Where Real Estate Gets Its Dirt

Details emerge on MRIS/TREND MLS consolidation, and its bigger than you think.

Looks like my intel was correct. MRIS and TREND MLS are indeed consolidating. But I think there is much more to this than it seems. In a email Tom Phillips of TREND MLS stated:

“So I wanted to personally share with you that TREND and MRIS are announcing our commitment to consolidate, in order to fulfill a joint vision for the next era of MLS. This consolidation will go beyond a simple joining of forces. It will create an entirely new organization that welcomes other MLSs, associations and brokers who share this vision, to invite them to participate in the formation of the new organization.”

Along with this announcement was a link to a PDF what they call, “The MLS: Evolved”

Well written and concise. I especially like their mission statement, which was also in Tom’s email;

“To preserve compensation and cooperation, promote the expansion of an orderly and efficient marketplace, and provide participating brokerage firms greater control of and access to their listing content.”

So its pretty obvious they are going for a more “broker friendly” MLS. They think data share agreements are in the past. The report also talks about tiered level of MLS access with a base option and other options to add more products/services.

After I read the document a thought occurred to me, why stop at MRIS and TREND? The model they are creating and with the technology now (which was one of their points) why couldn’t this be the start of a national consolidation of MLS providers around the country? Both MLS providers are already in multiple states, so who says how many other states they could go to? 10, 20, 50?

The key here I think is that nobody has laid out a vision/plan. While admittedly this is more a beginning framework than a plan, they have taken a pretty clear leadership position.

So I think the MLS community should watch this consolidation with great interest. If David, Tom and the other stakeholders can execute this consolidation, and get broker buy-in, you might be seeing something entirely new, and possibly the future.

CRMLS pitches statewide MLS with video and social media

itsmybusiness 225I’m not sure how new this site is, I just ran across it in my Twitter feed this morning. It looks like Art Carter and his team at CRMLS are starting to ramp up the California Statewide MLS initiative again. The new site, dubbed, ItsMyBusiness.me leverages a lot of videos and their twitter banner is a hoot.

The first attempt at a California statewide MLS , calREDD, was a disaster. CalREDD was full of C.A.R.’s hubris, arrogance, and most of all, incompetence at running an MLS (at any size.) But Art seems to be taking a more nuanced and pragmatic approach. Plus Art’s already proven he can be successful running the largest MLS in the country, CRMLS. Here’s one of the videos from the site titled, “Why This Campaign?”

Message from Art Carter from August Partners on Vimeo.

Case in point is at 1:55 of this video, where Art states…

“I think there are some compelling reasons why the 50 or some odd MLSs in the state of California should come together as one, but if that doesn’t occur, the data needs to come together as one.”

Sounds like a reasonable person, not at all crazy.

I gotta say this is a pretty ballsy move by Art. There’s a lot of baggage left over from calREDD, and lets face it, the odds of putting together a statewide MLS in California is pretty slim. But, this type of thinking represents a change in attitudes in many MLS executives. These kind of MLS execs are not afraid of asking the “whys”, not afraid to mess with the status quo, almost looking for a big fight/challenge.

I know a lot of MLS providers will be looking at what happens in California with great interest, and so will a lot of vendors.

What does the modem say?

Love this super geeky post about what the sounds mean during a modem handshake.

The sound of the dialup, pictured

“As many already know, what you’re hearing is often called a handshake, the start of a telephone conversation between two modems. The modems are trying to find a common language and determine the weaknesses of the telephone channel originally meant for human speech. Below is a spectrogram of the handshake audio. I’ve labeled some signals according to which party transmitted them, and also put a concise explanation…

Remember when a 57K modem was the shit??

Mike and Mitch’s plan out of this mess, at least for now…

Change the game

“The goal of Stopgap Agreement is to give MLSs a reasonable amount of time to make reasoned decisions on their timeline; not Zillow Group’s or Move’s timeline. The agreement would be between the MLS and Zillow Group to keep data flowing in an interim period. Each MLS in consultation with their attorney can decide whether it makes sense for them. It’s still an individual choice”

I love this idea. Does anyone have any update on the progress of this?

