Where Real Estate Gets Its Dirt

BeachesMLS partners with PropStream

PropStream Joins Forces with BeachesMLS to Streamline Lead Generation

“Dionna Hall, CEO of BeachesMLS, stated: “At BeachesMLS, we are committed to providing our members with innovative solutions that enhance their business success. Partnering with PropStream allows us to offer a powerful lead generation tool that complements our existing resources, empowering agents to find more opportunities in today’s competitive market.”

Good to see Brian Tepfer continue to get traction with PropSteam. I think it’s a great way for MLS organizations to offer their members choice in generating more business. I got a demo from, Jessica Richardson, PropStream’s Head of Industry Relations, and was impressed with their platform.

Jessica Richardson joins PropStream

Jessica Richardson joins PropStream on their MLS and Broker Sales team focusing on industry relations and integrations. PropStream CEO Brian Tepfer noted that Jessica will be “a wonderful addition to our team.”

Jessica had previously worked At zipLogix as a National Account Manager. After zipLogix was acquired by Lone Wolf, she took the role as Strategic Account Manager. That’s where I met her and she eventually joined my MLS team as an Enterprise Account Manager where she was super impressive and helped me tremendously.

I couldn’t be happier for Jessica. Both Brian and Jessica will be in Boston this week. Congratulations to Brian and the rest of the PropStream team.

Industry Relations Episode 69: Push Button Real Estate with Brian Boero

Does everything have to be so fast?  Shouldn’t some things take time?  

Especially if it’s the largest purchase/sale of your life?

On this episode of Industry Relations, Rob and Greg sit down with Brian Boero of 1000watt, to discuss his recent blog post, “Pushing Buttons”.  Join this high-level discussion about the future of “push button” real estate.
 
What‘s Discussed: 

The consumer experience with pushing buttons
Redfin’s 400 step process
The genius of Zillow’s “Super App” marketing messaging
Greg talks “Zuber”
Keeping up with the consumer
What does a “better” real estate experience look like?


Connect with Rob & Greg:
 
Rob’s Website 
Greg’s Website 

Resources: 

Brian’s “Pushing Buttons” blog post
1000watt’s website
Amazon’s Day One Philosophy

Our Sponsors: 

Cloud MLX
Notorious VIP

Industry Relations Episode 66: What if Mandatory Compensation Goes Away?

Realogy caused a kerfuffle earlier this month when the real estate industry learned, in unsealed court filings, that brokerage president Ryan Gorman is opposed to NAR’s mandatory compensation rules. 

What’s behind Gorman’s stance on compensation? What does it mean for the MLS if the rules change? How would it impact brokers and agents?

On this episode of Industry Relations, Rob and Greg discuss how the value of the MLS would shift in the absence of mandatory compensation, looking at Northwest MLS as a case study around what happens when compensation is optional.

Rob predicts government regulations to eliminate the possibility of steering and Greg reflects on how the conversation around compensation might change in a buyer’s market. 

Listen in to understand why optional compensation favors big brands and find out what MLS boards, brokers and agents should be doing to plan for a world where compensation is optional. 


What’s Discussed:  

What’s behind Realogy’s opposition to mandatory compensation rules

How the value of the MLS would shift in the absence of mandatory compensation

How compensation is optional at Northwest MLS but most offer it anyway

What buyers’ agents would lose by getting booted from the MLS

The prevalence of steering and why Rob predicts regulations to eliminate the possibility 

Greg’s take on how the conversation around compensation might change in a buyer’s market

Why optional compensation privileges bigger brands (and hurts small, independent brokerages)

How compensation works in the world of commercial real estate 

Why MLS boards should prioritize investments in data and technology


Connect with Rob and Greg: 

Rob’s Website

Greg’s Website

Resources:

‘Realogy Calls on NAR to Eliminate Commission-Sharing Requirement’ in Inman

‘Agents Slam Realogy’s Call to End Mandatory Nature of NAR Participation Rule’ in Inman

Rob’s Post on Realogy’s Stance Against Buyer Agent Compensation

Rob’s Red Dot Report on CoStar’s Entry to Residential Real Estate

‘Conflicts of Interest and Steering in Residential Brokerage’ in the American Economic Journal


Our Sponsors: 

