Helping Realtors Navigate the Market: RPR 2023 Product Highlights
RPR (Realtors Property Resource) created a special goal for itself in 2023: to help REALTORS® navigate the current real estate market. Words such as "down," "tricky," "challenging," and "frustrating" have all been used to define the 2023 marketplace. And depending on you, your market and your situation, they might all apply! That's why RPR is so focused on helping agents by arming them with data and tools that they can use to educate and enlighten their prospects and clients. Putting game-changing tools in the hands of REALTORS® was certainly a theme this past year, and while we don't normally like to toot our own horn, we have to say, 2023 was a (use your Larry David voice) a pretty, pretty, pretty good year. Read on for a look at RPR's stellar product highlights from the last year… Empowering REALTORS® with next-level tools and insights Shareable Market Trends In May, RPR unveiled a new version of the Market Trends charts and graphs: Shareable Market Trends! Using insights, REALTORS® can share hyper-local housing market updates to their social media channel(s) of choice, with just a button "click." More Shareable Market Trends highlights: Share, download or copy charts Easy to include in additional marketing touchpoints Provide valuable insights to clients and create new marketing opportunities Use key metrics like Month's Supply of Inventory and List to Sold Price Percentage to improve marketing strategies Haven't tried it out yet? We invite you to take the Shareable Market Trends for a spin! Market Trends ScriptWriter One month later, RPR dropped a game-changing tool: the Generative AI-powered Market Trends ScriptWriter. With it, agents can take Market Trends stats for specific areas, and easily create compelling marketing copy and content in just seconds. Other Shareable Market Trends highlights: Leverage AI to generate video scripts, social media posts and market analysis based on the local trends that month Tailored scripts based on specified tone and audience type Facilitates sharing timely, accurate data about local market trends Don't be afraid of AI! RPR has made it easier than ever for REALTORS® to try it out and apply it to their marketing and prospecting efforts. Try it now: Market Trends ScriptWriter. New Commercial Real Estate Data In July, we added more data sets to RPR Commercial, bolstering the Summary and Financial Details sections. The new data offers a bigger picture and more comprehensive insight into the true value and potential risks each commercial property holds. New commercial real estate data points that RPR added in 2023: New data points include cap rates, building size, zoning and FIPS Parcel Numbers for deeper analysis The addition of Adjusted Property Value, Multi Parcel Loans, MTG Risk Score to assess market value and investment risks The inclusion of property use, contact names, titles and multi-parcel data for comprehensive understanding There's more! Financial Risk Score, Property Use Reliability Score and Local Area Credit Risk Score to help inform strategic decision-making New RPR Mobile™ pricing tools The RPR app can now help calculate purchasing power for buyers and sellers! With the Estimated Equity Calculator and the Mortgage Calculator, it's super easy to educate clients, pique interest and spark conversations when agents are in the field. The Estimated Equity Calculator highlights: Calculate a homeowner's current equity Deliver equity calculations during client interactions Provides a foundation for informed discussions regarding homeowners' financial positions The Mortgage Calculator highlights: Provides a quick estimate of a mortgage payment including taxes, insurance, and HOA fees Helps clients understand what they can afford in real-time Assists in planning and managing buyers' budgets effectively Sit back and coast? No way… RPR's already gearing up for 2024 While 2023 was certainly a highlight reel type of year when it came to new product releases and enhancements, we're not quite done. Look for even more game-changing ideas, tech and tools from your Realtors Property Resource in the coming year. To view the original article, visit the RPR blog.

MLSBackup.net: New emergency MLS system for brokerages and boards
Thank you to Real Estate Webmasters for sponsoring this article on RE Technology: What Is MLS Backup? MLS Backup is a product tailored to offer a safety net for MLSs (multiple listing services) and brokerages in the event of significant hardware malfunctions or ransomware attacks. Its primary purpose is to ensure that Realtors® can continue their business operations even if their main MLS system encounters disruptions This backup system is designed to be activated immediately, ensuring minimal downtime. This blog is a summary of the original found on Real Estate Webmasters' website. What Are the Benefits of MLS Backup? MLS Backup offers three primary advantages: Redundant Backups of All of Your Listings The core of MLS Backup's redundant backup feature is to provide third-party backup of listings. While many MLS systems and brokerages already back up their listings, these backups might not be immediately accessible during emergencies. MLS Backup guarantees the availability of a redundant backup, which is both a prudent and cost-effective measure. An MLS System for Critical Functions MLS Backup doesn't aim to replace existing comprehensive MLS systems. Instead, it offers Realtors® the essential features they require to manage their listings and sustain their business operations. This includes the ability to add, edit, delete, and syndicate listings. The platform ensures that Realtors® can maintain their operations seamlessly, even during an MLS outage. Disaster Recovery and Repopulation In the aftermath of an outage, reintroducing the primary MLS with the latest listings can be a cumbersome task. MLS Backup aids in this recovery process by providing a feed of the most recent listings, inclusive of new listings and all the edits made during the downtime. This ensures a faster and more streamlined recovery process. A Cost-Effective Backup Solution For MLS Backup to be widely adopted, it needs to be economically viable. The platform is designed to be cost-effective, especially when it's serving as a passive backup. When in active use, the pricing is considerably less than the cost of the malfunctioning MLS, making it an affordable and practical backup solution. Final Thoughts Put simply, the real estate industry cannot afford to be left in the dark due to unforeseen system failures. MLS Backup emerges as a safety net, ensuring that Realtors® and brokerages can continue their operations seamlessly, even in the face of adversity. By investing in such a robust backup system, real estate professionals not only safeguard their listings but also fortify the trust of their clients. As the industry involves, tools like MLS Backup will be indispensable in shaping a future where business continuity is guaranteed.

Is IDX Under Fire and Are VOWs Rising from the Ashes?
The real estate socials have been buzzing the last week or so about Howard Hanna's recent decision to opt-out of IDX and switch to only using VOW feeds to distribute their listings and power their website, HowardHannah.com. Greg Robertson posted about it on Vendor Alley and then hosted a Twitter Spaces on the topic, and Victor Lund published a post on the WAV Group blog, as well. My view is that, in the end, this likely is much ado about nothing, because sites will still be able to show the Howard Hannah listings via the VOW feed. Yes, VOWs require users to create an account and be logged-in to see them, but sites like Redfin.com have proven long ago that there are effective ways to implement a combination of IDX and VOW experiences on a website. I think much of the uproar is that lots of sites rely on IDX only, including possibly some of the national portals, and so, for now, the listings are not showing at all on those sites. For example, at the time of me writing this post, 3301 E Derbyshire is an active listing on HowardHannah.com: However, that same listing shows as "off market" on Homes.com, indicating that Homes.com has not yet implemented VOW feeds (you can see I'm logged in as "MW" below): And Redfin.com, which is a combo IDX/VOW site, shows the listing and indicates that users need to log in to see it: One of the portal sites that has drawn the most attention in this case is Zillow, which also uses IDX (at least), but is still showing this listing even though HowardHannah is opted out of IDX: In announcing the switch to VOW, Howard Hannah specifically mentioned that they'd still be sending listings to Zillow, so some folks on Twitter have speculated that perhaps Zillow is still showing the listing because they have a direct feed from Howard Hannah, whereas other sites do not. However, as you can see in the above image, Zillow is saying the listing is coming from the MLSNOW data feed, and so I'm guessing this is just a case where Zillow may not have implemented the IDX opt-out requirement properly, or, if they're using both IDX and VOW feeds from MLSNOW, they're not following the VOW rules to require login for such listings as Redfin.com does. In the end, though, all of this certainly points out the complexity of IDX and VOW implementations. Sites like Redfin.com show that a combo approach can be implemented well. I'm sure sites like Zillow and Homes will follow suit, as will lots of IDX vendors providing sites to brokers and agents, such that this debate about IDX and VOW will once again fade into the background. A potentially related article was posted in Swanepoel's Real Estate News site about eXp, indicating they've been in discussions with CoStar about a partnership with Homes.com. The article later refers to "two or three other exclusive partnerships," indicating that perhaps the discussions with Homes.com were for an "exclusive" partnership as well. This might be a stretch, but for an "exclusive" to be possible, wouldn't eXp need to opt out of IDX to prevent those listings from showing on other IDX-powered portals like Zillow? Of course, as discussed above, even opting out of IDX wouldn't prevent sites from showing the listings using a VOW feed as Redfin does, so it seems unlikely the negotiations are for an "exclusive" deal unless eXp was intending to opt out of MLSs entirely, which really would be news. Regarding the question above about whether MLS policy allows a broker Participant to opt out of IDX and send their listings to a designated portal, I chime in to the Twitter thread at one point to mention that the right for broker Participants to send their own listings wherever they want appears to be covered by the mandatory NAR policy Section 18 Right of Participant to MLS Data Feed of Listing Content (Policy Statement 8.3), which says: I also mention in the thread that FBS's Spark Platform provides cost-free feeds to brokers of their own listings (though the MLS may still have a fee) and that includes contacts, saved searches, favorites, and other customer portal data in addition to listings. So, yes, brokers in MLSs using the Spark Platform certainly have the right and capability to send direct feeds of their own listings wherever they want. Is that better than IDX or VOW? I don't think so, but I think providing options to increase competition and experimentation on different models is important, and that's what the Spark Platform has always been all about. Sites can implement direct feeds, IDX sites, VOW sites, and combination IDX/VOW sites using the Spark Platform, which makes it possible to automate compliance with opt-outs and disparate MLS IDX and VOW policies. Let me close by referencing a Listing Bits podcast discussion I had a few weeks ago with Greg Robertson, Greg Fischer, and Andy Woolley from Homes.com/CoStar regarding Homes.com's switch from direct feeds to IDX. In that discussion, I recommended that MLSs create new licensing options for portals so they don't feel forced to use IDX or even VOW feeds when those really aren't a perfect fit to their use case. Even where companies like Zillow or CoStar become broker Participants and are entitled to IDX and VOW feeds, if the above discussion shows anything, it's that complying with all these varied rules is a lot of work (hopefully lessened by the Spark Platform) and MLSs could create more consistency and options for both brokers and portals at the same time by rethinking the licensing of feeds to portals. Along these lines, there's been quite a bit of discussion and even draft proposals to combine IDX and VOW policies into one and perhaps such an effort could differentiate the case for how national high-traffic portals (even those provided by broker Participants) are licensed the MLS data. Until there's a clear policy that differentiates these use cases, we'll likely continue to see independent decisions by broker Participants to opt-out of IDX and thereby creating an inconsistent experience for consumers and broker Participants alike. This is as good a time as any to dig in and differentiate and simplify these different use cases to create a more certain listing distribution platform for everyone. To view the original article, visit the FBS blog.