Swanepoel’s “Power 200” list includes many MLS execs and vendors.

logoStephan Swanepoel just released his list of “the most powerful people in residential real estate 2014/15”. Dubbed the “Power 200” the list includes many MLS executives, consultants and vendors in real estate.

Bob Hale, David Charon, Art Carter, Jim Harrison, Merri Jo Cowen, Tom Phillips, Kathy Condon, Teresa King Kinney, and Kipp Cooper made the list under (Organized Real Estate).

Denee Evans, new CEO of CMLS, also made the list.

A few industry consultants and publishers made the list as well under the “Thought Leader” category: Brad Inman, Marilyn and Victor Lund, Gregg Larson, Brian Boero, Marc Davison, Ann Bailey, Brian Larson and Lani and Benn Rosales.

The list also includes many vendors, such as Andy Rapattoni, Rich Lull, Michael Wurzer, Jay Gaskill, Curt Beardsley, Chris Bennett, and Lorne Wallace.

I was also very honored to be included on the list in the “Technology” category no less! I just squeaked in at #199 (as it should be), just beating out Morgan Carey of Real Estate Webmasters! I’m sure this will cause Morgan to lose a lot of sleep at night. ; )

The list was curated by Stefan Swanepoel and Rob Hahn. So my thanks to them.

Which gives me a great segue to plug the T3 Summit Conference. The conference is being held April 8th to 10th this year at the Four Seasons Hotel in Las Vegas. The conference is 3 years old now and I’ve been to each one. I’ve written about it in the past and I think this latest conference will be their best one yet.

Here’s a highlight reel from last year.

My favorites include Stefan’s interviews, and when Rob Hahn takes the stage with his “black swan” conspiracy theories.

Katie Smithson and I will be attending this year so I hope to see you there.

There are some limitations on registrants (I think it sold out last year) but you can find out more info here. http://www.t3summit.com/register/

My thanks again to Stefan and his team. Nice surprise to wake up to!

FBS introduces flexmls for Android

FBS has been busy. At NAR in New Orleans they debuted what they call their “Flexmls Mobile Suite”. When I first heard Mike talk about their plans a few months back I thought it was super ambitious. Most MLS vendors had been out-sourcing their mobile development to third party companies. From the beginning FBS wanted full control, and with there Spark API infrastructure they were a unique position actually make that happen. This video does a great job of what showing off that vision.

I happen to think CoreLogic’s acquisition of DoApp and their 17 employees was a direct result of what FBS is implementing.

Yesterday FBS announced their new Flexmls for Android. Below is a quick video.

Based on what I see in this video, and the introduction of what they call “map clusters”, FBS now has the best Android app for MLS systems, period. And I think this is going to be huge. I’m an iPhone guy myself but you can’t argue the fact of what a huge install base Android has.

You can read more about this on their website:

Announcing Flexmls for Android Available January 12 and a New Video Overview of the Flexmls Mobile Suite

CMLS 2014 afterglow and hangover

It was the biggest CMLS conference by attendance and sponsorship. I remember when it was a small group (Northwest Council of MLS), say less than 90, for the whole conference. Compare that to today, where FBS took out over 90 of their customers to dinner on Thursday night. Things have changed. I may be biased but I also have to say it was the best location as well. The weather was perfect. The hotel was fantastic. The food was amazing. You have to give it up to Art Carter, Patty Connor and the rest of the CRMLS staff for pulling off such and incredible event.

Before the event I heard a few people complaining about the agenda. They were wondering why all the “non-industry” speakers. Art Carter made it clear from the beginning, he wanted to craft an event, “I would like to see”. As it turns out the outside speakers were a huge hit. So much so, I bet future conferences you’ll see more of them than less.

Then there were the parties. My company held an “Open House” at our W&R Studios headquarters down on Main Street on Tuesday night. It was a huge hit, even if it required you to go big on the first night. Trulia and Zillow held separate events, one at Red O restaurant in Newport Beach (very che’che’). And of course there was Mini-Kiss event at Hurricanes on Wednesday night (I heard the band was spotted later and a local I-Hop around 1:30am, can you imagine the stares?)

Again, I may be biased, and I think I say this every year, but CMLS 2014 was best CMLS conference ever.

