Redfin Expands 'Sign & Save' Program Nationwide
Redfin expanded its Sign & Save program to more than a dozen additional markets this week, including Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Diego and San Francisco. With Sign & Save, homebuyers who sign up to work with a Redfin agent before the second tour can get a refund of 0.25 - 0.5% of the purchase price at closing. "With Sign & Save, Redfin is giving consumers a better deal in real estate," said Jason Aleem, Redfin's senior vice president of real estate operations. "This program rewards customers who commit to working with a Redfin agent early in the process, which is helping drive more sales for our agents. Not only are we putting money back in our customers' pocket, we're also educating them about how real estate commissions work and how Redfin can help them win. This is good for our customers, our agents and our growth as a brokerage, which is why we're expanding it everywhere we can." The program was piloted in a handful of markets in September 2023, launched in additional markets in January 2024, and is now available to Redfin's home buying customers nationwide, except in states where commission refunds are prohibited by law: AK, IA, KS, MS, MO, OK, OR, TN. Redfin encourages policymakers in these states to change these laws and allow commission refunds, which can help consumers save money and drive more competition and innovation in the real estate industry. How Sign & Save Works When a homebuyer goes on their first home tour with a Redfin agent, the agent learns about the customer's goals, explains the benefits of working with Redfin to achieve those goals, and asks the customer to sign a buyer agency agreement. This is a contract that creates a formal working relationship between the customer and Redfin. Customers who sign up to work with a Redfin agent before the second tour and go under contract to purchase a property within 180 days of signing the agreement get a refund when they close on their new home. The standard Sign & Save refund is 0.25% of the purchase price. An eligible homebuyer purchasing a $500,000 home will save $1,250 with Sign & Save. For customers who purchase a luxury home through Redfin's Premier service, Redfin offers a 0.5% Sign & Save refund. For a $2 million Premier home, Sign & Save customers will get a $10,000 refund. Because Redfin earns a larger commission on a luxury home sale, it's able to give the homebuyer a larger refund. Sign & Save eligibility is subject to minimum buyer agent commission and lender and seller approval. More details are available here.

Inside the Tech Stack of a $500 Million Dollar Company
Tech enthusiasts, this one's for you. Whissel Realty, a $500 million company with over 100 agents, shares the technology stack that has allowed their business to scale, all while keeping costs and administrative needs low. How? They use systems and tools that let them achieve maximum efficiency and effectiveness. In the video below, Kyle Whissel and Bryan Koci break down their company's top 10 most used systems, including: Their CRM IDX website Sales management system Transaction management system Team communication app Presentation app And more! Kyle and Bryan also dive into which processes they automate and how they integrate their systems using tools like Zapier to streamline operations. Watch to learn how a top real estate team uses technology to achieve real estate success: Related Reading 3 Unconventional Ways to Measure Tech Stack ROI Demystifying the Real Estate Tech Stack

CompassAI Includes Impressive Tools to Boost Agent Productivity
Compass has invested heavily in technology and growth, becoming a formidable brokerage in a relatively short period of time through these efforts. WAV Group's Victor Lund shares details about CompassAI, a personal marketing assistant and prospecting tool that uses native AI technology to help agents be more effective and productive. WAV Group had an opportunity to meet with Skye Michiels, National Head of Agent Development at Compass, and Chrissy Oliver from Compass Strategy and Growth, to discuss the September 13 launch of CompassAI. The focus of CompassAI is to improve productivity and effectiveness of Compass agents so they can spend more time developing client relationships — resulting in higher satisfaction of agents and customers. The Personal Marketing Assistant Among real estate firms today, Compass agents probably employ the highest number of assistants, at great cost to the agents. Assistants are great, and fully embraced by Compass, but the firm focuses on delivering value to agents by automating tasks that can be performed more quickly and effectively using technology like CompassAI. This saves time and money. For the release, 8,000 Compass agents tuned in for the webinar to learn how they will benefit from the features and functionality of CompassAI. Today, every Compass agent has access to the platform and can leverage AI as a virtual assistant to perform many tasks that they pay assistants to do today. The features of the application are already broad in this first iteration, and there is more to come on the roadmap. CompassAI is used extensively across the Compass technology platform by being embedded in workflows. The CompassAI team is evaluating every