How to Overcome 4 Major Challenges to Regain Control of Your MLS's Leads
Many associations, MLSs, and brokers are chasing the same goal: to regain control of their leads from third-party portals. However, in today's competitive real estate landscape, none of these organizations have the resources to overcome these four major challenges: MLSs, brokers, and associations don't have the billions of dollars needed to compete with portals. Real estate organizations need to build a front-end that is fast, SEO friendly and responsive enough to compete with third-party portals. They must develop a back-end that is cloud-based and scalable in order to handle a large volume of traffic. MLSs, brokers, and associations need to keep their maintenance and hosting costs manageable as most of them don't have enough technical human resources onboard. Unfortunately, many give up on this idea due to the difficulty of overcoming all four challenges simultaneously. Large listing portals have the resources to optimize their front-end technologies for SEO and maintain an expensive cloud structure.That's where MLS Router can help with all of these challenges. Three years ago, Realtyna embarked on a journey to solve this puzzle, resulting in the creation of MLS Router™. This RESO Web API service offers an SDK to develop any on-the-fly API based front-end on a super fast underlying cloud structure. Lavender RESO Web API Front-end pack is a good example. PageSpeed Insights is a Google tool that can show you the metrics of the web page based on four factors: performance, accessibility, best practices and SEO in your website. With this tool, you can test your website's critical pages—for instance, the property details page. Realtyna's PageSpeed Insights results were impressive, with an overall score above 90, while large-scale portals often receive scores below 75 on the same property details page. Here is an example of the results of a mobile/desktop test in one of the consumer-facing portals:   This overall rate is critical because in SEO, the winner takes all. Even a slight edge in SEO and other scores can exponentially increase the chance of a user clicking on your property details page. In addition to front-end speed, MLS Router™ also provides significant back-end cost savings. Maintaining and developing an efficient database and back-end set can cost thousands of dollars. With this solution, no database hosting is needed, and the back-end is fully offered as an API-as-a-service at a fraction of the cost. Most RESO Web API gateways are built for importing the data, with milliseconds not being a major concern for such use cases. This can be seen in the limitations set by MLS platforms, including a limited number of hits per second, a requirement to host images yourself, and a maximum number of concurrent connections. These limitations clearly define the boundaries of such services: Do not run on-the-fly services on our RESO Web API Gateway: It's for sync/import only! In contrast, MLS Router™ offers several packages for on-the-fly use cases, including mobile apps that can load on top of the cloud infrastructure we've created, high-speed web packages for fully customized Next.JS apps over the API-based cloud, and a back-end unified feed for associations and brokers with multiple MLS feeds. Main Takeaways In the real estate industry, many associations and brokers want to create their own customized apps and websites to regain control of their leads and direct them to their members and agents. However, building a front-end that can compete with larger portals, developing a cloud-based and scalable back-end, and keeping maintenance and hosting costs reasonable are major challenges that many give up on. MLS Router™, created by Realtyna, offers a solution to these challenges by providing an SDK to develop an on-the-fly API based front-end on a super-fast underlying cloud structure that delivers impressive Google Page Insight Tool results. Unlike most RESO Web API gateways that are built for importing data, MLS Router™ offers several packages for on-the-fly use cases, including mobile apps, high-speed web packages, and a back-end unified feed for associations and brokers with multiple MLS feeds. Request a demo about MLS Router™ cloud infrastructure at: realtyna.com/mls-cloud/ realtyna.com/mls-router-api/

Start with Training and Education to Defend Yourself and Your Organization from Phishing Scams
It was a Sunday morning, and I was taking a break from doing chores around the house. The house phone rings and my mom (a Baby Boomer) picks it up. I can only hear this side of the conversation, but quickly I gathered that it was "DirecTV" on the phone. The call went on for a fairly long time. Finally, when my mom hung up the phone, I asked her who it was. She told me it was DirecTV and they claimed to need to replace some of the equipment for our satellite to provide us with a better signal. The equipment normally costs $1,000, but it would only cost us $300, and after six months, we would get the money back. But something did not feel right. My mom called DirecTV from their number posted online, and guess what? DirecTV did not call her. It was someone trying to scam her out of $300. The scary part? It was really convincing. However, she knew to second guess the caller before providing her information. Why? Because it is something we have talked about as a family. The FTC reported that Americans lost billions of dollars in 2021 from scams. Americans are not the only ones losing billions of dollars because of scams. So are businesses. The exact dollar figures are not important. What is important is what you should be doing to protect your MLS, brokerage, or association. You must start with the first layer of defense against scams: educating your people. Start with educating yourself and your staff I'm not saying it is that simple, but the reason phishing scams work so well is that they are designed to target even the brightest people. Some scams are more obvious than others. Here is a phishing scam that someone tried recently targeting WAV Group's Facebook page and its followers: This one seems fairly obvious that it is a scam. But they wouldn't be doing it if it didn't work at least some of the time. You must stay diligent even when your team says, "Yeah, yeah, I know." Our data and technology experts at WAV Group have helped many clients over the years examine their technology stacks and consult with their staff to keep the scammers out. If you would like an expert to examine the vulnerabilities of your digital platforms or get help educating your team on the dangers lurking in their inbox, cell phone, text messages and social media, WAV Group is here to help. David Gumpper, our digital security expert, will be happy to help protect your team and your company from disaster. Click here and we will be happy to schedule a time to talk to you. To view the original article, visit the WAV Group blog.

May I Have Your Attention, Please?
Attention is a powerful word. In the military, soldiers stand still at attention, listening to their leader. You probably have not thought about attention lately, but it might be the most important thing that a leader needs to focus on. Do you command attention with the people that are important to your success? In the last day or two, have you picked up your phone to do something and wound up doing something else? A friend of mine who came over to watch the Buffalo Bills game confessed that she deleted Instagram. "I found myself spending 20 minutes scrolling through photos and watching Reels every time I picked up my phone." She had to tell me this twice because I was scrolling through Snapchat posts while watching the game and listening to her. Do I have your attention yet? Have you ever heard the saying that Realtors don't read? It is a very common complaint from brokers and MLSs who are trying to inform real estate agents about all sorts of things. Communications are difficult, especially if you have a lot to say. Most brokers have about 20 software products available to agents, whereas MLSs have a dozen more, and franchises offer their own pile, and REALTOR associations have a handful, as well. All these offerings come with notifications and trainings. Real estate agents live in a noisy inbox. Getting Attention The truth is all of us have attention deficit disorder these days. In our efforts to stay connected, we connect to everything and often connect to many things at once. Our efforts to stay connected are notably separating us from the strongly bonded connections that we need to succeed. As leaders, getting attention is about the quality of connection you are creating when you communicate. Here are a few things to consider that will improve your connection quality: Engage the Senses – Touch, sight, hearing, smell and taste. An in-person meeting with food hits all five! Create a Frame of Reference – If you can relate to the book about knowing your why, or a purpose driven life, you understand that reference drives clarity, infuses passion, focuses on goals, develops resilience. Break Expectations – Surprises are great, and people pay attention when you do not give them what they expect. Drop templates and focus on variety. Reward! – Deliver rewards in two ways: extrinsic and intrinsic – money and self-improvement rewards deliver the best results. Reputation – Remember, just because you are the boss does not mean that you have established credibility. Mystery – Never give out the entire answer. Create some mystery by leaving things a little bit incomplete so that you reduce certainty and encourage discovery. Be Vulnerable and Personal One of the most interesting and unknown service offerings at WAV Group Communications is reviewing and editing. We write news releases, blog posts, and newsletters for brokers, MLSs, associations, and technology companies. These are things that we encourage companies to learn how to do themselves, but we jump in when the skill set is not available. A better solution for companies is to draft your communications yourself, and send it over to us for editing. To view the original article, visit the WAV Group blog.

Whitepaper Release: Ocusell New Listing Management Tool for MLSs and Brokers
Today, the primary listing management solution used by brokers is the stock solution that is provided by the MLS system vendor. From there, listings are returned back to the brokerage. Some MLSs have separated listing management – the process of entering or editing a listing – from the core MLS system. Examples include Bright MLS, NorthstarMLS, and the team of FMLS and Georgia MLS in Atlanta. Moreover, brokerages have listing management solutions that are part of their accounting system or broker website back-office solutions as well. This whitepaper discusses the business toils of listing management that creates the demand for having a stand-alone listing management solution. Please enjoy your free download and learn more about Ocusell. Download white paper here Use code: Ocusell To view the original article, visit the WAV Group blog.

Milestones Locks in $10+ Million Series A
WAV Group has been highly focused and engaged in a new emerging category of real estate technology that wears many names: homeowner portals, client portals, or customer portals. Compass agent Melissa Menard explains it the best; she says that in real estate we have been "Frankensteining our business" with a bunch of apps and we need to put it all in one place for our clients. Milestones is the newest entry whose development efforts began more than three years ago to do just that. This investment from industry partners is to allow the company to launch widely and powerfully. Check out this video to hear what agents are saying about Milestones. If you are a broker or MLS who has not seen Milestones, check out the website: Milestones.ai. It is super easy to set up a demo. If you are a MoxiWorks customer, reach out to Georgia Perez. MoxiWorks has a special program that was announced in May that is launching now. Their sales leaders are Ashley Terrell, who moved over from Buyside, and Mike Malinowski, who moved over from Constellation. You can also just hit the "get demo" button on their website. The website features a great video from respected industry leaders who are very excited about how Milestones can help agents, teams, and brokerages create forever clients. If the cohort of companies like Milestones gain high adoption among agents and consumers, there is a strong chance that this will disrupt the lead generation business that feeds off of the disconnection between agent and client after the close. Customers are not likely to go to Zillow.com or other paper broker lead generation websites if they have a portal that informs them about the value of their home, their refinance options, and other related housing information all in one place, backed by a service professional that cares. Full press release follows: Milestones Closes $10+ Million Series A Round Led by Updater Announces new Board of Directors and numerous strategic investors AUSTIN, Tex. – July 28, 2022 – Milestones (milestones.ai), the all-in-one homeowner portal making it easier for consumers to buy, move, sell, and manage their home, raised $10.3 million in Series A funding. Updater, the national leader in moving technology, led the investment round. The raise comes after three years of product development in stealth mode and will help fuel a rapid go-to-market strategy. Other strategic investors in the round include Second Century Ventures (the strategic investment arm of the National Association of REALTORS®), Peerage Capital, McLaughlin Ventures, WAV Group Ventures, T3 Partners, Sellers Shield, as well as individuals and other large brokerages. Milestones is the first technology firm to deliver a home ownership portal similar to consumer offerings for managing healthcare, personal finance, and education. Milestones monitors the value of your home, provides search for homes for sale, and even manages the transaction when you are ready to sell your home. Milestones is available to consumers at no cost, in partnership with real estate professionals in brokerage, mortgage, title, and insurance. The most significant benefit to consumers is having the support of their real estate advisors in managing home ownership between transactions. "Managing a home is complicated," says Dustin Gray, Milestones Founder and CEO. "The average home has more than 150 systems that need to be maintained and consumers need help keeping it all organized. Gutters need to be cleared, water filters replaced, concrete sealed, dryer vents cleaned and so on. Milestones has checklists for all of it, complete with DIY videos, or access to professionals who will do it for you." "Convenience and simplicity are core to the Updater mission" says David Greenberg, Founder and CEO of Updater, the nation's leading relocation technology platform. "With our shared vision for simplifying the complex homeownership processes, Updater's investment in Milestones is a natural fit." "It is gratifying to see a wide spectrum of the real estate industry support such a profound effort to better serve consumers," says Dave Garland, Managing Partner at Second Century Ventures, the venture capital arm of the National Association of Realtors®. "This investment represents our focus on promoting innovation in the real estate industry and its supported verticals." For more information, please watch the introductory video to Milestones. Milestones Board of Directors Announced Joining the Board of Directors for Milestones will be Dustin Gray, Milestones Founder and CEO; David Greenberg, Founder and CEO of Updater; Brian Maughan, EVP of FNF; Mark A. McLaughlin, CEO of McLaughlin Ventures; and Scott Gordon, CEO of Open Mortgage. About Milestones Milestones is a customer-for-life experience platform for buying, selling, and managing home ownership – provided to consumers by professionals in real estate, mortgage, insurance, and title. The integrated and open platform creates private personalized client portals where agents can stay connected, educate, and create value at every stage of the homeowner journey. Learn more at Milestones.ai. About Updater Inc. Updater is the go-to destination to conquer your move. We started in 2010 with a vision to transform the painful and complex process of moving into a frictionless and delightful online experience. Today, Updater is the industry leader in relocation technology, facilitating more than 25% of annual household moves in the U.S. We provide both consumer and business-facing solutions to drive value for all parties in the relocation ecosystem. Our portfolio of relocation brands includes Updater, Dolly, and MoveHQ. Dolly, a subsidiary of Updater, is the premier app to book on-demand moving and delivery services, with a 4.8-star rating in the App Store across over 20,000 reviews. MoveHQ, a subsidiary of Updater, provides widely-used technology that helps moving companies run their businesses, from driver applications to warehouse management solutions, and more. Updater is headquartered in New York City. For more information, please visit www.updater.com. To view the original article, visit the WAV Group blog.