Cloud MLX

Notorious VIP

RESO 2025 Board of Directors Announced

Pictured left to right from top left: (Row 1) Rebecca Jensen, John Breault, Melissa King, Richard Renton, (Row 2) Alex Lange, Bob Evans, Caitlin McCrory, Dan Troup, Dan Weisman, (Row 3) Greg Moore, Janine Sieja, Joseph Szurgyi, Joe Wilhelmy, Katy Davenport, (Row 4) Matt Cohen, Matt Hendricks, Michael Hayes, Michael Wurzer, (Row 5) Patrick Pichette, Shayne Fairley, Ross Buck.
(Pictured left to right from top left: (Row 1) Rebecca Jensen, John Breault, Melissa King, Richard Renton, (Row 2) Alex Lange, Bob Evans, Caitlin McCrory, Dan Troup, Dan Weisman, (Row 3) Greg Moore, Janine Sieja, Joseph Szurgyi, Joe Wilhelmy, Katy Davenport, (Row 4) Matt Cohen, Matt Hendricks, Michael Hayes, Michael Wurzer, (Row 5) Patrick Pichette, Shayne Fairley, Ross Buck.)

RESO Announces 2025 Board of Directors Election Winners

“Election winners representing Multiple Listing Services (MLSs) and REALTOR® associations:

  • John Breault, VP, MLS, State-Wide MLS in Rhode Island
  • Greg Moore, CTO, Regional Multiple Listing Service (RMLS) in Oregon

The winner of the open board seat representing technology companies, developers, partners and consultants:

  • Michael Hayes, Executive Director, Industry Development, Homes.com

Winners representing real estate brokerages, brokers, agents and appraisers:

  • Joe Wilhelmy, VP, Business Technology, RE/MAX
  • Caitlin McCrory, VP, Industry Relations, Anywhere”

Congrats to everyone.

Burnett v. NAR: The Lawsuit That Could Upend the Housing Market

What if we told you that a high-stakes trial in the real estate and technology industry is about to unfold, with potential implications for consumers and the future of the housing market? Today, Rob and Greg are joined by Ed Zorn, Vice President and General Counsel at CRMLS, and they dive into the details of the ongoing Burnett v. NAR trial, exploring the various legal aspects and arguments that could lead to a major disruption for home sales.

Join us as we discuss the application of the “per se” standard, the challenges faced by the Burnett, and the pivotal role of the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) in this episode of our podcast. Don’t miss this heated discussion as Rob and Greg once again do their best to save the real estate industry.

Watch us on YouTube!

Connect with Rob and Greg: 

Rob’s Website

Greg’s Website

Our Sponsors: 

Notorious VIP

This podcast is produced by Two Brothers Creative 2023.

VestaPlus [Sponsor]

My thanks to VestaPlus for sponsoring this month’s Vendor Alley. I got a chance to sit down and talk with Kelly Robinson on my Listing Bits podcast. Kelly is a pioneer in the web-based MLS industry and is now heading up the sales and industry relations at VestaPlus. Kelly was also a featured speaker at the CoreLogic’s Clareity24 MLS Workshop last week.

To find out more please visit their website. My thanks again to VestaPlus.

Two great pods to listen to on your way to NAR Boston

I know a lot of you like me are traveling to NAR Boston today, so I’ve got a special twofer for you.

“The Worst of All Possible Worlds?” – Industry Relations Podcast. Rob and I explore how the upcoming election could reshape the real estate industry, focusing on regulatory impacts, DOJ actions, and antitrust issues. They also discuss potential changes to industry practices and transparency in agent behavior. We both made a steak dinner bet on the outcome of the election. Listen to see which one of us was right.

“The Front-Endless MLS System with Carlos Grass and Paul Hethmon” – Listing Bits Podcast. I sit down with Carlos Grass and Paul Hethmon, co-founders of Amplify, to discuss their innovative “front-endless” MLS backend platform. This episode highlights Amplify’s unique approach to creating a flexible, adaptable MLS backend designed to empower MLSs with greater control and cutting-edge technology. This is an exciting category with a few players ready to take on the future of MLS.

Listen to them both on your favorite podcast player!

Industry Relations Episode 70: The MLS’s Role in Building Tech to Facilitate Cooperation – with Justin Landon & Ryan Castle

On episode 66 of Industry Relations, Rob and Greg discussed the potential repercussions of ending mandatory compensation. And Rob asserted that without cooperation and compensation, the value of the MLS lies solely in its data and technology tools.