opportunity to make it fast and easy for the agent. The first panel on the left provides a list of places where AI is embedded today or will be leveraged in the future — Performance, Contacts, Likely to List, Messages, Tasks, Business Tracker, Marketing, Insights, and more. CompassAI is also a specific landing page on the left-hand rail of the Compass back office solution that clearly illustrates the usefulness of the tool for the important activities performed by agents on a daily basis (bottom left under Help). We reviewed a few key components that are illustrated in the screen below. As you can see on the CompassAI landing page, the center panel calls out four key activities routinely activated by Compass agents: Listing Description, Social Media, Biography, and Marketing Ideas. Selecting any of these templates will automate a workflow that leverages AI to produce content for agents. CompassAI is integrated behind each of these workflows and tied to the Compass data lake, which contains information about the agent, the agent's social media profiles, the agent's listings, the agent's customers, and public record data. Agents do not need to compile any information, compose, or create anything from scratch; CompassAI does it for them. Unlike ChatGPT, which simply provides a Google-like text box to get started, CompassAI encourages agents to get started with a click. This is a keynote to the usability of the application. Starting with a blank slate is often a roadblock for agents who do not have experience leveraging AI in their business. The right-hand panel is another example of great usability. CompassAI suggests a long list of tasks or action items that can be deployed by CompassAI with a single click. These include prewritten, structured prompts for creating social media posts, creating a listing description, drafting an email, writing a blog post, and many more. The automation of these excellent marketing activities is going to make the work just about effortless. Remember, AI automates the draft process, but agents are still responsible for reviewing, editing, and finalizing before sending. Moreover, the firm has trained CompassAI to embed keywords and hashtags in marketing that will create a groundswell of content that lends to the strength of Compass' overall SEO strategy. When hundreds or thousands of agents combine their efforts, the impact to SEO is awesome. The adoption of these SEO efforts that sit in the background use the crowd of agents to benefit each and every agent. Prospecting Compass is among the few firms in America that are licensing public record data for prospecting. In this case, they are using CoreLogic analytical data to enable prospecting to people in the agents' CRM who are likely to sell. If you have not spoken to a client in your database in a while, these outreach efforts can seem awkward. Here, CompassAI is doing the heavy lifting. They comb through the agent's database to discover key items that make that customer likely to sell, then highlight those customers for the agent. From there, the agent can pick up the phone and call them or invite CompassAI to draft an email to reconnect with that potential client. Remember, this is the initial launch of CompassAI, which represents their MVP for the development. We expect this innovation to hit hard in driving agent productivity and effectiveness by automating and improving the basic tasks that, when repeated, will keep agents closer to their clients and grow agent production volume. We all know that a customer record is a leaky bucket when it comes to transactions. Nearly every client says they would use their agent in a future transaction, but only 1 in 5 do. The number one reason is that the agent did not stay in touch. About CompassAI on OpenAI Privacy and Security Whenever any brokerage firm initiates an AI strategy, they need to begin with privacy and security. For Compass, all agent and company data is secured and not shared. Compass engineering began developing on OpenAI in 2019, when the ChatGPT-2 language model was released. The benefits of using OpenAI versus the public version of ChatGPT are significant in three primary ways. First is ownership. Working directly with OpenAI, you own and control your data. With OpenAI, the Compass business data and usage is not shared publicly, and the content is not shared outside of their organization. Compass owns the inputs and outputs, and Compass controls how long their data is used and retained by OpenAI. Secondly, the enterprise-level authentication through SAML SSO, control over access and features, and custom models developed by Compass are exclusive and not shared with anyone else. Lastly, OpenAI gives Compass comprehensive security with SOC 2 compliance and data encryption at rest (AES-256) and in transit (TLS 1.2+). I know that this sounds like a bunch of geek speak, but agents or firms who are not focused on the safety and security of their data when using AI are exposing their information in ways that may cause disparaging results. Suffice to say that Compass deployed AI as well as can be expected. In this case, CompassAI is safely closed off to others. Congratulations to Compass and the team behind CompassAI for this successful launch. To view the original article, visit the WAV Group blog.