Your Tech Provider Was Just Sold, Now What?
Businesses and houses have one thing in common -- they are all for sale at the right price. Every year companies are sold, and with each sale comes some uncertainty. More often than not, trust is the leading factor in making a decision to purchase services from a technology company and the ultimate sale of a company erodes that trust in a variety of ways. This article will discuss some of the fears along with multiple solutions. Fears Exclusivity One of the most popular broker website platforms used by large independent brokers across America was booj. A key feature of the booj agreement with the broker was exclusivity. No competitive broker in the market would be able to license booj. Given that technology has a look and feel, along with features that make them unique and compelling, this exclusivity component of booj provided value to the broker for recruiting, retention, and branding. When booj was acquired by RE/MAX, brokers on the booj system had a decision to make. Turns out most chose to leave the booj platform. Independence Dotloop was among the innovators moving transaction management from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0. The offering was beautiful UI—fast, easy to use and affordable. Brokers and franchises were quick to adopt the platform on the merits of these benefits. When Dotloop was sold to Zillow, that independence went away, replaced by fears that Zillow would access the transaction data. Now that Zillow has become a brokerage, that has added fuel to the building fear. Zillow provides assurances in their agreement that they will not use, access, or repurpose the data outside of providing the service – but some people to not trust their independence. On the other side of independence is Delta Media Group, a leading brokerage platform provider. The company is owned by Mike Minard, who puts a clause in their license agreement that says that "they will remain independent." Delta Media has turned this concern about independence into a selling feature. Too Big to Fight One of the fears that has become more valid recently is the notion that a technology provider is too big to fight. When brokers or MLSs have more ability to pay lawyers to dispute contract disagreements, they have leverage. Most technology firms would rather support their customer than get into a lawsuit against them. This has been changing as multi-billion dollar corporations and holding companies are delivering real estate technology. For example, Stone Point Capital owns the leading technology providers in a number of real estate segments today – forms, transaction management, MLS, CMA, and broker back office. This has created a fear that Stone Point is too big to fight if they violate a contract term. Some brokers and MLSs are steering clear because of this concern. What's the Long-Range Plan? Another fear is the unknown. Brokers and MLSs typically voice this concern by seeing it as a problem with the long-range plan. Brokers and MLSs have seen companies change their strategy and they do not always like the change. A key example of this is Zillow and Realtor.com becoming brokers. Becoming a broker is justified as a way for brokers and agents to pay for advertising at the closing table (with a 33% referral fee). Today, brokers are operating under the fear that Zillow will begin to recruit their own fleet of agents and compete with other brokers in the market. Brokers and MLSs will long remember every CEO at Zillow on stage promising that they would never become a broker. Oops. Marketplaces A new concern that has emerged over the past few years is the fear of marketplaces. I am not sure if the "Amazon-ification" of real estate technology is a real term or not, but that helps describe the fear. What happens when your technology vendor starts to market and sell products and services inside of their software that happen to conflict with the broker or MLS? When brokers or MLSs license services, they want to control what products or services are offered on the platform. Solutions There are several solutions that have become popular with brokers and MLS that mitigate these fears. Change of Control Provisions Undoubtedly, every agreement that comes from a technology company will have templated text that allows the contract to be assignable in the event of a sale. If you want to mitigate your contract being reassigned, do not agree to that provision. You can amend this section of the agreement to have the right to cancel if the company is sold. Spend some time working with your legal advisors to craft this language and use it in all your agreements. Become an Owner There have been several recent examples of this. Howard Hanna Real Estate Services and Long & Foster Real Estate became owners of Moxi. Similarly, a group of MLSs became owners of Remine. Operate Parallel and Redundant Systems Software systems fail and those failures may have a significant impact to your business. It may be troubling when a software provider is sold, but it is far more troubling when the software is not available. Imagine not being able to process transactions or pay commissions, or your website and email are offline. These things happen every day in business. Having more than one solution running in parallel not only allows your people to have a choice of software, but if something really goes wrong, you have a redundant system in place. To view the original article, visit the WAV Group blog.

[WATCH] Capitalism 2.0: The next generation of real estate success with web3, NFTs and the Metaverse
There's a technology revolution happening called web3. The pioneers of this movement are creating massive online communities selling digital land, digital properties, and even digital rentals. Fueled by $3 trillion in cryptocurrency wealth, there is a brand-new set of buyers for a brand new type of real estate available. High net-worth individuals and companies are engaging in NFTs and cryptocurrency as a hedge that benefits tax strategy and currency fluctuations, too. Others are reinventing business operations in the metaverse. Posted below is the recent discussion hosted by WAV Group managing partners Victor Lund and Marilyn Wilson along with Nelson Diaz, the company's web3 division leader, explaining why you don't want to miss out on the opportunities that lie ahead. Enjoy! To view the original article, visit the WAV Group blog.

4 WAV Group Executives Named to RISMedia 2022 Real Estate Newsmaker List
2021 was a busy year for real estate, and, as always, the team at WAV Group was right in the middle of it all. We are humbled and grateful to be recognized by RISMedia Newsmakers for our contributions to the real estate industry. However, it is our forward thinking-clients who trust us to help them with their goals and projects that are really behind all the progress we have seen over the last year. They continue to innovate and lead the industry to new heights, and we are honored to help them along the way. WAV Group Communications division has been doing such great work. Kevin Hawkins and Myra Jolivet deliver unmatched experience and expertise to their clients. We are extremely proud of the work they accomplished in 2021 and are excited to see what they can continue to do this year and in the future. Victor Lund, Managing Partner Named to the Influencer list, Victor was recognized for his continued work with the Broker Public Portal and his real estate policy advocacy, including Clear Cooperation and DEI. Marilyn Wilson, Managing Partner Named to the Achievers list, Marilyn's achievements in 2021 included the launch of a statewide broker-owned MLS and the creation of the Broker Resource Network, which helps brokers from across the country share ideas to build better businesses. She continues to push the MLS industry forward with the recent launch of a new customer experience program and in depth strategic planning. Kevin Hawkins, President of WAV Group Communications Named to the Trendsetters list, Kevin helped clients such as zavvie and Ben Caballero position their companies as leading experts in their fields, generating massive news coverage and dramatically increasing their visibility and brand recognition. Myra Jolivet, PR and Communications Strategist Named to the Trailblazers list, Myra has helped clients, throughout the added challenges of the pandemic, craft the compelling stories they need to stand out in the crowded and noisy real estate space. Her ongoing efforts helping many organizations with DEI and continuity plans continue to raise the industry standards for inclusion. We launched WAV Group because of our passion for real estate. All these years later, we remain dedicated to the goal of helping our clients move the industry forward with the power of knowledge. If we can assist you with your next project, please contact us to learn more. See full press release below: Managing Partners Marilyn Wilson and Victor Lund are joined by WAV Group Communications President, Kevin Hawkins and PR and Communication Strategist, Myra Jolivet in this year's exclusive group of industry leaders who have made newsworthy contributions to the real estate industry Feb 2, 2022—WAV Group is honored to announce that Victor Lund, Marilyn Wilson, Kevin Hawkins, and Myra Jolivet have all been selected as RISMedia 2022 Real Estate Newsmakers—a dynamic group of key influencers making headlines as a result of their newsworthy contributions to the real estate industry and their efforts to positively affect the consumers and communities they serve. RISMedia, the leader in U.S. real estate news and information services, announced its more than 300, 2022 Real Estate Newsmakers on Feb. 1, in both an online directory on RISMedia.com and in the February issue of its flagship publication, Real Estate magazine. RISMedia's 2022 Real Estate Newsmakers were nominated in 2021 by RISMedia readers and editors and are showcased in the following categories: Influencers, Trailblazers, Futurists, Achievers, Crusaders, Motivators, Luminaries and Trendsetters. "From records being broken, to the glass ceilings being shattered and the creativity and technology innovation being implemented through our changing times, to the always-inspiring and wonderful charitable work being done across the nation, we continue to be amazed by the incredible ingenuity and success of the professionals in the real estate community, over 300 of whom we are celebrating our fifth year of Real Estate Newsmakers," said John Featherston, CEO, president and publisher of RISMedia. "Once again, we are proud to recognize the hard work, dedication and determination of real estate's finest professionals—the 2022 Real Estate Newsmakers—who went above and beyond in 2021 amid the challenges and opportunities of this historic market. Help us in celebrating their hard-earned recognition," Featherston added. Within RISMedia's Newsmakers showcase, you'll also meet this year's "Hall of Fame" class—a select group of 10 industry icons who have gone above and beyond toward the betterment of the real estate industry. RISMedia will honor this year's Real Estate Newsmakers, including the 2022 Hall of Fame, at RISMedia's Newsmakers Reception & Dinner, being held Sept. 7 at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., in conjunction with our 2022 CEO & Leadership Exchange. About WAV Group WAV Group is a premier business and marketing consultancy serving the nation's leading real estate brokerages, real estate technology firms, Multiple Listing Services (MLS), and real estate Associations. For over 20 years, WAV has embodied an unmatched passion for real estate and a unique depth of knowledge in the industry. The WAV Group's C-level professionals provide world-class strategic planning and business advice to individuals, organizations, and companies seeking to grow and improve within the real estate industry. Learn more at wavgroup.com. About RISMedia For more than 40 years, RISMedia has provided the residential real estate industry with news, trends and business development strategies through its flagship publication, Real Estate magazine; its leading website, RISMedia.com; its award-winning Housecall blog; and its iconic networking and educational events, including RISMedia's CEO Exchange; RISMedia's Power Broker Forum, Reception & Dinner; and RISMedia's Newsmakers Reception & Dinner. Through RISMedia's content programs—including ACE, a turn-key social media content system—real estate professionals share thousands of articles, infographics and videos each day created by RISMedia editors and contributors, helping them influence hundreds of thousands of consumers as they consider buying and/or selling a home. Visit RISMedia.com and ACESocial for more information. About RISMedia's Real Estate Newsmakers RISMedia's Real Estate Newsmakers is designed to recognize those individuals making headlines as a result of their newsworthy contributions to the residential real estate industry, and their efforts to positively affect real estate professionals and the consumers and communities they serve. RISMedia's Real Estate Newsmakers were chosen based on nominations received through an online nomination process on RISMedia.com, and by nominations from RISMedia's in-house editorial team and other industry sources. Nominations for RISMedia's Real Estate Newsmakers are collected on an ongoing basis throughout the course of the year. There is no fee to nominate a Newsmaker or be recognized/featured as a Newsmaker. Due to deadline and production criteria, RISMedia's 2022 Real Estate Newsmakers Online Directory may not currently be in its final format. Please check back for ongoing updates.

