Where Real Estate Gets Its Dirt

James Reynolds to retire

Congratulations on Retirement, James Reynolds

“As Mr. Fisher’s first hire following NAR’s acquisition in 2003, James recruited our initial 100 Association customers in just our first 36 months of operations, laying the foundation for our growth as a leading technology company, serving over 400 Associations and over 400,000 REALTORS®.”

Legendary. One of the good guys. It’s hard to say if anyone ever “retires” from this business (that’s why we call it Hotel California) but maybe James will be one of the lucky ones that escape the gravity pull. Happy Trails James!

Dana Bennett is new CEO of REColorado

Dana Bennett Appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of REcolorado

“I’m excited to bring fresh insights from my previous roles at REcolorado and other organizations, to help propel the company into its next chapter. I’m eager to connect with brokers to understand their needs, and implement initiatives that enhance our data offerings. In this highly competitive time for the MLS industry, I see this as an incredible opportunity to not just navigate the challenges, but to use them to elevate REcolorado—creating value for our subscribers and partners while positioning us for success.”

I think most vendors will remember Dana, due to her previous role as Vice President and Chief Business Development Officer at REcolorado. Lots of palace intrigue going on in Denver so she’s definitely got her work cut out for her!

Katie Johnson, chief legal officer at NAR departs.

NAR Chief Legal Officer Katie Johnson is ‘stepping down’

“As we make this transition, our priority is ensuring business continuity and remaining laser focused on shepherding NAR through this time of significant industry change.”

Inman has asked why Johnson is stepping down, when she is stepping down and who will replace her. We will update this story if and when responses are received.”

Inman News

I think the writing was on the wall when Nykia got the full-time gig at NAR. Many had Katie pegged as the heir apparent for the CEO position once Bob Goldberg retired. But the New York Times sexual harassment stories and the Sitzer/Burnett case had other plans. So why stick around? I didn’t know her well, but she did take my few phone calls (one?) and respond to my emails. She was always cordial whenever we met in person. And unlike many detractors, I think she earned every dime she got from NAR. In another world I would love to hear all the behind the scenes stories she must have.

Good luck, Katie. And most of all, good luck, Nykia. You own this now

Industry Relations Podcast: Tales from the Road

After missing a recording last week (due to travel schedules) the boys are back with another jammed pack episode of Industry Relations.  In this week’s episode Rob and Greg discuss recent Blueprint conference in Las Vegas, CMLS 2024 in Seattle and REColorado new subscriber agreement.  And they sprinkle a little CCP talking points just for good measure.

Watch us on YouTube!

Pictures of Greg’s sister, Pilar, winning her own award

Pictures of Greg presenting at CMLS 2024

HousingWire post on REColorado acquisition

Greg’s take on Rob Reffkin’s CMLS 2024 interview

Connect with Rob and Greg: 

Rob’s Website

Greg’s Website

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This podcast is produced by Sunbound Studios

REcore Announces MLS Buyer Registry

REcore Announces Launch of MLS Buyer Registry: Addressing Compliance, Protecting Agents, and Streamlining Workflows

“MLSs are now tasked with ensuring compliance with buyer agency agreements, and we saw the opportunity to not only solve that problem but also add real value for agents,” said Katie Smithson, Chief Revenue Officer at REcore. “The MLS Buyer Registry provides more than just compliance – it introduces new ways for agents to manage buyer relationships, resolve disputes, and streamline their processes.”

REcore

Very clever. Agents fill out a form when they have a buyer’s agreement signed (no forms need to be uploaded). When a buyer reaches out to an agent to see a property, agents can quickly check if the buyer is already represented, verified by the digits of the buyer’s phone number (not a phone call), and make a decision. Simple. Each MLS will decide whether this is mandatory or not. The Buyer Registry can be linked from the MLS dashboard, through a link in the MLS system, or integrated further with REcore’s REcenterhub product. Full disclosure, I’m on the board of REcore.