iGo Raises $5.5 Million to Strengthen Lead in Home Inspection Tech and Launch AI-based Home Repair Valuation
It's great to see technology innovation in all aspects of the real estate transaction. If you haven't checked out InspectionGo yet, you need to take a look. Led by industry veterans Celeste Starchild and Mark Wise, iGo is shaking up the home inspection sector and enabling independent home inspection companies with breakthrough tech to deliver a more comprehensive and actionable home inspection report to consumers and the professionals that support them. Read the full news release below: InspectionGo (iGo) Announces $5.5 Million Series A and the Acquisitions of Repair Pricer and HomeBinder Transactions allow iGo to build next-generation platform for home inspectors to unlock the full value of inspections for homeowners and single-family investors TYRONE, Pa., (July 19, 2023) – InspectionGo (iGo), the leading provider of cutting-edge technology and services that helps independent home inspection companies be successful by unlocking the full value of home inspections for homeowners and real estate investors, today announced it has closed a $5.5 million Series A funding round. The company also announced the strategic acquisitions of Repair Pricer and HomeBinder, moving iGo closer to its vision of providing home inspectors with a seamless platform to manage their business and extending the value of a home inspection throughout home ownership. The Series A was led by existing investor Wasatch Equity Partners. The acquisitions were all-stock transactions, reinforcing the confidence of Repair Pricer and HomeBinder's investors in the partnership iGo has forged with the inspector community and the company's long-term vision. In addition to enhancing iGo's service offerings to its growing community of home inspectors who perform an estimated one million home inspections annually, the capital raise and acquisitions will bring hundreds of jobs to Central Pennsylvania by 2026. "We are thrilled to welcome Repair Pricer and HomeBinder to the iGo family. The addition of their product offerings accelerates our strategy of giving the inspection community the ability to provide homeowners with valuable tools for managing their home for as long as they own it," iGo Co-Founder and CEO John Russell said. Russell added, "We also couldn't be more appreciative of the confidence that Wasatch and our other investors have placed in us. They not only share our vision for giving home inspection a new meaning, but they also are committed to bringing more employment and economic opportunities to our local community and putting Tyrone on the map as an emerging tech hub." Repair Pricer leverages artificial intelligence and national language processing to turn any inspection report into an accurate home repair estimate. Since 2016, homeowners in nearly 42,000 ZIP codes throughout the U.S. have used Repair Pricer to generate more than 1.1 million home repair estimates to gain assurance they are receiving a fair price on their home purchase. Offered by a network of 9,000 professionals to more than 950,000 homeowners nationwide, HomeBinder is aresidential home management platform that allows homeowners to manage their home at their fingertips. With HomeBinder, homeowners have a centralized location to store valuable home documents, set up home improvement projects and maintenance reminders, stay up to date on appliance recalls, access a network of recommended service providers and maintain records of their single largest asset. As part of the acquisitions, iGo strengthened its leadership team. Repair Pricer CEO Christian Adams will serve as iGo's Chief Revenue Officer and Jack Huntress, CEO of HomeBinder, joins the company as Head of Consumer Products. Both are newly created positions. Since its founding in 2019, iGo has focused on building a community that empowers inspectors to operate more efficiently while ensuring that they offer buyers and their agents a better experience. The acquisitions of Repair Pricer and HomeBinder add to iGo's comprehensive suite of existing solutions. These offerings include Keystone, a plug and play back-office platform; access to coaching, marketing and management resources through the iGo Community; and iGo Academy, which provides a steady stream of highly trained home inspectors to the inspector community. "With this new series of funding we are unlocking new opportunities to impact a growing market in a unique way. Through these newly announced strategic acquisitions we anticipate an offering of services like never before seen in the space that captures AI technology and tools that brings home inspection services to the forefront of innovation for homeowners. Our commitment to the growth and future of the business remains stronger than ever, "Scott Stettler, Managing Director, Wasatch Equity Partners said. The Series A raise brings iGo's total funding to $10.3 million. In addition to Wasatch, Ben Franklin Technology Partners, Allegheny Angel Fund, The West Virginia Jobs Investment Trust, Twenty Five Ventures, Mountain State Capital, and Hamilton Ventures have shown their commitment to iGo through early stage investments.Like Wasatch, they share iGo's commitment to creating opportunities for underserved communities by bringing technology-based companies to the region. About Wasatch Equity Partners Wasatch Equity Partners, a subsidiary of The Wasatch Group, specializes in identifying and investing in high-growth companies across key market verticals. Wasatch Equity Partners delivers results driven impact through strategic advisement and a proven record of performance. With integrated specialty support through Finance, Marketing, HR, Tax and Legal, WEP brings an innovative and comprehensive approach to their diverse investment portfolio. Bringing over 30 years of combined experience and with over $4 Billion AUM, WEP is uniquely positioned to drive growth and strategic alignment that has driven results for both investors and companies. Wasatch Equity Partners is located in Logan, Utah with a portfolio expanding the industries of PropTech, Medical, Energy, CPG and more. About InspectionGo (iGo) Founded in Tyrone, Pa. in 2019, iGo is on a mission to revolutionize the home inspection experience by uniting and equipping the community of home inspection companies with a modern technology platform. Through strategic investments and acquisitions, iGo empowers home inspectors to deliver exceptional customer experiences and become industry leaders. Learn more at inspectiongo.com. To view the original article, visit the WAV Group blog.