How Tech Helpline Became Known for 'Friendly Tech Support'
When Tech Helpline began 20 years ago as a service for Florida Realtors® members, it quickly earned a reputation for providing "Friendly Tech Support." Tech Helpline's approach was unique, offering no-nonsense technical advice and warm, friendly customer service. It became the No. 1 tech service in real estate during a time when calling tech support was the last resort because a positive experience was rare and hardly ever "friendly." Unless, of course, you were contacting Apple. The Apple Genius Bar – its tech support center – was legendary for having well-trained, helpful, and remarkably friendly tech services staff. It's why Tech Helpline has been called the "Genius Bar for Real Estate." "Friendly" is not only one of Tech Helpline's most significant differentiators; it is also highly valued by the members it serves. Today, Tech Helpline supports more than 667,000 Realtor members throughout the U.S. and Canada. In all, 17 state Realtor associations, and 60 local associations, MLSs, and real estate brokerage firms rely on Tech Helpline as an essential benefit for their members and agents – one that is often rated at or near the top of all the benefits provided. Knowledge is power, but kindness is king Tech Helpline's call center is in the U.S. – based in Orlando, Florida, at the Florida Realtors headquarters. Comprehensive support, available in English and Spanish, is provided by a staff of professional tech analysts with 300+ years of combined IT experience by phone, chat, and email. While nearly every tech support service has a technically knowledgeable staff, few tech support services are known for being both helpful and incredibly friendly. Robert Calderon, the Director of Tech Helpline for more than 15 years, offers some insight as to why Tech Helpline is different. Calderon looks to hire people who not only have technical experience – or the applicable schooling – but also look for folks who are naturally customer service oriented. For more than a decade, he has helped assemble a team of technical analysts who are, well, not just intelligent and experienced; they are genuinely "supportive." "Everyone (on the team) knows that they have to answer a question or assist in finding an answer," Calderon explains. His team also knows to support one another. The approach they take, he says, is "Let us find the answer together." Phrases that you will never hear in the Tech Helpline call center: "That's not my job" or "I don't do that." You can't teach friendly Key to the ongoing success of Tech Helpline is the chemistry that the team shares. The environment reflects the same culture and chemistry as the Florida Realtors, which owns and operates Tech Helpline. These characteristics include, according to Calderon, "Ownership, responsibility, teamwork, calm under pressure, and a desire to learn." Like Florida Realtors, it all begins with an acute focus on giving members what they need for everything they do. And the analyst cares about each member who calls in to ask for help, no matter the request. "You got it, you own it," is the approach of the team. Calderon notes his team of analysts is encouraged to share their stories, especially when a technician "saves the day" for a member. This practice not only "allows those stories to be shared but also reinforces this behavior in others," he said. Whatever it takes Jessica Smith, who heads up sales for Tech Helpline, recently explained in a podcast with the Ohio Realtors that the tech support staff doesn't give cookie-cutter responses. "If you were to call up and ask, 'What technology is out there that might make my life a little bit easier?', a Tech Helpline analyst will legitimately talk with you to understand what it is you do, what your days are like, to help get to know you before giving you recommendations on what's out there that you might not even know about." Tech Helpline tech analyst Alex Barnett, also on the podcast, added, "I kid you not, I have spent many hours in someone's Amazon shopping cart when they ask, 'What should I get?', and I tell them, 'Let's go shop together.'" It's that "can do" attitude that permeates through the Tech Helpline staff and is core to its culture. For example, Barnett feels bad when an agent or broker wastes a couple of hours trying to fix a tech problem on their own – such as trying to set up a new webcam. "Call us first," he recommends. Longevity speaks volumes For 17 years, Linda King has flourished as part of the team at Tech Helpline. She is the embodiment of kindness and friendliness, having come to the Florida Realtors from Disney. She went from working for the creators of the happiest place on earth to the home of the friendliest tech support in real estate and has never looked back. Starting at Florida Realtors as a receptionist, King moved to communications and Tech Helpline. Labeling herself a "non-techie" – but noting she has picked up things over time – she is primarily responsible for resolving membership issues, such as signing on to access online services that Tech Helpline supports. Her golden rule: "We never want to hurt anyone's feelings," King said. She notes that everyone at Tech Helpline has a deep understanding of what an agent does every day, and that helps resolve member problems. "This is their livelihood. They don't make any money if they are not selling," so even if she can't help someone directly, she will find someone who will. You can find King's enthusiasm and helpful disposition the minute you call into Tech Helpline. She is literally the voice of Tech Helpline, having recorded the prompts you hear when you call. King and Calderon are not the only team veterans who have spent a decade or more with Tech Helpline, a testament to providing a great work environment and culture. "I've met some wonderful people and learned a lot," King said, adding. "A person is defined by their job, and I think it's been good for me to keep busy like this and to learn new skills. To me, that's been the best thing." Calderon, too, reinforces Tech Helpline's friendly culture by the way he leads his team. He has the "friendly" gene as well as an open-door policy. You most often can find him spending time on the call center floor, speaking with tech analysts in between calls. Along with Javian Melendez, a 14-year veteran of Tech Helpline and a manager, they are known for sharing the positive emails individual analysts receive with the entire team. Calderon summarizes the success of Tech Helpline with this straightforward observation: "When people are caring, it shows they are vested in the work they do." To learn more about Tech Helpline, go to techhelpline.com. Tricia Stamper is Director of Technology at Florida Realtors®, which owns and operates Tech Helpline and Form Simplicity.

Mission, Vision and Values: More than Fancy Posters, a Business Solution
There is that moment in an executive's leadership life when they look around the office and think; what in the world are we doing? The symptoms leading up to that moment are usually: inconsistent operations, office silos, and a general feeling that while much is being done, not much is actually being accomplished. The cliché for this situation is the rudderless ship that lacks a clear direction. I also liken it to a beginning swimmer who kicks up tons of water but barely moves two feet forward. Understandably, organizations with their heavy workloads and varying needs get swept up into day-to-day activity and find it difficult to take time to plan. Time is at a premium. Mission, Vision, and Values to the Rescue There is a rapid fix to getting back on track. It is the creation of three pillars that are often misunderstood: Mission, Vision, and Values. These concepts build the basis for the company road map, and they shine a guiding light on the pathway to goals-oriented success. In short, these three pillars are the foundation for clear direction. According to HR professionals of the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), the definitions of Mission, Vision, and Values can be defined as: A mission statement is the "what" of a company – its reason for being. "A mission statement is a concise explanation of the organization's reason for existence. It describes the organization's purpose and its overall intention. The mission statement supports the vision and serves to communicate purpose and direction to employees, customers, vendors and other stakeholders." Here are examples of two highly regarded mission statements: Facebook: To give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together. Starbucks: Our mission: to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time. When well written, the mission statement can settle disagreements about priorities. The vision statement is the "why" of a company – its defined purpose. "A vision statement looks forward and creates a mental image of the ideal state that the organization wishes to achieve. It is inspirational and aspirational and should challenge employees." Among those vision statements called incredible are these two examples: Amazon: Our vision is to be Earth's most customer-centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online. LinkedIn: Create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce. When well written, a vision statement reminds management and staff where the company is going and what problems they are trying to solve. A statement of values speaks to your organization's culture and standards. "A values statement lists the core principles that guide and direct the organization and its culture. In a values-led organization, the values create a moral compass for the organization and its employees. It guides decision-making and establishes a standard against which actions can be assessed. These core values are an internalized framework that is shared and acted on by leadership." Here are the lists of values for two well-known companies. Adobe: Genuine Exceptional Innovative Involved American Express: Customer Commitment Quality Integrity Teamwork Respect for People Good Citizenship A Will to Win Personal Accountability When effectively constructed, company values answer questions of conduct, operations and the unique values of the organization. "What's going on in the inside shows on the outside." – Earl Nightingale In addition to the internal benefits of the establishing mission, vision and values are the brand benefits. Essentially, what happens inside of a company is reflected on the outside. Whatever internally is happening manifests to customers, stakeholders, and the public, impacting the brand and all operations associated with the brand. MVV Is Your Company MVP Statements and commitments of Mission, Vision, and Values affect each aspect of business operations and are why these pillars are taken seriously in the business world. There is a method to establishing your Mission, Vision, and Values to best serve your organization. If we can help guide your process and add that proverbial rudder to your ship, contact us. To view the original article, visit the WAV Group blog.

Why Doesn't Every Realtor Have Access to Tech Helpline?
It's a COVID conundrum. The pandemic forced more than a million Realtors nationwide to work remotely and embrace digital technology at a record pace. One leading real estate tech executive told me more progress took place getting agents to adopt technology in the first five months of the outbreak than the last five years. The professional pivot was incredibly stunning. Agents morphed their businesses to meet consumer needs and massive market demands during the most challenging time many generations have ever faced. The 2020 residential real estate marketing went down as an economic wonder, a banner year that set a new record for annual existing home sales. Brokerage leaders have noted that none of this could have been accomplished without technology. Let's face it: technology for Realtors is no longer a tool. Realtors are now fully entrenched in technology, and their tech use and needs will continue to grow exponentially. Then why hasn't the National Association of Realtors made tech support a benefit for all 1,463,806 Realtors in America? It makes no sense to me, especially since most Realtors are still WFM (working from home) and will be in the future at least part-time. You would think that the most impactful way NAR could help its members would be to guarantee that every Realtor in America had access to tech support. According to the US Census, there are 309,393 real estate brokerages (rental and leasing firms) in America. At least 100,000 of these are residential real estate brokerages. Not all agents work for big franchise brands that offer in-house tech support. It's quite the opposite. People forget that the vast majority of licensed brokerages in America are small – with less than a half-dozen agents. But when it comes to offering tech support as a standard member benefit, the NAR has remained AWOL. The craziest thing is that NAR doesn't have to go very far to find the perfect solution. Tech Helpline, created more than a decade ago and still operated by the Florida Realtors, is the No. 1 tech support service for real estate agents and brokers. Having worked with the folks at Tech Helpline for a half-dozen years, I can vouch that they deserve the moniker "Real Estate's Genius Bar" because they only hire smart and friendly people. Tech Helpline's team of tech advisors has over 300+ years of combined IT experience. They are all US-based (Orlando), offer full multilingual tech support in English and Spanish and, most importantly, work with real estate agents every day. They understand the challenges agents have with technology and are eager to help. Through its efforts, Tech Helpline continues to grow its footprint throughout North America. Recently, the Florida Realtors announced that Tech Helpline recently added five Realtor associations, including Missouri Realtors and Iowa Association of Realtors. The continued expansion gives new access to more than 26,000 members located in three Midwestern states and Connecticut. Tech Helpline now is available to nearly 667,000 Realtors. It's a remarkable accomplishment, yet the NAR now has over 1.46 million members. Unfortunately, that means a little more than half of all US agents don't have access to Tech Helpline as a member benefit. Florida Realtors has been doing more than its share to reach more Realtors through its rapid growth. Just as the pandemic started in March 2020, Florida Realtors reported 184,652 members. As of March 2021, the NAR Monthly Membership Report shows 199,239 members. That's 5,000+ more members than the California Association of Realtors at 194,121. The Florida Realtors is now the largest state association in America. That's right, the Florida Realtors has eclipsed the C.A.R. The C.A.R. has been the largest Realtor association after NAR for as long as I can remember. Now that title goes to the Florida Realtors—another unexpected impact clearly accelerated by the pandemic. Realtors and technology are inseparable, as NAR's member research illustrates: 96 percent of Realtors do business with a smartphone. 94 percent prefer to communicate with clients using text messaging. 70 percent have a website for business for an average of five years. 66 percent of REALTORS® use multiple listings software daily. 59 percent use social media apps daily, with 85 percent using social media apps several times a month. Tech Helpline supports all the tools an agent uses and more. Its advisors have answered tens of thousands of questions about their tech challenges, ranging from troubleshooting smart house devices to helping restore lost files after a computer crash. How cool is that? After all, who can an agent call when working from home and they get a computer virus? Or keep getting disconnected from Wi-Fi? Or waste hours trying to connect a new wireless printer? Tech support should be a standard member benefit, and it is time the NAR made it so. To view the original article, visit the WAV Group blog.