How did those comments sit with MLS leaders?

Justin Landon is the CEO of the Lexington-Bluegrass Association of REALTORS, a 4,000-member MLS based in Lexington, Kentucky. Ryan Castle serves as CEO of the Cape Cod & Islands Association of REALTORS, a 3,000-member MLS serving Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket. On this episode of Industry Relations, Justin and Ryan join Rob and Greg to share their argument against the assertion that the value of the MLS is tied solely to buyer’s compensation.

Justin and Ryan describe the work they do to ensure that listing agents follow data compliance guidelines, explaining how the MLS has evolved to become a catalyst for the adoption of technology and a distribution mechanism among agents and consumers. Listen in for insight on why compensation is usually offered even when it’s not required and learn about the MLS’s role in building technology that facilitates cooperation.

What’s Discussed:  

Justin & Ryan’s argument against the assertion that the value of the MLS is tied solely to buyer’s compensation

The work MLSs do to ensure that listing agents follow data compliance guidelines

Why MLS teams need to know the areas they’re serving

How the MLS has evolved to become a distribution mechanism among agents and consumers

Why Rob suggests that MLSs need to invest in developing their own technology if compensation ends

The MLS as a technology provider vs. catalyst for the adoption of technology

Why compensation is usually offered even when it’s not required

The relationship between compensation and the steering problem in real estate

The potential to add reverse auto prospecting and rental data to the MLS

How NAR’s focus on the distribution of data provides an opportunity for MLSs

The MLS’s role in building technology that facilitates cooperation

What we need to do to prevent the government from making the MLS a public utility

Connect with Justin:

Lexington-Bluegrass Association of REALTORS

Connect with Ryan:

Cape Cod & Islands Association of REALTORS

Connect with Rob and Greg: 

Rob’s Website

Greg’s Website

Resources:

What if Mandatory Compensation Goes Away? on Industry Relations EP066

MLS Grid

Buyside

RealScout

FloPlan

Our Sponsors: 

Cloud MLX

Notorious VIP

Industry Relations Episode 67: What’s Behind the Desktop Appraisal Option—with Nick Conteduca

On January 19, 2022, Fannie Mae announced a desktop appraisal option that goes live in Desktop Underwriter in March, making it possible to do an appraisal without a physical inspection.

So, what motivated this change in the rules? Why is it important? 

What does a desktop appraisal option mean for appraisers? And how will it impact the real estate industry in general?

NIck Conteduca is the Senior Vice President of Tech Innovation and Subject Matter Expert at Opteon, a global real estate appraisal firm working toward the bold vision of same-day turn times. 

On this episode of Industry Relations, Nick joins Rob and Greg to discuss Fannie Mae’s announcement, explaining what a desktop appraisal entails and the rules around who (or what) provides the information.

Nick weighs in on why there are only 75,000 appraisers in the US, describing how challenging it is to become a licensed appraiser and why the appraisal industry has a love-hate relationship with the new rules.

Listen in to understand why it’s unlikely that lenders will start using AVMs over appraisers and learn how the appraisal industry is evolving—and what technology can do to support appraisers, not replace them.

What‘s Discussed: 

What motivated Fannie Mae’s new desktop appraisal option and why it’s a big deal

What a desktop appraisal entails and the rules re: who provides the information

How information for a desktop appraisal can be verified through virtual inspection technology

Why there are only 75,000 appraisers in the US and how they’re compensated

The appraisal industry’s love-hate relationship with the new desktop appraisal option

Why it’s unlikely that lenders will start using AVMs instead of appraisers

Why real estate data in public records and on the MLS is so inaccurate (and how appraisers correct the data in Fannie Mae’s Uniform Appraisal Dataset)

How challenging it is to become a certified appraiser as opposed to a licensed REALTOR 

The relationships among appraisers, REALTORS and home inspectors

How the appraisal industry is evolving and how tech improvements might affect it

Connect with Nick:

Opteon

Nick on LinkedIn

Connect with Rob & Greg:

Rob’s Website

Greg’s Website

Resources: 

Fannie Mae’s Desktop Appraisal Option Announcement

Fannie Mae’s Desktop Underwriter

Fannie Mae’s Desktop Appraisal FAQ’s

CubiCasa Floor Plan Software

Fannie Mae’s Uniform Appraisal Dataset

Our Sponsors: 

Cloud MLX

Notorious VIP

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