What I like about this is that REcore isn’t trying to change the world. They see a need, have a simple solution, and have put it out there. I’ve often been critical of MLS organizations trying to become vendors, but this is an example of how they can succeed. It’s ‘scratching their own itch’ on a much larger scale.

I’m sure they’ll receive feedback from their MLS customers on what to improve, but the important thing is they are offering solutions. Too often, I see companies overthink their solutions. The best product managers are your customers. So just ship!

Paragon Suite from ICE [Sponsor]

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

Powerful communication notification with the all-new Collaboration Center in the Paragon suite from ICE

Powerful communication notification helps agents stay in constant communication with clients, so they can be there for buyers and sellers at every step of the real estate transaction.

Agents stay updated on favorites, dislikes, possibilities, comments, and new searches with the Client Communication dashboard. Transparent contact info. – with profile picture – helps agents remain just one click or tap away via text, call, or email. Users also remain current on listing comments, unread messages, and the full message history … putting the client’s needs first, always.


Learn more about the all-new Collaboration center in the Paragon Suite.

Rayse rising

Rayse Launches to 200 Brokerages, Transforming Transparency and Value in Real Estate Transactions

“Developed in collaboration with leading brokerages, franchisors, and multiple listing service (MLS) providers, Rayse has garnered significant industry support. “We believe in shared ownership of technology solutions to benefit both real estate professionals and their clients,” said Howard W. “Hoby” Hanna IV, CEO of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services, an early investor in Rayse. Founding investors in Rayse completed over 1.1 million transactions in 2023, and the combined agent count among brokers and MLSs is over 470,000, according to data provided by T3 Sixty.”

What I appreciate about what James Dwiggins has so far done with Rayse is the shear number of industry participants who have invested real money to launch this new venture. The count of industry investors he has put together is amazing. It lessens the burden of having to rely on one or two big checks and also has the advantage of smart money. If you take a look at the list of people/companies that have invested they are the same people that can actively participate in helping the company succeed. And when Rayse does succeed they all can participate in its success. Love, love love.

RentSpree delivers 10 million in non-dues revenue to MLS partners

RentSpree Delivers $10 Million in Revenue for MLS Partners

“Our goal is aways to support MLSs and their members,” said Michael Lucarelli, CEO and co-founder of RentSpree. “That means we don’t charge MLSs or agents for our proprietary rental integration. The real key to driving successes like this is in providing great products that gain significant adoption. Earnings come as a byproduct of delivering solutions that address real problems.”

$10 million is legit!




REcolorado acquisition complete

MAZL, LLC Completes Acquisition of REcolorado

“We are committed to ensuring that REcolorado not only remains the foundation of Colorado’s real estate community but continues to set the standard for excellence and innovation as a subscriber-focused MLS,” stated Joseph Burks, President of MAZL, LLC. “As a market leader, REcolorado has always been at the forefront of delivering top-tier services. Our goal is to collaborate closely with its exceptional team to strengthen the company even further, ensuring it continues to deliver MLS services that bring unparalleled value to its subscribers and their clients, adapting and innovating to meet the evolving needs of today’s real estate professionals.”

Welp, I guess it’s official now. There are still many questions surrounding this deal. Including some brought up by the Notorious one.

Acquisition

A working agent’s perspective on the current state of organized real estate- Maggie Etheridge, REALTOR.

I sat down with a long-time friend and former business partner, Maggie Etheridge. Maggie was one of my co-founders at IRIS, a real estate software company we started back in 1992. She is a second-generation real estate agent. Maggie’s mom, Martie, was the inspiration for starting a software company focused on real estate and is likely the reason I have a career today.

This episode began from a series of texts between Maggie and me about her thoughts on NAR, the lawsuits, exclusive listings, and what the pundits are getting wrong. It was a great conversation and a huge reality check for me, making me rethink some of my previous assumptions. It was a discussion that could have gone on for hours; somehow, I think we’ll have to have her on as a guest again.

Reach Out: 

Maggie’s website

Maggie’s Insta

Greg’s website

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