Zillow Does It Again: This Time They're After Your Rental Income
This month, Zillow announced that your MLS rental listings would no longer be syndicated directly to Zillow. Instead, if listing agents, teams, or brokerages elect to publish their rentals on Zillow, they will have to pay $9.99 per week, per listing. With this policy change, Zillow forces every agent, team, landlord, rental specialist, brokerage, and MLS to create an account with Zillow Rental Manager and pay this hefty fee to appear on Zillow. At Rental Beast, we ran the numbers. The potential economic impact on real estate is massive: potentially tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars. By the numbers Large MLSs may have as many as 10,000 listings each month or more. If you take 12,500 rental listings and multiply it by an average cost of $9.95 per week for 4.5 weeks (the typical amount of time it takes to rent out a listing), the expense for a single large MLS would be over $6.7 million annually. Even a smaller MLS with 200 monthly rental listings would be looking at an unbudgeted annual expense that tops as much as $107,000. A large brokerage with just under 1,000 monthly rental listings would have to find more than $500,000 annually to pay Zillow. Considering the low margins most brokerages struggle with to remain viable, one has to wonder: Is Zillow trying to get blood from a turnip? The typical agent, only working their sphere of influence, will generate a couple of rental listings per month. To put their rental business on Zillow will now set them back over $1,000 a year. The Rental Beast alternative With more than 113 million renters today, listing agents and landlords need a better choice. Rental Beast provides a great alternative to individual agents and landlords. Most importantly, Rental Beast, which has nearly 9 million rental listings, offers seamless integration with MLSs. In addition to cost savings, the Rental Beast all-in-one solution provides a powerful suite of tools not offered by Zillow or similar listing platforms, including enhanced agent search detailing agent commissions, rental concessions, co-operation, financial requirements, and more. Rental Beast also captures the landlord renter's insurance requirements, then pairs the information with preferred rates from Liberty Mutual. Our advanced AVM is another significant competitive advantage because it encompasses 50+ data points culled from nearly 9 million rigorously maintained rental listings on Rental Beast. We also deliver extensive education and training through Rental Beast University. We've seen this before from Zillow On January 12th, many agents were astonished to see an email from Zillow with the subject line, "Your rental listings are no longer on Zillow." But if you look at Zillow’s track record, this move should not be surprising. When Zillow bought New York City's rental listing site StreetEasy in 2017, Zillow began charging $3 per listing per day, or $21 per week. About a year later, Zillow increased its daily listing fee by 50 percent to $31.50. The next year, in 2019, Zillow increased its daily listing fee on StreetEasy by another 33 percent to $42 per week. Over two years, Zillow doubled its listing fees for rentals on StreetEasy. Will anyone be surprised if Zillow raises its $9.99 per rental listing per week a year or two from now? Talk to agents who use Rental Beast Agents are finding better ways to promote their rental listings, like Sandra McKimmey with Better Homes and Gardens Winans Real Estate in Dallas, Texas. She markets her rental listings on Facebook Marketplace through Rental Beast. While she has only used Rental Beast for a few months, it has already paid off, as she earned $1,400 in commissions for rental listings she said only took "a couple of hours to close." Ronald Nordgren, a leasing consultant with Infiniti Properties in Homewood, Illinois, tells other agents they do not need Zillow if they use Rental Beast. He closed 95 leases using Rental Beast last year and was the number one agent for rentals out of more than 200 agents in his office. For J.R. Alexandre, an Ethanmour Realty agent serving Boynton Beach, Florida, Rental Beast was a "game-changer." Alexandre found using the Rental Beast digital platform was a time-saver, explaining, "I don't spin my wheels doing paperwork." Rentals on the MLS is the future Agent experiences like these are happening with thousands of others. Our agent reach is growing exponentially as more MLSs partner with Rental Beast. Because many renters will become homeowners, Rental Beast delivers future business to agents in partnership with MLSs. Finally, as the leading source of rental listings on Facebook Marketplace, we delivered more than 263,000 potential leads to real estate agents and landlords in 2019. Facebook notes that Rental Beast "provided 54 percent more leads per listing generated than other online listing services." Rental Beast is, today more than ever, the rental solution for agents, teams, landlords, rental specialists, brokerages, and MLSs. Learn more about who we are and what we do at rentalbeast.com. Ishay Grinberg [pronounced ee-shy] is the Founder and CEO of Rental Beast, the largest rental listing data provider with nearly nine million rentals nationwide. Sourced directly from property owners and updated in real-time, the Rental Beast database, directly and in partnership with local Multiple Listing Services, provides real estate professionals with an unparalleled view of all properties and owner types.

Addressing Expansion Challenges Head On: Real Estate Brokers Find Answers Through RESO
A conversation on real estate brokerage opportunities with Bill Fowler, Senior Director of Industry Relations at Compass The United Nations (UN) is an international organization that was created to promote peace and security. Amidst a variety of belief systems across the nations of the world, and its goal is to create cooperation and harmony among its members. "RESO is the UN of real estate," says Bill Fowler, Senior Director of Industry Relations at Compass. "It's the most important organization in the industry right now, because we can all get together – competitors and people that we maybe don't agree with fundamentally on big issues – and have conversations that are outside of the normal boundaries that keep us apart." Fowler spoke with us about how RESO data standards can help with the expansion of brokerages like Compass and about the challenges that he and others in the broker community still face today. At the top of that list of RESO benefits is "a platform to have a discussion" about data services and data policies. "This [RESO] is a room where we can be ourselves and be true and honest and not have to worry about what happens outside of that room," said Fowler. "What RESO can do is provide an atmosphere of cooperation." With approximately 17,000 agents across the U.S., Compass has become the country's largest independent real estate brokerage in a relatively short period of time. Compass is self-described as both an innovative residential real estate firm and a technology company. Using proprietary software built by their own engineers, designers and strategists, their intent is to make searching for and selling real estate more intelligent and seamless. Using a modern data transport like the RESO Web API is critical to advancing real estate technology, said Fowler. "A lot of the developers that Compass has hired come from places where API is standard and has been in use since the inception of the technology." According to Fowler, the universal adoption of the RESO Web API can fuel more rapid growth. Tech-forward companies have been asking for a modern API and full data sets for years. Yet dependence on legacy technology like the outdated Real Estate Transaction Standard (RETS) has diverted attention away from making the upgrades necessary to fully fuel Web API services. "When we walk into a new market, we would prefer to use an API," said Fowler. But the reality is that the Web API hasn't been fully implemented or "doesn't quite have the data that we expect." In those cases, said Fowler, "We're just gonna get a RETS feed, and we're gonna run with that." "We know we have to stop," he confessed. "Real estate has happened to be the place where RETS is just the language, and we all understand that's something that needs to change." Meanwhile, Compass continues to push for more API adoption, and Fowler shared how he thinks it would be easier to innovate using MLS data. "The MLS Board of Directors room is the place where everything either stops or goes," said Fowler. "We as a community need to look at this much more collaboratively. It's not that the MLSs don't want to give us what we want. It's not that they're actively trying to stifle business. It's really that they're only doing what they're allowed to do." What needs to happen to foster change? "The menu of services needs to change, and we can do all of those things together," said Fowler. "Pointing the finger at the MLS repeatedly, I think, is not doing anybody any good. It's companies like Compass and the MLSs working together to see that when we order off the menu, that we have the options that we need." Working together to achieve a common goal sounds familiar, like maybe something that the U.N.'s Dag Hammarskjöld, Kofi Annan or António Guterres could get behind. If RESO is the place where differing ideologies come together to solve common problems, then it's important for its leaders to engage directly in these issues with people like Mr. Fowler.

Upstream Reports Progress, Plans and Transition
UpstreamRE, LLC, the broker-owned company responsible for overseeing the Upstream real estate data management solution, announced specific plans for rolling out the first features in select markets in 2021, reflected on the project's purpose and progress, and reported the initial success of a planned transition.

Does Your Website Have a Newsroom? It Should
One of any organization's core public relations strategies is the creation and dissemination of your story. Every company has a story. What makes you different? Better? Stand out? Memorable? And once you nail your story, you need to tell your story. You must share your story and publicize it to maximize its reach. For your story to grow until everyone who needs to know your story knows it, you have to make your story highly accessible. From a public relations perspective, that means making sure that journalists have access to the information they need to learn about your organization and the people who run it. One of the most important pieces to accomplish this also is one that is often neglected: the creation and curation of a newsroom on your organization's website.

RESO Universal Property Identifier (UPI) Goes Global
RESO's well-known standard for a Universal Property Identifier (UPI) has picked up steam, not just in the U.S. but also internationally. The RESO UPI Workgroup's chair, Mark Bessett, traveled to Malaga, Spain last year to speak about the expansion of this standard, and the talk generated wide interest from a number of audiences. The Convergence conference in Malaga brought together the technology community for an intense dialogue with regulators, policy makers, industry influencers and members of the social impact community. Bessett spoke at a number of workgroup meetings and roundtables where the broad range of attendees could learn more about how universal identifiers can benefit their organizations. UPIs are of great interest to organizations looking for more accurate, more informative and more easily tracked information on properties across their nations. They allow a property, or even a subproperty component, to be identified through related property facts. The identifier and related facts ensure that organizations and systems can accurately rely upon the UPI for record keeping. Unlike parcel numbers and other government records that can be duplicated across different territories, the UPI provides a single identifier with global reach. RESO's UPI workgroup designed the identifier from the start to be internationally accessible, and that foresight has proven to be greatly beneficial in gaining global visibility. The UPI is being adopted in countries like the U.S. and the Netherlands, and has generated interest from government agencies and academics in Canada, Spain, Italy, Germany and France, to name a few countries. The Climate Chain Coalition would like to use the UPI model to track climate data related to properties. Technology organizations are taking note as well. FIBREE, the Foundation for International Blockchain and Real Estate Expertise, voted to unify under the UPI standard at the event in Malaga, and RESO was honored to have Jo Bronckers, FIBREE's Cofounder, Board member and Co-Chair of FIBREE Netherlands as a guest presenter at our RESO Remote virtual technology summit in April 2020, where he spoke about FIBREE and its Unique Object Identification (UOI) project. UPIs can provide value to a blockchain implementation, though it isn't necessary for organizations to use blockchain. Many new and traditional technologies can benefit from the efficiency and cost savings of tracking data with UPIs. As interest in the UPI grows, membership in the UPI workgroup is growing as well. The workgroup continues to extend the standard in technical capabilities and into international organizations. Any professional or organization with an interest in understanding or working on the UPI should start by visiting the RESO Universal Property Identifier (UPI) Workgroup page. Contact RESO for more information.

What Makes the Form Simplicity Boarding Process Unique?
Transaction management software has become a "must-have" for successful agents and brokers focused on giving consumers what they want. Using a transaction management system as a cornerstone to a more streamlined and efficient process is crucial for delivering an exceptional client experience. The best-in-class transaction management software, like Form Simplicity from Florida Realtors®, are an agent productivity booster. Agents can create transactions more efficiently, eliminate common entry errors as data is pre-populated automatically, and e-signing helps agents avoid wasting time tracking down clients for their signatures. The best programs ensure forms are always up to date, protecting clients, agents and their brokerages from risk. Keeping everything in one place ensures agents can respond to any client question about their transaction quickly and easily. Best of all, transaction management programs improve transparency. Being able to give clients insight to documents you want them to see, and stored in the cloud for 24/7 access, improves client communication, and ultimately, client satisfaction. But if best-in-class transaction management software is so similar, how do you make the right choice for your brokerage or MLS? Like everything else, it starts with a first impression. You don't get a second chance to make one, so you better get it right. Getting agents to adopt any technology is hard. That's why getting things right from the start is vital. Even the best technology can't recover from a bad launch. Making a great first impression at the beginning when we board a new Form Simplicity client has been our hallmark of excellence among transaction management software. It shouldn't be surprising to anyone that a Realtor-owned and operated company obsesses about providing agents and brokerages great service. When we board a new Form Simplicity customer, whether it be an MLS, brokerage or Realtor association, we take a holistic approach to the process. It all starts with our Onboarding Team who works with their client and strengthens the relationship immediately by providing personal and responsive assistance. Live training, either in-person or live webinar, gives folks the ability to ask questions and get the expert answers they need immediately. During the boarding process for brokerages providing Form Simplicity for their agents, this is supplemented with one-on-one assistance and training with the broker and/or their designated admin to help set up all of the broker features. We pay attention to the little things to make sure we are on the same page with our clients. From our streamlined programming process for forms to our committed delivery schedule that builds in client review before forms go live. We also know most people are visual learners, so we supplement all of this personalized agent and broker training, with video tutorials, recorded webinars and step-by-step instructions, all available 24/7 through our Help Center. Using new technology makes most of us inquisitive, and that means we have questions, and sometimes a lot of questions. This is where Form Simplicity shines brightest. Form Simplicity is supported by Tech Helpline, North America's No. 1 tech support service for real estate, also owned and operated by the Florida Realtors. Tech Helpline's staff is known for their friendliness. Tech Helpline analysts also are highly skilled, possessing over 300 years of combined IT experience. Most importantly, they work with agents every day, in English and Spanish, and excel at making it comfortable for every agent to ask for help, regardless of their technical skill level. And when Form Simplicity boards a new client, we will extend support hours to make sure agents can get the help they need when they need it. We also work closely on the rollout of Form Simplicity software to make the boarding process a proud partnership. From co-branded marketing materials and educational emails to providing a team of easy to reach professionals that are on-call and ready to assist, we work hard to make the boarding process go as smoothly as possible. If you have questions about Form Simplicity and the advantages it can provide for your agents or members, reach out to us at formsimplicity.com and experience for yourself how our customer service obsession makes us different. Tricia Stamper is Director of Technology at Florida Realtors®, which owns and operates Tech Helpline and Form Simplicity.

