Where Real Estate Gets Its Dirt

Vendor Alley 2023 Gift Guide

Yup, it’s that time of year again! I’ve put together a few on my favorite things that I think anyone would like for the holidays.

Flighty – A new way to track flights. I love this app. It’s so well designed and does a great job of showing detailed flight maps, live tracking and delay forecasting. The notifications are also helpful. But my favorite feature is the Friends tracker (pro version). You can log your friends flight info and it will send you notifications on their flight status. Great when you are traveling with work mates coming in from multiple locations, or family members coming home for the holidays. Plus it syncs with TripIt.

HiRise 3 Deluxe

I’ve linked to many TwelveSouth products before due to their really cool product designs. If you have one of those new iPhones that have a magnetic back you are going to love this. When an iPhone is turned on its side (horizontal) and charging it brings up these cool displays, like an old school alarm clock. At night the color shifts to super chill red. The magnetic charging means no cords to tangle (no more fumbling in the dark for the power cord) and also charges you Apple Watch and your AirPods pros. Nightstand game changer.

Ray Bans | Meta

Okay, hear me out. These are kind of geeky, and might seem pretty creepy to some, but I think they are great. As a creator of all types of content I just love these. These are smart glasses that have a built in camera (both still and video). I bought them because I like go on cruises with my VW Car Club. I can take video without having to grab my phone (which is a bit dangerous) of myself and other cars driving . Check out this Instagram I posted. I can also see them useful at situations like Christmas morning taking video of the kids opening presents and having my hands free. They also work with your phone to take calls, listen to music, send texts. The sound (no ear buds) and microphone work great. Anytime you are taking video a little light in front of the glasses start to flicker to signal that they are on ( I wish this light was red to make it more obvious). They also have built in AI, so you could ask say something like “Hey Meta, write me a poem about my beautiful wife.” Check out this video The Verge did on them to get a better idea.

Double Glasses Case

Okay keeping on the eyeglasses vibe, I wear progressive lenses and like to have sunglasses around too. I used to have two different cases for each. Not any more! I found this case which is really sturdy and allows me to have my reading glasses and sunglasses in one case. It might be a little big for some but this holds my Ray Ban Wayfarers (not the Meta ver.) perfectly. Makes my life so much eaiser. Here’s the version on I bought on Amazon.

YouTube TV and NFL Sunday Ticket

I might be a little late to the party on this whole “cut the cord” movement but I gotta say Google has done a great job. I still get local channels, DVR and all the NFL games on Sunday, so my Seahawks crazy son can watch every game. Too many great features to mention, just go check it out.

The Art of the CMA

Last, but not least, is my book, The Art of the CMA. Can’t think of a perfect gift for your board of directors? Click here and send me a list of their names and I will personalize each copy with a special message and an autograph. Bulk discounts are available!

NAR NXT Trade Expo pics!

Just a few random photos taken with my Ray-Ban | Meta Glasses

See you tonight!

Looking forward to seeing many of you for our NAR NXT Pre-Party/GEM Soiree tonight.

The fun begins at 5PM!

711 W. 17th St.
Unit J6
Costa Mesa, CA 92646

Hit me up on my phone if you have any questions: 714-240-3895

Stay Classy CoStar, Stay Classy

WTAF? “Person of the week”? Michael Ketchmark (the attorney who brought and won the commission lawsuits against NAR and other industry players) is CoStar’s hero now?

Hey Sam!

Thank you!

Happy Veterans Day! Thank you to all you veterans out there. Including my beautiful mother.

Ready to ditch your iPhone?

Pretty cool. A different approach from apps and screens. I know some people that have ditched their iPhones to flip phones just to get away from so many distractions. When I first saw a demo I was wondering what real estate use cases could be implemented and I made the mock up below.

