Why Should Real Estate Brokers Join RESO?

For years RESO, or Real Estate Standards Organization, has been thought about as a group for Geeks. I'll admit it's been a well-deserved moniker. I mean, how many non-tech conferences schedule a session called "Using OpenID Connect?"

But after RESO was incorporated as an independent non-profit organization, a strategic objective emerged to bring in brokers. The Geeks had a meeting of the minds to explore what was needed from a business perspective. Before, like all technology groups, the Geek perspective dominated: Projects were interpreted from a Geek point-of-view to serve the Geek-side of customer needs.

Geeks realized they need more Greeks (business leaders) at the table to incorporate the brokerage point-of-view that was missing. This was never more poignantly apparent then when Craig Cheatham, who heads The Realty Alliance, shared his letter of grievances with the industry. That was a great "wake up" call for everyone as clearly more brokers needed to be actively at the table, not simply passing along the changes they would like to see.

Today, RESO is actively recruiting more broker members, and not just because of the impending implementation of the Data Dictionary which directly impacts the brokerage world, but because of the invaluable insight that is missing at the table by not having more brokers participate. It's RESO's goal to provide solutions that help agents and brokers directly.

You only have look at our incredibly successful Spring Conference in Chicago in June to see how valuable having brokers at the table can be. Marilyn Wilson of the WAV Group, a RESO member, presented a broker panel that featured Dan Troup of RE/MAX; Michael Garner of Keller Williams; David Grumpper of Michael Saunders; Alex Paine of Pacific Union and Tei Baishiki of NextHome.

To my recollection, we never had presented an all-broker panel before, and this session turned out to be truly remarkable: Not just for the audience in attendance, but the transformative way it resonated with the broker participants. With the exception of Dan Troup, who has been entrenched in RESO as a member, each broker walked away with a deep understanding of the value RESO provides the brokerage community and they also immediately joined RESO, recognizing the value proposition.

In that session, we successfully answered the question, "Why should a real estate broker join RESO?"

The WIFM for brokers

Sometimes we forget about how important standards are to every business, not just real estate. Think about it. If there were no standards, there would be no Internet. What would you do if your browser couldn't read the language (HTML) or see the images (JPG) or know where to go when you clicked on a link (URL)? Standards make so many things we take for granted not only work, but work well.

That's the WIFM – what's in it for me – that RESO offer brokers. Real estate standards – and RESO's mission – are all about driving efficiency throughout the real estate industry. Real estate standards are what will drive real estate technology innovation and drive down costs that will directly benefit all real estate brokerages.

Every single technology you have as a broker that interfaces with MLS data is directly impacted by the work of RESO. That means your IDX websites, your apps, your marketing technology, your CRM -- all benefit from the efforts of RESO. Industry standards reduce the amount of time brokers spending interfacing with MLSs. Think about how the Data Dictionary, once adopted by all the MLSs you work with, will expedite your ability to process, develop, deploy and update all of your systems that use MLS data in some way.

It also will foster more rapid innovation – by you and by firms that serve the brokerage industry – as the ability to iterate and create is unleashed once the constraints of data field conflict is resolved.

Brokers are conduits

You may be having an issue with MLS data that's driving you nuts. As a broker-owner, that problem is probably shared by many of your colleagues. Once you are a member of RESO, you have a way to channel that frustration and not only share your concern with other brokers, but with MLS decision makers and technologists as well as the top brass from MLS technology vendors.

RESO gives brokers a forum and a process. The RESO R&D Workgroup is a magnet for these suggestions through a highly collaborative process with some of the brightest minds in the industry. By working through this group, today's great frustration might result in a new standard in the future that makes that frustration all but a faded painful memory.

Your data, your destiny

Real estate brokers know how vital data is to their future. RESO is a place where a broker gets to become a data insider: You get the heads up on what's coming down the pipe, and that means you are a better-informed professional.

Being around smart people can make you smarter. We have a lot of RESO members who are truly gifted, but we need not only the smartest technology minds, we also need the smartest business minds. RESO and the real estate industry benefits from insight in the trenches, where the real world teaches us lessons we can never learn in a classroom or from a computer. That's where RESO becomes a two-way street: You and your firm benefit from your RESO membership, and RESO benefits from your business acumen and experience.

RESO needs more real estate brokers for their real world perspectives and insight. It simply is an industry necessity that will help us all shape a better future for real estate.

To join RESO, go online to our website at www.reso.org or email us at info[at]reso.org.