Why Did a New Homes Construction Professional Join RESO?
A serial entrepreneur who started his first firm at 11 years old and is working on his fourth startup, Bill Gaul has been driven by solving problems. His first appreciation for standards came from his military experience, and it fueled Bill's keen interest in joining RESO. Although Gaul is new to RESO, as the CEO of Builders Update, he brings a new homes construction perspective to the development of industry standards. In this video interview, Gaul discusses the value he's found in attending RESO conferences. "I really love coming to RESO. From the networking, I am able to make contacts that I'm able to use as resources, and they're able to use me as a resource as well." Gaul says MLSs are not really set up for home construction and he sometimes finds himself as the odd person in the room. But he is working with RESO to help create new standards that are friendlier to the new construction industry. "I love standardization. It makes things easier to work with when everything is standardized," said Gaul. "You don't have to rediscover fire when you work with a new client, because everyone's working and singing off the same sheet of music." Gaul says that RESO can provide his builder clients information that will help real estate agents sell new homes, noting that the National Association of REALTORS® has stated that agents are responsible for 65 percent of new home sales. Gaul also says that some of the biggest values of being a part of RESO is networking and the ability to build your credibility with the industry. "For companies out there that are interested in dealing with MLSs…brokers…they need to be here at RESO. This is the best," said Gaul. "This is a great place to be able to meet those people face to face that you've been dealing with on the phone or through email. This is all about developing relationships, and these relationships last." Finally, Gaul noted that RESO provides one of the industry's lowest-cost conferences, making it easy to get a great return on investment. Book Your Hotel for the RESO 2020 Spring Tech Summit Now! To get the best rates, make sure to book your hotel early and register for the RESO 2020 Spring Tech Summit in New Orleans, April 20–23, 2020, at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside. | REGISTER AND BOOK YOUR HOTEL TODAY

What Are the Advantages of Becoming RESO Platinum Certified?
With a technology career that spans three decades, Rob Larson is one of RESO's most knowledgeable volunteers as chair of its Data Dictionary Workgroup. Larson also is the Chief Information Officer of the California Regional Multiple Listing Service (CRMLS), the largest MLS in the nation. In this video interview, Larson discussed how being RESO Platinum Certified benefits both MLSs and brokerages. "One of the advantages of being involved in RESO is having future perspective on where things are going," said Larson. RESO Data Dictionary updates allow the ability for coordinated changes for both vendors and end users. CRMLS has been Data Dictionary Platinum Certified – RESO's highest-level – since 2015. RESO Platinum Certification benefits CRMLS membership because CRMLS makes the Data Dictionary native to the MLS system, creating a streamlined consistency between MLS system input and third-party products. Larson discussed why vendors are benefiting from RESO and explained the importance of the stability and consistency the organization provides. "I think we all see that we're changing things – keeping up with the Dictionary as it's growing," said Larson. He further stated that with each new version of the Data Dictionary, "the expectation is that level of change is going to drop dramatically." Brokers who are members of multiple MLSs benefit from the consistency that occurs with RESO standards. "There are some brokers that very clearly see the benefit," said Larson. "They are in the position of aggregating data. They are in the position of being members of multiple MLSs, so that consistency really lowers the cost of operation for their technology ventures." Larson offered MLSs advice on how to prepare for RESO Platinum Certification: organize your communications have a laundry list of benefits ready to share with members Ultimately, when the Data Dictionary is rolled out and the listing form changes, "there's a pain point to the membership," said Larson. Re-educating members on new terminology is important and should not be overlooked. The RESO Data Dictionary Workgroup is always looking for new members. | JOIN NOW or CONTACT ROB LARSON RESO 2020 Spring Tech Summit – New Orleans! Plan ahead! The next RESO conference is in New Orleans, April 20–23, 2020. Book your room now at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside! | EARLY BIRD DETAILS

Broker Public Portal Names New Board Officers
The Board of Managers of the Broker Public Portal today announced its Board members for 2020. The Broker Public Portal, which is owned and operated by real estate brokerages and MLSs and operates a joint venture with Homesnap, Inc., connects consumer home searchers to over one million real estate professionals in America today through more than 200 MLS agreements. The five real estate industry leaders joining the Broker Public Portal Board of Managers include Nick Bozovitch, Chief Information Officer of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services; Chad Gilbert, President and Owner of RE/MAX Suburban; Tom Hosack, CEO, President, and Broker for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices The Preferred Realty, and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Northwood Realty Services; Donna Kreps, President of F.C. Tucker Company; and Stan Martin, Chief Operating Officer of Austin Board of REALTORS® and ACTRIS. "The surging success of the Broker Public Portal attracts real estate industry's most trusted and forward-looking leaders," said John Mosey, Chairman of the Broker Public Portal and CEO of NorthstarMLS, a regional MLS serving Minnesota and Western Wisconsin. "We have almost 90 percent of the property listings in America coming from 48 states. The Broker Public Portal with Homesnap has delivered millions of free leads to agents, a number we expect to grow significantly every year. Our new Board of Managers will accelerate the reach of, and our industry's commitment to the mission of, the Broker Public Portal," Mosey added. The Broker Public Portal Board of Managers includes, as it notes in its charter, a "fair and balanced group of executives who represent the interests of large brokers, medium brokers, small brokers, independent managers and multiple listing service organizations." The agent count of participating firms establishes the size of brokerages eligible. 2020 new Board members: Nick Bozovitch, Howard Hanna Real Estate Services Chad Gilbert, RE/MAX Tom Hosack, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Northwood Realty Services Donna Kreps, F.C. Tucker Company Stan Martin, ACTRIS 2020 Board of Managers also includes: Alon Chaver, HomeServices of America Tim Dain, MARIS Craig Cheatham, The Realty Alliance Joan Docktor, Fox and Roach Realtors Rebecca Jensen, Midwest Real Estate Data Craig McClelland, BHGRE Metro Brokers Bill Miller, Metrolist John Mosey, NorthstarMLS Christina Pappas, The Keyes Company Pat Shea, Lyon Real Estate Gurtej Sodhi, Crye-Leike Andy Starck, Starck Real Estate Each officer term is three years, with about one-third of the directors rotating off each year. About the New Board Members Nick Bozovitch Bozovitch is the Vice President of Technology at Howard Hanna Real Estate Services. Working closely with the executive team, he oversaw all IT operations and technology initiatives in support of the company's growth as it became the third-largest brokerage firm in the United States. Bozovitch also serves in advisory roles for the Allegheny County Airport Authority and the Greater Pittsburgh CIO Group. Before joining Howard Hanna in 2014, he served in key strategic, operational, and technical positions at a large global law firm for more than 13 years. Chad Gilbert Gilbert is President and Owner of the rapidly growing RE/MAX Suburban and Precision Title Company. From 2015 to 2016, the company grew by $250 million and was recognized as the No. 1 RE/MAX in Illinois and the No. 14 largest RE/MAX by volume in the country. Gilbert and his wife and co-owner Sarah Gilbert were honored in 2016 with RE/MAX's "Above the Crowd!" award, which recognizes individuals for their commitment to the RE/MAX brand within their office, the RE/MAX network and their community. Tom Hosack Hosack is the CEO, President, and Broker for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices The Preferred Realty in southwestern Pennsylvania, as well as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Northwood Realty Services in northeastern Ohio. With over 1,800 agents and 54 offices, they are ranked No. 1 in market share in their region. Before his 26-year career in real estate, he was the principal of a general contracting company, but has now been in real estate for over 26 years. Currently, Hosack serves as President and board member of West Penn Multi List, top 75 director for NAR, RES board member for NAR, and board member and executive committee member for UpstreamRE, as well as a past Chairman of the Realty Alliance. Donna Kreps Kreps is President of Residential Real Estate for F.C. Tucker Company. With over 1,500 agents statewide and over $3.2 billion in sales, it is the largest independent real estate firm in Indiana. It also ranks among the largest independent real estate firms in the nation. She has been with the 100+-year-old firm for over 25 years. She was named Executive VP in 2007, President of the Residential Division 2016, and is the first female executive of the company. She has won numerous awards including the recipient of the coveted Fred C. Tucker Senior Award in 2016. She holds a Graduate, REALTOR® Institute (GRI) designation. Stan Martin Martin is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Austin Board of REALTORS® (ABoR) and ACTRIS, which provides MLS services to over 15,000 subscribers in Austin, Texas. He has worked in the MLS industry since 2004, providing a strong combination of product management and operational expertise to organizations. Martin currently serves on The MLS Grid Board of Directors, NAR's Leading Edge Advisory group, and was appointed by the Council of MLS to serve on the MLS Technology and Emerging Issue Advisory Board beginning in 2020.

Agents, Brokers Rave about the Redesigned Form Simplicity and Its Ease of Use
How does a real estate association or brokerage cut through the clutter to choose the right transaction management solution that satisfies both agents and brokers? A great place to start is to listen to what agents and brokers who are using a transaction management solution are saying. The truth is a lot of real estate software that claims to be "easy to use" is hard to use for most agents and brokers. Because Florida Realtors owns and operates both real estate's number one tech support firm (Tech Helpline) and a top transaction management firm (Form Simplicity), we get a first-hand look into how agents use technology. When they struggle, we are often the first place they call for help. It's why Form Simplicity invested deeply in a redesign that makes using our transaction management software truly easier to use. After rolling it out to more than a quarter of a million agents and brokers nationwide who have access to Form Simplicity, the feedback has been remarkable. Little things matter If you have never used a transaction management program before, the thought of moving towards a paperless process can be daunting. Newbies require transaction management software to be highly intuitive. They need to be able to jump in, find their way around quickly, and not get stuck. When it comes to designing an exceptional client experience, every agent and broker knows that it is often the little things that matter. For a great software experience, you have to do more than provide a cool-looking, modern layout. You have to make the ability to navigate simply. You have to make the program work as well on mobile as it does on a desktop or laptop. You have to make the experience as frictionless as possible. You want agents and brokers to use the software every day and never think twice about how to find something. It's the little things, like colorful buttons that are easy to identify at a glance or the ability with a single click to expand your view so you can see everything on one page, instead of having to toggle through a bunch of tabs. Put your best features forward In the redesign of Form Simplicity, we put the things agents and brokers want to access first — such as Recent Transactions — upfront. Your most recent transactions are visible and accessible from the Home page. You can even create a new transaction directly from the Home page. We also added Upcoming Tasks to the Home page, and they are color-coded so you can see your next priority. The main navigation menu was redesigned to get you where you want to go faster: there are now fewer tabs and less clutter, but you can still quickly access all the features you need. We also pushed Useful Tools forward, giving agents and brokers the ability to add a new contact, create a clause – and more – now easier than ever to access from the Home page. Most importantly, Forms Simplicity runs faster. Why? As our tech folks tell us, "It's running on a new and fully up-to-date application architecture, from hardware to software," making it more responsive than ever for agents and brokers. Don't take our word for it Again, one of the best ways to select the right transaction management solutions is by listening to what agents and brokers who use it have to say. Right after we started to launch our redesigned Form Simplicity software, we got feedback – almost instantly. Matthew Lemon, with Lemon Drop Realty and 14 years of experience in the business, told us: "I just tried out the NEW Form Simplicity style now, and I have to say it is AMAZING. Love how convenient the new layout is. EXTREMELY professional. I'll be sticking with you guys for a long time. Keep up the great work." Shermeka McSwain, with Bruckman Realty, commented: "The recently updated changes are extremely GREAT… using the navigation, location of information, and the program structure is VERY user friendly. Thank you for the improvements." And Peggy Hall, with Britton Group, who holds the National Association of REALTORS® Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) designation, the Professional Management Network (PMN) designation, is a graduate of the Space Coast Association of REALTORS® Leadership Academy in Florida, shares this: "I began using the New and Improved Form Simplicity the afternoon of the webinar. Super easy transition! Thank you." Glossy brochures, crafty emails, and polished sales pitches can help software firms sell their products more successfully. But nothing can sell any product more effectively — or stop a product in its tracks — than testimonials from those who use the software. And when they rave about their experience, you know you got it right. See it for yourself. Go to formsimplicity.com today to discover the only transaction management software solution created by Realtors for agents and brokers and still 100% owned by Realtors. Tricia Stamper is Director of Technology at Florida Realtors®, which owns and operates Tech Helpline and Form Simplicity.

Upstream Now RESO Certified
Upstream has joined the growing list of companies now RESO certified. The Real Estate Standards Organization (RESO) was formed to create industry-wide data standards to help make it easier to leverage real estate information that directly benefits MLSs, brokerages, and technology vendors. The RESO Certification Program is the real estate industry's seal of data excellence as it ensures that MLSs, technology vendors, and brokerages have correctly implemented RESO data standards. Earning this independent validation from RESO solidifies Upstream's work and vision for data control by brokers.

