twitter was all a…twitter, I guess when Craig Kamman posted that Edina Realty (owned by HomeServices of America) was going to pull their listings from Trulia and other “3rd party aggregators” and possibly Realtor.com. The post is worth a read:
Edina Realty discontinues 3rd Party Sites like Trulia and Realtor.com
This was followed by a blog post by Jay Thompson who had his own take on the news, where he imagines a conversation between an seller and his agent:
“So Mr. Agent, you’ll put our home listing on the internet, won’t you?
Well, it will be on our brokerage site, but we’ve elected not to put your listing on some of the most highly visited real estate sites in the country.
Uhm, why is that?
Well, we want to be sure our agents get the leads your home listing generates. And those meanies at the third party site want to charge for them!
Uhm, isn’t the point to sell our home, not generate leads for you and other agents?”
Obviously Jay doesn’t think it’s a good idea:
Edina Realty pulling listings from Trulia and Realtor.com?
Then Rob Hahn went “Oliver Stone” or got “stoned” at one of California’s many marijuana dispensaries while he was out here for the 2011 NAR Convention in Anaheim. And I quote:
“There is, I believe, a real chance that in the next three to six months, we will see the splintering of the foundation of the industry: the MLS and the Associations. The world that comes next, a world without the Multiple Listing Service, will be one filled with unintended consequences.”
After reading Rob’s post I don’t know whether to hug my kids or ask him to pass the bong, because that is some good shit he’s smoking.
All kidding aside, I may be just whistling through the graveyard so his post is worth the read:
Extinction Event Horizon: Real Estate
This story is developing…
Today’s WTF Friday Edition: First American offers to buy back CoreLogic
“CoreLogic, whose stock is down about 40% since the split, said in late August it was forming an independent committee to explore strategic options, including a possible merger or a sale.
The timing of that announcement, coming amid a difficult real estate market and a rocky stock market, isn’t the best, according to a First American Financial filing made with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday.
A deal “could result in a sale of the entire company at a price that would not be beneficial to (First American’s) long-term shareholders,” the company said in the regulatory filing.”
My take on this is that First American doesn’t want someone else to own the company.
Via the Orange County Business Journal
Has Rick Sharga left RealtyTrac?
I noticed that something was absent from the RealtyTrac executive bios page, Rick Sharga. http://www.realtytrac.com/company/bios.html
Haven’t heard any official word….yet. Rick is well respected in the industry and it will be interesting to see where he lands.
RUMOR ALERT!
Vendor Alley premium subscribers check out the Champagne Room now!
Not a subscriber yet? More info here.
Miami Associations Merging?
Rumor has it the REALTOR Association of Greater Miami (RAMB) and the REALTOR Association of Miami-Dade County are merging. And it looks like CEO Martha Bullman of Miami-Dade will be retiring. Long time CEO, Teresa King Kinney, of RAMB will be leading the new effort.
Rumor also has it happening as soon as August 1st.
This could have huge consequences and might result in a domino effect for other South Florida associations. Who could be next Fort Lauderdale, South Broward, and/or Palm Beach?
Time will tell.
Holy Shit!! Big time rumor alert!
The Canadian winds are blowing all the way down to Southern California.
If this rumor is true the repercussions for some of the largest MLS providers in the country will be epic!
Stay tuned sports fans…..