Batton down the hatches

Mother of all commission suits filed in Illinois, this time by homebuyers

“The scope of Batton 2 is exponentially larger than Gibson, Sitzer | Burnett, or another, similar case, Moehrl. Both Batton 1 (formerly, Leeder) and Batton 2 seek class certification on behalf of two proposed classes:

  • a “Nationwide Class” made up of “All persons who, since December 1, 1996 through the present, purchased in the United States residential real estate that was listed on an NAR MLS.” For this class, the plaintiffs are asking for injunctive relief, meaning either a court-ordered prohibition or a requirement on the defendants’ behavior.
  • a “Damages Class” made up of “All persons who, since December 1, 1996 through the present, purchased in the Indirect Purchaser States residential real estate that was listed on an NAR MLS.” For this class, the plaintiffs are asking for damages under “antitrust, unfair competition, consumer protection, and unjust enrichment laws.”
Andrea Brambila via Inman News

This is why I drink.

Listing Bits Episode 87: Ben Graboske’s Big Bet

In 2020 Ben knew they needed to make a change.  So he went to the Black Knight board and made a pitch, “give me the resources to build a modern MLS system”.  To his surprise, they said yes. Now, 3 years later, that dream has been realized.

His dream was a mobile-first MLS platform that understands the history of how MLS platforms operate but offers a modern user experience.

That’s exactly what Ben Graboske and Lucie Fortier are working on, and their new product, Paragon Connect, is ready for its close up.

Ben is President of Data & Analytics and Lucie is Executive Vice President of MLS Solutions at Intercontinental Exchange or ICE, the financial services firm that bought Black Knight in September 2023.

On this episode of Listing Bits, Ben and Lucie join Greg to discuss ICE’s history of digitizing complex transactions and explain why its acquisition of Black Knight makes sense.

Lucie shares her motivation for joining the team at Intercontinental Exchange, and Ben describes how ICE’s resources benefit his department in the development of Paragon Connect.

Listen in to understand what differentiates Paragon Connect from other MLS vendors and learn how it simplifies the agent experience by providing an entire MLS platform on both a responsive and native app.

What’s Discussed:  

ICE’s history of digitizing complicated transactions and why its acquisition of Black Knight makes sense

How being an MLS vendor supports ICE’s vision for making mortgages easier

Lucie’s journey to joining the ICE team and how technology drives her career decisions

What features differentiate Paragon Connect from other MLS vendors

Why Ben’s team decided not to change Paragon’s name (despite offering an entirely new experience)

How Paragon Connect provides an entire MLS platform in a native app experience

The talented team of designers behind Paragon Connect

How Ben’s team benefits from ICE’s data assets and information security

Lucie’s approach to transitioning existing users to Paragon Connect

How Paragon is introducing a consumer app in Q1 of 2024

Why the rules around marketing to members need to change in an MLS system-of-choice model

What makes Paragon Connect ‘the MLS platform of the future’

Connect with Ben Graboske & Lucie Fortier:


Intercontinental Exchange

Ben on LinkedIn

Lucie on LinkedIn

Email lucie.fortier@bkfs.com 

Resources:


ICE Acquisition of Black Knight

Paragon Connect Demo

Damien Huze on Listing Bits EP85

Paragon Connect on Vendor Alley

Our Sponsors:


Trackxi

VESTAPLUS hires Kelly Robinson

VESTAPLUSTM MLS Software Solutions Appoints Industry Veteran Kelly Robinson as Vice President of Sales & Marketing

“VESTAPLUSTM MLS Software Solutions, a leading provider of innovative real estate technology, is proud to announce the appointment of Kelly (Pantis) Robinson as the Vice President of Sales & Marketing. With over 30 years of experience in the real estate industry, Kelly Robinson is set to lead the company’s growth initiatives and expand its comprehensive suite of MLS software solutions, which includes the highly acclaimed VESTAPLUS PROTM mobile app, Checkmate Listing Violation DetectionTM, Neighborhood SnapshotTM, ShowingsPlusTM, and TechAssistLineTM.

VESTAPLUS, Press Release

Sheeeees back! This industry is certainly Hotel California. Many may not remember but Kelly (back then it was Kelly Pantis) co-founded RealtyPlus Online, one of the first web-based MLS systems. Great hire by Annie and looking forward to seeing Kelly making an impact on the industry again.

Sponsored By MLS Reset