Learn How the Real Estate Industry Is Avoiding Economic Meltdown with the Broker Public Portal
Started by a group of MLS executives and brokers who were tired of handing away their value to third parties who took their listings and sold them back the leads generated from their own inventory, Broker Public Portal with Homesnap is the national consumer home search platform built from within the industry and governed by Fair Display Guidelines, which guarantee "your listing, your lead." Download the NWMLS Case Study NOW to learn more The industry-controlled portal – operating as Homesnap – has become our industry's greatest "overnight" success story. It has generated over one million free leads for REALTORS® across the country and is the number one rated real estate app in App Store.

RESO 2019 Fall Conference Wrap - St. Louis
By Matt Cohen, CoreLogic, and RESO Staff Welcome and State of the Standard Art Carter, RESO Chair and CEO of CRMLS, welcomed us to St. Louis and the conference. Sam DeBord, CEO of RESO, thanked the Board of Directors and workgroup chairs, as well as the RESO staff and the sponsors. Sam opened with the theme, "Consumers Choose the Winners," stating that they expect systems to work together and connect. We haven't had that in the industry, and that is a primary focus of RESO going forward – providing interoperability. The focus needs to be on "business impact" and "results" – time, speed, efficiency, goals and profits. What are the workgroups doing? In a nutshell:

Why Joining RESO Is Vital for Real Estate Newcomers
Paul Stusiak, President and Owner of Falcon Technologies Corporation, co-chairs the Real Estate Standards Organization (RESO) Transport Workgroup with Stephen Ledwith, Vice President of Engineering for eXp Realty. A real estate industry veteran with more than 25 years of experience and a Real Estate Transaction Standard (RETS) pioneer, Stusiak has been one of RESO's most active and enthusiastic volunteers over the last 15 years. Stusiak shares why joining RESO is especially important for newcomers because of the benefits it delivers. "The reasons to get involved in RESO are many," Stusiak says. "For someone coming into the industry new ... RESO, in particular, are really important, because they allow you to connect with the rest of the industry." RESO is filled with many of the real estate technology industry's best minds and innovators. "The community itself has been around for a very long time and is very friendly and open," says Stusiak. "Even though it's very technical, sometimes those people can give you valuable insights into your next moves, your steps, pitfalls that you might not have considered." In addition to having front-row access to interesting technical details, new entrants to the industry will be exposed to important business relationships, such as those with the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). Stusiak points out that many newcomers don't understand that many tasks require the participation of local MLSs. "We often have preconceived notions about the industries that we're entering," says Stusiak. "This is a good place to get those shaken out – to identify the technology areas where you need to work to succeed as well as to get some of the business background that you need for success." Stusiak also emphasizes the importance of attending RESO conferences. "Conferences are an additional benefit to members," he says. "Being able to meet and talk to people is a valuable resource ... they will frequently volunteer information that will be useful to you." Stusiak adds that despite the fact that we live in a digital world, "Nothing can compare to looking a person in the eye and saying, 'Well how did you do this?'" These kinds of personal interactions are commonplace at the annual fall and spring RESO conferences. Register For RESO's 2019 Fall Conference: Just Weeks Away! The theme of the next RESO conference is "Data Standards: The Gateway to Home Run Technology Solutions." The conference itself will be held in Saint Louis, MO, September 9-12. But hurry! Discount registration ends August 26th, and hotels sell out fast. | VIEW LATEST CONFERENCE INFO

When It Comes to Transaction Management, a Free Solution Can Be Costly
It's clear that the digital transformation of the real estate transaction can only be achieved when agents and brokers fully embrace a transaction management system. The latest NAR study showed the top tech tools for agents, excluding email and their smartphones, were MLS websites and apps (64 percent), lockbox/smart key devices (39 percent), and social media platforms (28 percent). Transaction management software (and document storage – arguably two very different things) ranked fifth. However, fewer than one-in-five rank it as a "most valuable tool." It should be no surprise that despite two decades of digital progress, our industry still is trying to make a paperless real estate transaction standard! The good news is that list of the top three tech tools agents want to see includes predictive analytics, CRM tools and transaction management software. So how do you choose a transaction management solution that's not only the right choice for today, but one that keeps your agents' or members' interests first in the future? Why free isn't really free Technology firms have fostered the process of enticing customers with a free offer to build market share. Apps for smartphones have led the way with the "freemium" model. In fact, 90 percent of all apps downloaded from the Apple App Store are free. More than 95 percent of all apps downloaded from Google Play are free. Now think of all the apps that when you first downloaded were free or advertising free, and then later that changed. Either you wanted more features, exceeded the threshold of a limited activity, or simply needed more space. Suddenly, free can become very expensive. Dropbox is a great example. It has more than 500 million registered users. Some 13.2 million Dropbox users pay an average of $121 a year, up from $114 last year, because it's not very hard to exceed its 2GB limit for free storage. Many real estate technology offerings, including transaction management, use what is basically a freemium model (they never call it that) to build market share—and eventually revenue—when users realize they need to upgrade. But when it comes to a vital program such as a full-fledged transaction management software solution, should it ever be free? The old adage "There's no such thing as a free lunch"  should be applied to any major offering that is "free." The truth is that there is almost always a cost – it just may not be apparent at first glance. Key questions to ask When evaluating any offering that is not "costing" you anything, you need to dig a little. Here are some of the questions you need to ask: Why is it free or so low cost? Does the free offering provide the services you really need? If you need more features or to exceed the free limit, what will it cost you? How long has the software provider been around? Has the software provider shown they can endure an economic downcycle? How trustworthy is the software provider: Would they sell their software solution to the highest bidder, regardless of what it means to you? If you look back at the history of firms that have offered software solutions to the real estate industry, you can see how important these questions are to limit the risk to a brokerage and their agents in the future. #1 question to ask When it comes to evaluating your transaction management solution, whether you are securing your first contract or a renewal, the number one question you should ask is: "How well is it supported?" A unique example in the transaction management space is Form Simplicity from the Florida Realtors®. Form Simplicity is unique, as it is the only transaction management software available today that was created by Realtors for Realtors and is still owned by Realtors. At Form Simplicity, we recently updated our software to improve transaction productivity and speed up the agent and broker workflow for hundreds of thousands of Realtors across the U.S. As a result, Form Simplicity has become easier to navigate and works on any device because that's what agents and brokers want. But most importantly, Florida Realtors also owns and operates Tech Helpline, the real estate industry's #1 tech support service, available to more than 600,000 in the U.S. and Canada. Tech Helpline provides tech support for Form Simplicity. Tech Helpline's office and staff of professional tech analysts have 300+ years of combined IT experience. Known for no-nonsense technical advice and warm, friendly, customer service, Tech Helpline analysts are U.S.-based (Orlando, Florida), providing technical support by phone, chat or email. Transaction management is no longer a nice to have, but a must have. Just as we need to offer tech support for all agents, we also need all agents to embrace transaction management. But the smartest path requires asking the right questions and making sure you understand what "free" really means. More information about Form Simplicity is available online at www.formsimplicity.com, and Tech Helpline at www.techhelpline.com. Tricia Stamper is Director of Technology at Florida Realtors®, which owns both Tech Helpline and Form Simplicity.

Preventing Real Estate Ransomware
The real estate industry is increasingly aware of the dangers of ransomware, which have been raised due to some recent high-profile incidents. Ransomware is malware (malicious software) that encrypts the files on your network or otherwise blocks access to them. It's called ransomware because you may be prompted to pay a ransom to regain access to the files. Most security professionals advise clients to not pay the ransom because often the hacker will not unencrypt or allow access to the files as a result. The purpose of this article is to suggest some best practices for avoiding ransomware, limiting its impact, and recovering from it. No suggested best practices can prevent all incidents of ransomware – there will always be a new attack that can bypass certain types of defenses. However, there are some reasonable steps you can take to reduce the ransomware risk for your organization.

[Podcast] With RESO Setting the Standard, Will Real Estate Innovation Accelerate?
The dirty work. The work that nobody sees. Like the job of the football's offensive linemen who toil in the trenches to protect high profile quarterbacks. They are unseen, but without them, the offense goes nowhere. Kind of like the role of a standards organization. Some have said that data is the new oil in real estate, and if that's the case, the Real Estate Standards Organization (RESO) might well be the organization that holds the key to how well industry incumbents can fully leverage the power of Big Data. At the same time, one must wonder if broad adoption of data and business standards will accelerate pressure from newcomers. In either case, RESO's work is critical to real estate industry innovation, and in this episode of Gradually...Then, suddenly!, we talk with Sam DeBord, RESO's new CEO to explore some of these questions and more. You are invited to tune in and learn more by clicking the link below or listening on your favorite podcast site. Tune in to the podcast now! Russ Cofano is a 30-year real estate industry veteran who has served in executive capacities in various industry sectors. Russ was President of eXp World Holdings, led Industry Relations for Realtor.com, and acted as Chief Executive Officer for the Missouri REALTORS. He is a noted author and speaker at industry events on data, technology and innovation in the brokerage industry.    

Amazon Echo Show 5 Coming Soon
Amazon announced the Echo Show 5, coming on June 26. It's an affordable version of its bigger brother, Echo Show. The Alexa family proceeds to grow in helping us to manage and entertain our day digitally. The question: Is it time to revisit NAR MLS IDX policy?

Does Your Website Work for the Visually Impaired?
Zillow is getting sued for being inaccessible to the visually impaired. A lawsuit was filed against Compass, too. Are you next? Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance is a real thing, sort of. In truth, the only websites required to comply with the ADA are government websites, or key related companies that support government services to Americans.

Is It Time to Modernize YOUR Brand?
Let's face it: many of the most well-respected companies in real estate have not spent a lot of time on their logo in a LONG TIME! The industry is besieged with new players with huge marketing budgets and very contemporary branding. While a logo is not everything, it can certainly set the tone and tell others you're evolving and that your brand is still relevant today. Let's look at a few great examples of brand/logo overhauls:

CoreLogic and Homesnap Join Forces on Integrations to Matrix
CoreLogic announced that it has entered into an agreement with Homesnap, provider of the top-rated agent mobile productivity platform, to offer their mutual CoreLogic and Homesnap customers advanced integrations. These integrations between Matrix, CoreLogic's multiple listing software system, and Homesnap Pro will include full synchronization of contacts, prospects, saved searches and favorites between the two platforms, edit listing functionality, and ultimately, the ability to add a new listing.

Forefront of Technology: The Importance of the RESO Web API Workgroup
Paul Stusiak, President and Owner of Falcon Technologies Corporation, has been involved with RESO for 15 years. With more than 20 years of IT experience, he currently co-chairs RESO's Web API Workgroup, formerly known as the Transport Workgroup, along with Scott Petronis, Chief Product and Technology Officer for eXp Realty. In this video, Stusiak summarizes the main goal of the RESO Web API and the work of the RESO Web API Workgroup as "helping people get data from 'point A' to 'point B' in a standard way so a new entry into the market can do this easily and successfully." Acknowledging that the Web API Workgroup is RESO's most technical in nature, Stusiak emphasizes that prospective members should not to be intimidated and welcomes newcomers. "It's important to have a voice at the table," says Stusiak, emphasizing the critical functions of a standardized Web API. Although the RESO Web API Workgroup is predominantly comprised of server-side technology professionals, Stusiak invites client-side implementers, builders of websites, apps, and other agent real estate technology to join. He notes this will give the Workgroup a "better understanding of what they are doing with their agents and make sure that we incorporate that into the standards so that it can be built properly." Stusiak details several features of the latest version of the RESO Web API and discusses the upcoming version, which will deliver new features to the industry. Stusiak explains the importance of including an organization's technology professionals in the discussion. He encourages participation, inviting technologists to join in on Workgroup conference calls or attend an upcoming conference. He says it's the best way to understand "where we're going with standard, [and] how it's going to affect them in the future." Don't Miss the Early Bird Discount for Boise Don't miss your opportunity for a seat at the table to influence real change in the real estate industry. Act soon, as the early bird registration discount for the RESO Spring Technology Summit in Boise, Idaho, April 29 to May 2 is still available, but ends this Thursday, February 28th. The RESO Web API Workgroup meets in-person at the Boise conference on Wednesday, May 1 for two hours. The latest event information, special hotel rates for attendees, and early bird registration discount information are available here.  

