Where Real Estate Gets Its Dirt

Ben Graboske leaving ICE?

Word on the street is that Ben Graboske may be leaving ICE. Can anyone confirm this?

Ben is an OG in the industry and responsible for one of the smartest acquisitions in the industry, acquiring Tarasoft (which became Matrix) while he was at CoreLogic, which is now the largest MLS vendor in North America.

After moving to Black Knight he transformed their MLS solutions team and appointed Lucie Fortier as EVP of Data and Analytics and the MLS team. I had a great time interviewing Ben and Lucie on my Listing Bits podcast last year.

Not sure if this was his plan from the beginning? I can’t imagine help shepherding the protracted ICE deal along was fun. Maybe a new venture? Who knows??

CMLS takes a stand on CCP

CMLS urges NAR to keep Clear Cooperation in new letter

“The debate over NAR’s Clear Cooperation Policy is intense and complex,” CMLS CEO Denee Evans said in an open letter Friday afternoon. “Our position is measured and simple: CCP should remain in place. Modifications should preserve the spirit and effect of the policy. The CMLS Board of Directors has arrived at this conclusion after careful consideration of the objections to CCP.”

Bravo!

Exciting news from ICE [SPONSOR]

We are thrilled to announce that Leesa Baker has joined our team as the new Director of Sales! We’re confident that she’ll bring tremendous value to our team and customers with her extensive experience and success in the MLS industry. 

Join us in welcoming Leesa to ICE MLS Solutions!

Inman acquires Blueprint

Very smart move. I had only attended Blueprint twice, but it was clear that there was a broader world of proptech that wasn’t being addressed by Inman or other real estate conferences and news sites. Blueprint covers a wide range of proptech companies, including innovations in how homes and buildings are constructed. It also attracted more of the venture/investor crowd, with a designated area where founders and entrepreneurs could pitch directly to potential investors.

When I attended the Blueprint conference last September, I ran into Emily Paquette, CEO of Inman, walking the trade show floor. She stopped, said hello, and we talked for a bit. At the time, I thought she was just scoping out the potential competition. In hindsight, with the residential side in such turmoil, it’s easy to see why Inman and their private equity partner, Beringer Capital, were ready to make expand their customer base and make an investment.

Aligned Showings passes 2 millionth mark and introduces usage-based pricing

Aligned Showings Reaches 2 Millionth Showing and Introduces Usage-Based Pricing

“Having booked over 2 million showings across our MLS partners is a huge milestone for us. We continue to add new features to Aligned Showings, which has led to over 91% of active listings using the platform in RMLS alone,” stated Kurt von Wasmuth, CEO of RMLS in Portland, Oregon.”

Many MLS software solutions are bundled or provided at little or no cost. The drawback to these tethered solutions is that they limit choice and competition. Additionally, many of these vendors require licensing and terms that MLS organizations would rather not concede. As the saying goes, ‘When the product is free, you’re the product.’

With Aligned Showings usage-based pricing, MLS organizations can now offer more choice to their agents without surrendering unwanted or aggressive data usage rights.

Paragon Suite from ICE [Sponsor]

My thanks to ICE for sponsoring this month’s Vendor Alley!

Paragon offers App Suite
Easy-to-use apps make the MLS experience even easier

With the ICE Paragon Connect App Suite MLS members have access to both full MLS functionality and amplified agent-client collaboration.

The App Suite consists of:

The mobile app for agents: This app enables agents to access the full power of Paragon Connect with the simplicity of an app-based interface.

The mobile app for consumers: Agents and their clients benefit from connection, collaboration, and robust search capabilities powered by the Collaboration Center.

With fast, simple and on-the-go interfaces, the App Suite from ICE Paragon Connect improves communication – making the real estate process more productive and collaborative.