And then Craig Cheatham took the stage.

It was about 4:15PM on Friday afternoon and Art had a big smile on his face. He even commented, “If you are wondering why I have a big smile on my face its because I see so many of out there.” Having Craig Cheatham, the CEO of The Realty Alliance, as the last presenter was no coicendence. It was a master stroke from Art and did exactly what he hoped, keep people in their seats for the entire conference.

It’s hard to blame Mr. Cheatham for what happen next. And I have to give him credit for showing up, the expectations were pretty high. But he seems to be just a messenger, and a poor one at that, to the whims of The Realty Alliance masters he serves. Kind of like a Roger Goddell, with much less pay and prestige.

The Realty Alliance had gotten the MLS industry’s attention with Mr. Cheatham’s declaration last year, of “You’ve got 10 days”. One year later they had nothing to show or really talk about. Mr. Cheatham’s responses were, at best, oblique. I think John Mosey, CEO of Northstar MLS, put it best in a follow up question, Mr. Cheatham’s statements were “clear as mud”.

The subsequent interview was, at best, awkward, at worst insulting and a waste of everyone’s time. It’s a shame because the audience was full of MLS professionals who truly wanted to help make things better. It reminds me of the old saying, “Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.”

But lets move on, and not waste anymore time on these Keystone Cops.

My thanks again to everyone at CRMLS, the CMLS board of directors (you too Sarah), for putting together a truly spectacular event. And see you next year in Kansas City!

5 MLS Providers select Goomzee for multi-year agreements

Goomzee:

“When technology committees and executives compared Goomzee’s solution to other alternatives, Goomzee was selected, and a record five MLS markets signed multi-year site license agreements with the company last quarter alone.”

Impressive. It will be interesting to see how much traction these mobile MLS apps gain. The apps I’ve seen each have a different perspective. Congrats to Mike Sparr and his team.

Full Press Release Below:
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MLSs Flock To Goomzee’s Mobile App; Reports Record Quarter Growth

Missoula, MT – July 23, 2014 – Multiple Listing Services (MLS) nationwide continue to answer the call to empower their agent customers with better mobile technology tools. Goomzee, a longtime provider of mobile technology solutions to agents, brokers, and MLSs announced today sales of their latest innovation, Mobile MLS Apps, have exceeded early expectations. When technology committees and executives compared Goomzee’s solution to other alternatives, Goomzee was selected, and a record five MLS markets signed multi-year site license agreements with the company last quarter alone.

“I’m flattered that so many real estate professionals and MLS markets are recognizing the increased value our products offer their customers, and clients. We first provided web-based Mobile MLS solutions for over 60,000 agents in 2009, and then completely redesigned our infrastructure before we publicly offered our native Mobile MLS Apps. MLS staff cite the reasons they select Goomzee is because we ‘get it’, our solution is ‘insanely fast’, and our commitment to data accuracy and rules compliance is second to none,” shares Mike Sparr, Goomzee’s founder and CEO. “Last quarter was very exciting and we quadrupled our profits from first quarter, increased our agent users over thirty percent, and our Mobile MLS App contract monthly revenue just surpassed our lead capture product revenue for the first time. We continue to reinvest in better solving our customers’ problems and making them shine, and that trend will continue now even faster than expected.”

The Goomzee Mobile MLS App solution currently supports iPhone, iPad and Android devices and is available in the respective app stores. It enables users to research real estate properties, share and collaborate with others, and even manage transactions and listings from mobile devices. The service can be configured on a per-market basis to offer public access or agent access or even invite-only public access. To easily begin using the apps, agents log in to authenticate against their own MLS system or security vendor without any complex approval or registration process. The apps also include a “Demo Mode” so users or perspective MLSs can try it out. Goomzee’s apps are compatible and/or integrate with leading industry technology and data providers to offer the most comprehensive Mobile MLS App solution available. Popular features include:

– Map, nearby, criteria, address, MLS#, school, MLS area searches
– Search criteria matches local market MLS system criteria fields
– Display results on map, gallery, or list view
– Save searches and listings
– Share listings
– Add/remove/edit contacts
– Update/edit listings (depending on market/system availability)
– Configure custom search criteria
– View neighborhood, schools, businesses
– Public record and non-MLS property lookups
– Agent and office roster search and one-tap access to agent or office listings
– Integration with third party tools like RPR, Clareity Security, Instanet Transactions, CloudCMA, ShowingTime, and more
– Comprehensive real-time analytics for MLS staff on app installs, usage, and data feed syncronization

“Our product team and I have worked hand-in-hand for nearly four years with our MLS customers, agents, and brokers to bring forth the features they need, and make sure it’s blazing fast and doesn’t embarrass the agents when trying to access information over mobile devices,” explains Sparr. “When we introduced our mobile apps we cheekily advertised ‘real estate pros can once again have better tools and data than consumers’. Our continued sales and market growth is evident that our customers have confirmed we solved an unmet need in the industry. We’ve been receiving referrals from other MLSs, and even some that aren’t customers yet, are turning their peers towards Goomzee’s mobile technology. I’m grateful and fully committed to continue to invest in advancing our technology and serving the needs of real estate professionals.”

Recent MLS markets that have selected Goomzee’s Mobile MLS Apps includes San Francisco, CA, Tucson, AZ, Peoria, IL, Grand Rapids, MI, and York, PA just these past few months. Goomzee’s Mobile MLS Apps already serve markets in California, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Florida, Arkansas, Arizona and continues to expand. Goomzee’s Mobile MLS apps already serves markets using Paragon, flexmls, Matrix, Rapattoni, and even custom solutions so no matter what system the MLS uses, they can add Goomzee’s Mobile MLS Apps to extend their capabilities.

ABOUT GOOMZEE
Goomzee celebrated its 11th year in business in 2014. The company began as an e-commerce application service provider, powering and hosting small business’ e-commerce websites, but shifted to real estate technology just as the industry fell into turmoil to solve recognized gaps in mobile technology. The company has been serving the real estate industry since 2007, and multiple listing services since 2008. It’s initial real estate product called Goomzee Connect allows agents to capture leads at the property via text message codes on sign riders and a lead capture system. After working closely with MLSs and providing it’s service as a member benefit in nearly 30 MLS markets, representing over 296,000 agents, MLSs approached Goomzee to co-design a mobile solution that would best serve the needs of their members. Their current solution represents a culmination of their first-generation web solution, and two years of research and development to offer a platform that rivals the large portals. For more information, request a quote, or to schedule a personal demo, please contact Goomzee via http://www.goomzee.com.

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Coming Soon Snake Oil

‘Coming soon’ listing strategies are so last year
Teresa Boardman Inman News Contributor

“Now that the market is shifting a bit, the prelisting system is still out there. But the rest of us no longer see it as a threat — more like an agent or client recruiting tool, or just a sleazy marketing tactic.

Real estate is local and the national websites just cannot keep up with the local trends in each market. In some markets, “coming soon” is a big deal.

But I think it is safe to predict that eventually something else will become the next big thing in real estate marketing.”

Good read from Teresa. Matches up with what I’ve been saying. Coming Soon is just a fad to be replaced by something else.

Mike Sparr shares “How To Not Go Out of Business”

Mike Sparr, CEO and founder of Goomzee, just wrote great post about the challenges and decisions vendors face in this business. It’s a long post but worth the read.

How Not To Go Out Of Business

I’ll add to his advice with a bit of my own. Mike talked about the challenges investing in a sales team.

“Now they could make 400 calls per day, automate the voicemail part, reach 90 people daily, do 30 demos and close 1-2 sales. Agents then averaged 20-22 sales/month, bringing my CAC down to about $135. This means at $20/mo product after 7 months of service I pay for my cost of sales and begin earning revenue for the actual product, support, and ongoing R&D. If I wanted to scale sales of this product, I’d have to set aside enough cash to float realistically the first 10 months of every rep’s paychecks before expecting to break-even. You really want to recapture your investment per rep within 2-3 months. Either raise your prices, lower your wages, or roll the dice.”

I would say that adding a Yearly Plan or Two Year Plan, where the agents pay up-front, can help you finance your sales team growth. I’m not sure if Mike meant this when he stated “raise prices”. Good stuff.

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