REally! Agent Tool Usage Reporting Is Behind the Times
This week's adventure found me looking at agent tool usage reports from a bunch of technology companies. An MLS client was interested in gaining insight into members' usage of their technology product offerings. All I have to say is, "REally!" I was really not surprised to see the usage reports from the various technology companies. You see, usage reporting from technology partners are the bane of my existence. This wasn't going to be any different as I dug into the data that was provided to me.

The 'NOT INVENTED HERE' Philosophy Can Get You in Trouble with Technology!
I love it when CTOs and technology leaders take pride in their work. They believe they can do anything and many times they are absolutely right! A tech leader with a unique understanding of a company's customer base, coupled with the unique strengths of the organization, are in a great position to create innovation that cannot be built by anybody else. There are times, though, when technology teams take this philosophy too far. They believe they can build EVERYTHING their company needs. They don't trust or respect third party companies that possess a deep understanding of a particular type of technology solution because it "was not invented here." Because of their ignorance, arrogance, insecurity or budget constraints, some internal technology teams try to build every type of technology, regardless of the skillset of the internal team.

Make 2019 the Year You Really Pay Attention to Your Customers
There isn't a company in real estate that does not believe that it pays attention to the needs of its customers. We all want to think that every one of our customers would give us a 5-star rating, but we know deep down inside that is not the case. Because we interact with our customers every day, we do have some sense of what they are looking for. Here's the problem though--we don't TALK to every one of our customers regularly. The silent majority are out there forming opinions without ever talking to their MLS, association or brokerage directly. So how do you really KNOW if you're doing the right thing for your customers? Those that are the most unhappy are probably not talking to you about it. There could be a ticking time bomb out there and you have no idea it's coming.

We Need a 'Common App' for Data Feed Approvals
Sometimes we just make it too hard to do business in real estate. We spend SO much time and energy talking about herculean tasks like statewide consolidation efforts, yet spent so LITTLE time talking about practical, unsexy solutions that can make our lives so much easier. During the broker panel Helping Brokers Compete and Innovate: Broker Panel at the this month's RESO Conference in Milwaukee, we discussed a simple innovation we can deliver in our industry that can make a world of difference in helping brokers get access to real estate information with a lot less hassle! While brokers and their tech partners are looking for easier ways to access the RESO Web API, there are even MORE interested in a way to make the process of gaining data feed approvals easier. Today, every MLS's data feed application is different. In some cases, the information needed to gain approvals is not clearly spelled out and it is extremely difficult to find someone at the MLS to answer questions.

Real Estate Must Fix the Problems with Photography
One of the most interesting things about being an expert witness is recognizing how companies can avoid costly litigation. Zillow actually tested the courts in the case of VHT v. Zillow. The facts of the case were reported by Inman News. In summary, VHT filed for copyright on their images. The copyright was granted. VHT then provided a notification of their filing and requested removal. Zillow refused. VHT sued. The court awarded damages. I think the case is on appeal. This issue is not with Zillow or any other portal, it is about protecting the rights of copyright holders and giving privacy to families that buy homes.

Google Maps: It Was Too Good to Last
Over the last 13 years, Google Maps API has been a cost-effective solution for website developers and owners, especially for those in the real estate industry, allowing the display of maps and geo-location of properties by address for a nominal fee (essentially free). Well, the easy road is over as all this is changing on July 16.

Broker Public Portal Update: Q1 2018
Call to action: Please support the BPP by emailing this update to agents and brokers in your market to drive awareness and adoption of Homesnap. For the industry to realize its vision of a national portal alternative to existing advertising sites, we need to communicate the strategic value of supporting Homesnap. Success is in your hands. Following the phenomenal growth experienced in 2017, Broker Public Portal with Homesnap is anticipating even greater levels of success in 2018. Adoption by MLSs and brokerages is accelerating faster than many thought possible. And thanks to a comprehensive communications campaign, the word is getting out – the industry is delivering across America a better search experience.

MLS Terms of Use Changes and Copyright FAQ
This post is the result of a collaborative effort amongst the Council of Multiple Listing Services, The Realty Alliance, The National Association of REALTORS®, and Larson Skinner PLLC. Many MLSs have been making changes to the way they file copyright applications and their MLS terms of use. Those changes have raised some questions from participants and subscribers. This FAQ is intended to answer some of those questions and emphasize that the MLSs are not forcing participants or subscribers to give up ownership of listing content.

What's ahead for Trestle in 2017?
Trestle Subscriptions Trestle continues to pick up steam, and CoreLogic reports that 90 MLSs, representing over a half-million members, have subscribed to Trestle. If your organization has not subscribed to Trestle yet, please consider doing so today. There is no cost or ongoing obligation to sign up and review Trestle in detail. This is a great time to achieve RESO certification and position your organization to benefit from the opportunity Trestle represents. What exactly can Trestle do for you? The initial benefits of subscribing are outlined below. Data Dictionary Certification CoreLogic® helps maintain RESO Data Dictionary Certification for Trestle subscribers that are members of RESO. If you are an existing subscriber, CoreLogic has been working with RESO to re-certify the data dictionary on your behalf. Re-certification is processed automatically as each anniversary approaches, and this year resulted in an upgrade to 1.4 Silver designation. This is provided to RESO members with a Trestle subscription at no additional cost and without any intervention on your part. To check your certification status, please visit reso.org. If you are a new Trestle subscriber and a member of RESO, CoreLogic will help to secure Data Dictionary Certification on your behalf.

How Employee-Owned FBS Became a '35-Year Old Startup'
In our "Moving the Needle" series (see our previous article), RE Technology goes behind the scenes for a closer look at the companies and people in the MLS world that are using innovative approaches to help change the future of real estate. We went to Fargo, North Dakota to see what how FBS (creators of the Flexmls system) and its leader, Michael Wurzer, are "Moving the Needle." In the world of MLS system providers, there is almost a complete bifurcation of two camps: one group of companies that are family-owned and operated, and one group of companies that are owned by shareholders, operated by managers and are publicly traded in the stock market. One MLS systems provider that doesn't fit into either camp is FBS, inventor of Flexmls. FBS is 100% owned by its employees. Michael Wurzer, CEO of FBS, who is well known for his business acumen, says that the FBS his father founded was once family owned like many of the smaller MLS system firms, until it made its strategic pivot to become an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan). That's when the fortunes of FBS would change forever. Rapid Growth secured by stability In just the last three years, Flexmls by FBS has catapulted its way into becoming one of real estate's "Top 3" MLS systems. FBS has nearly tripled in size to serve over 150 MLSs and 190,000 agents. What's truly remarkable is the fact that FBS has been around for more than 35 years. According to Wurzer, FBS is poised to be around for another 35+ years, and he attributes his confidence in FBS's continued longevity to employee ownership.

New Data Services for Brokers to Improve Consumer Experience (10/11)
Tuesday, October 11, 2016 at 10:00 AM PDT Today, all MLSs in America are prepared to provide a standard set of data from across the nation. It's the kind of data that portals have been aggregating for years, which is now being made available to real estate brokers. With great effort, Redfin championed this strategy to become one of the most successful broker websites in America. WAV Group will be hosting a webinar surrounding these topics on Tuesday, October 11. Panelists include: Art Carter, CEO of the California Regional MLS, the nation's largest MLS, and chairman of the Real Estate Standards Organization Glenn Kelman, CEO of Redfin, who will be sharing his company's journey to becoming a top broker website Chris Bennett, General Manager of Real Estate Solutions for CoreLogic, who will be introducing their nationwide solution Trestle. Trestle provides the only nationwide single standard MLS data format, and a single standard county records format to real estate brokers and their technology partners For too long, brokers and their vendors have struggled with the difficulty of managing the different data structures and business rules of more than 700 MLSs. Today marks the beginning of a new era, where each MLS is synthesized into a single common format, allowing brokers to provide services across MLS boundaries without differentiation. Register now!

MLS Not Ready for Direct Syndication
In no small way, the impact of Zillow and Trulia being disconnected from ListHub has caused troubled waters for many MLSs. Although ListHub continues to manage syndication to a wide number of sites, they no longer support two of the top five. What's the plan? MLSs are scrambling in every direction today. The biggest issue has been the data license agreement to Zillow. Everything was neat and tidy when ListHub had one agreement with each portal. Now Zillow is faced with hundreds of MLS agreements all with different terms. According to MLS executives, that is Zillow's choice. Efforts by legal firms to negotiate on behalf of groups of MLSs have been shunned by the Zillow Group in favor of individual contracts. Comedic Tragedy: Each Zillow Group agreement is confidential. It begs the question, how can the MLS inform the broker of what is in it? MLS Technical Issues The ListHub service has two features. The first is the broker dashboard for syndication preferences. The second is the data distribution server. The broker dashboard is the critical ingredient for direct syndication. It puts brokers in charge of where their data goes through a process known as broker opt-in or broker opt-out. MLS data distribution servers from most vendors (called RETS servers) do not have a broker dashboard feature. Some MLS system vendors like FBS were quick to add them. Rapattoni launches tomorrow. CoreLogic is planning their launch roll out with customers now. Paragon is in the research and planning stages. Beyond that, I am not sure.

Help Us Prioritize the Best Ways for IDX Feeds to Work Harder for Brokers
I have to tell you that every time I think about the MLS Policy Meeting at this year's NAR Conference in New Orleans, it puts a big smile on my face. For the first time that I've witnessed, four important, but fundamental, changes were made to the IDX policy with absolutely UNIVERSAL acceptance. Brokers, MLS executives, associations and technology companies also spoke from one voice about the relevance and importance of the changes that were proposed and approved. Check out my blog post from a few weeks ago to see the details about what was approved at that time. In a nutshell, there were four new policies adopted: Adopting the RESO Data Dictionary and offering an API by January 2016 Allowing co-mingling of data among multiple MLSs on one broker site Requiring data be updated every 12 hours instead of every 3 days as the previous policy stated Requiring each MLS to offer brokers the ability to include solds in their IDX feed as desired; an exemption to this rule was included for non-disclosure states Now that we've proven as an industry that we CAN actually work together to get things done, we don't want to lose the momentum. There are still several more areas of opportunity for brokers, MLSs and technology companies to work together to strengthen a broker's ability to attract and engage potential customers on their websites. Just to catch you up quickly if you haven't followed the story, Pam O'Connor, CEO of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, engaged the WAV Group to help work with her organization's TAC (Technology Advisory Council) to come up with practical suggestions about how to help make IDX feeds work harder for brokers that use them. Below are the remaining areas of opportunity that were outlined. I would love your input to help us prioritize the next round of IDX policy enhancements that we should focus on. In the wise words of Henry Ford, "If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself." Let me know what you think.

Broker AVMs: Windfall or Hot Air?
Guest contributor Meg White of REALTOR®Mag says: BPOs, CMAs, USPAP: Real estate valuation is an alphabet soup of acronyms, easy to ignore until you need solid numbers to support a transaction. However, a change to how one major valuation product is created and sold could forever shift the way brokerages and multiple listing services operate. AVMs, or automatic valuation models, have been around for decades. Zillow brought the AVM to the public, forcing real estate professionals across the country to contend with the company's often-inaccurate Zestimates. But there's another behind-the-scenes world where AVMs using MLS data can be sources of significant revenue streams. These AVMs don't appear on public websites; instead, they work in the back room, helping banks evaluate real estate portfolios or determine refinancing calculations. Even Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have relied on AVMs to analyze the market. The banks are willing to pay for access to valuations based on MLS data. But who owns the data? And who should profit from it? In January, The Realty Alliance, a group of larger brokerages from across the country, sent a letter to the National Association of REALTORS®' MLS Technology and Emerging Issues Advisory Board insisting that brokers get a slice of the AVM pie. They said existing policy permits participants to use MLS data to create AVMs but noted some MLSs refused to distribute data so it could be used in this way. Jon Coile, CRB, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Affiliate Champion Realty Inc., based in Severna Park, Md., has helped lead the push for greater MLS cooperation. As a member of The Realty Alliance's board, he told NAR's Multiple Listings Issues & Policies Committee in May it was well past time that brokers get the tools necessary to compete with Zillow and other third-party websites. "They're eating our lunch," Coile said. "We're all in this together, and we need to circle the wagons."