Learn more about the App Suite from ICE Paragon Connect. [https://www.icemortgagetechnology.com/products/paragon-connect-app-suite]

CRS Data launches data compliance solution

CRS Data’s ListingIntegrity Elevates Data Quality and Automates Listing Violation Detection

“Our goal is to create steadfast and trusted ways to serve the real estate market,” stated Sara Cooper, executive vice president, real estate market at CRS Data. “We had immediate interest from the very beginning. In fact, we had one customer sign on prior to the product being fully developed and demand has continued to rise with a total of six new customers in the last quarter.” 

Lots of activity in this space. Got a feeling that MLS organizations are going to have a lot to choose from. Also, have you taken at look at CRS Data’s website? I’ve been meaning to comment for awhile now but they have done such a good job with it. Very crispy.

Get your hotel room for MLS Reset

I’m still buzzing about MLS Reset. Having attended so many conferences in my career, being able to personally curate the content of an event is a dream come true. I can tell you that Staci, Amy, Chris, and I are swinging for the fences when it comes to speakers and content. We just booked a fantastic speaker that I think will be perfect to kick off the show.

While I can’t share specifics yet because we haven’t nailed down all the details, and we want to keep the content fresh for January, Amy has put together a brief list of some of the content plans. And please if you have any suggestions email me!

There are more updates coming and we are working on our website which will be launched soon.

Also, I was told by Amy to relay a couple things

  1. Early bird pricing end after on October 31st.
  2. The Scottsdale Plaza is notorious to filling up fast. So make sure you follow the separate link on the event sign up page to book your hotel room.

Get ready to push that reset button!

MetroList finds a voice

MetroList Introduces Revolutionary Voice-Activated Property Add-Edit Feature

“MetroList President and CEO Dave Howe highlighted the significance of this launch, “This new Add-Edit feature is important for the industry to radically modernize the day-to-day business of real estate professionals. We are thrilled to continue partnering with Lundy and Rapattoni to set new real estate standards.”

Pretty cool! The new voice search on MetroListMLS.com (also powered by Lundy) just keeps getting better and better—super fast! So, adding their voice recognition to listing input seems like a no-brainer.

Side note: Zillow’s voice search experience on the iPhone is much slower and more finicky, in my experience, compared to what Lundy has accomplished. Not sure why Zillow (or Realtor.com/Homes.com) hasn’t bought Lundy already… hint, hint.

That being said, I mostly use voice as an input device at home with Siri on my HomePod: “Siri, start a timer for 4 minutes,” or “Siri, what’s the weather like today?” I’ve just started getting more comfortable using voice with ChatGPT. I’m still a little self-conscious about it, but I know that will fade as AI improves.

Great to see MetroList and Rapattoni driving this innovation—it’s really close to magic!

Industry Relations Podcast: Canned Spam

In the latest episode of Industry Relations, Rob and Greg venture into a thought-provoking discussion about disaster preparedness and self-reliance. While they typically focus on real estate, this episode broadens the scope, offering practical insights on how to be ready for unexpected emergencies like natural disasters or social unrest.

Rob, who has fully embraced the prepper lifestyle, breaks down the importance of planning for short-term disasters, emphasizing the need for essential supplies like water, food, and basic medical skills. Rather than “bugging out” or fleeing, he encourages listeners to “bug in” — stay at home and rely on their community to survive. He also highlights the critical role of knowing your neighbors, as they can become your greatest resource in a crisis.

This episode offers valuable advice on building self-sufficiency, from securing food and water to handling emergency situations and even touches on the significance of physical fitness during a crisis. Greg engages Rob with questions that bring out relatable and practical tips for urban and suburban listeners alike.

Whether you’re curious about survival strategies or just want to hear some down-to-earth insights on real-world preparedness, this episode is packed with useful takeaways.

Watch us on YouTube!

LifeStraw – Personal Water Filter for Hiking

Children and teens are more liking to die from guns than anything else.

Stop The Bleed

Spam – Pack of 12

Surviveware First Aid Kit

Israeli Battle Dressing Compression Bandage

Connect with Rob and Greg: 

Rob’s Website

Greg’s Website

Our Sponsors: 

CoreLogic

Notorious VIP

The Giant Steps Job Board

This podcast is produced by Sunbound Studios

Sponsored By MLS Reset