Inside Real Estate's CORE Home Adds New Functionality
Inside Real Estate announced that CORE Home, a homeownership solution that puts real estate brokerages at the center of the lifetime consumer relationship, released new functionality and enhanced experiences for consumers, and is now widely available for brokerage clients. "Real estate is more competitive than ever, and staying top-of-mind and delivering value post-close is more important than ever but rarely prioritized by agents. We all know the incredible value of generating consistent repeat and referral business, but the industry has had a difficult time solving for it," says Grier Allen, Chief Strategy Officer of Inside Real Estate. "CORE Home solves this disconnect, acting as an extension of the agent, and enhancing the value that brokerages and their agents deliver at every stage of the homeownership process — not just the transaction process — to create coveted lifetime relationships." Completely branded for the brokerage, CORE Home allows brokerages to deliver a seamlessly connected experience throughout the entire homeownership lifecycle. The consumer-facing, one-stop resource, is tied to local, trusted expertise, and fully personalized to the homeowner's specific home search and homeownership needs. The latest enhancements of CORE Home include: My Search: An intuitive, addictive home search experience tailored to a client's unique wants and needs. My Home: Real-time alerts on home values, detailed local market data, and mortgages. My Favorites: The ability to view saved searches and suggested homes while keeping the agent top-of-mind. My Move: Valuable tools for buyers to view move progress, complete checklists, and receive service referrals. My Transaction: Transaction checklists to keep buyers on task and closings on schedule. My Maintenance: Home maintenance needs are tracked and easily visible. Preferred service vendors can be requested in just a few clicks. "CORE Home has given our agents the tools they need to easily stay relevant to their clients before, during, and long after the transaction has closed," says Ron Snow, Broker & Owner of RE/MAX Associates. "The homeownership experience is not one-size-fits-all, and CORE Home taps into each layer of that unique journey exactly when the homeowner needs it. We are thrilled with the value and engagement CORE Home will continue to bring to our agents and clients alike!" CORE Home is currently available to brokerages based on select criteria. For existing kvCORE brokerage clients, contact your Account Manager to learn more. For brokerages without kvCORE, visit insiderealestate.com/corehome to learn more about kvCORE and CORE Home.

Engel & Völkers Selects Constellation1 as Partner for North American Data Expansion
Constellation1 has been selected by Engel & Völkers to power its new, Americas luxury real estate website and its brokerage sites throughout North America. Engel & Völkers sought an established data services partner to support its goal of achieving expansive coverage across North America, along with data richness, integrity and performance, including customizations specific to the Engel & Völkers platform functions. "Rich, accurate data is essential, not only to the success of our new website experience, but also to the data driven tools that we provide our network of real estate professionals to help track and enhance their business strategies," said Jill DeSilva, Senior Vice President, Product, Engel & Völkers Americas. "Through our partnership with Constellation1, we can customize and adapt data sets to meet the specific needs of our brand and network to create tremendous business opportunities." This partnership expands Constellation1's reach into luxury real estate services. "We are proud to deliver robust data services to the Engel & Völkers Americas' franchise network in support of its future expansion," said Andrew Binkley, President of Constellation1. "Engel & Völkers and Constellation1 share foundational beliefs in quality, premium service, and innovation, making this partnership an ideal fit." The partnership also allows Engel & Völkers to take advantage of the Real Estate Standards Organization's (RESO) modern data standards and improves Engel & Völkers' offerings to its franchisees, enabling its new site, launching in the summer of 2023, to better display listing information from across its North American network. Constellation1 is recognized in the industry as a preferred provider of real estate technology and data services. In addition to the partnership with Engel & Völkers, Constellation1 Data Services partnered with HSF Affiliates LLC, the parent company of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, in May 2021 for a national data rollout on bhhs.com, and announced a national expansion with Redfin in April of 2022.

MoxiWorks to Offer Homeownership Management Portals for All Customers
MoxiWorks announced that all customers will now have access to a homeownership management portal through their partnership with Milestones Labs, a homeowner management system. MoxiWorks was built for brokers by brokers with an emphasis on nurturing your sphere of influence to gain repeat and referral business. Now, MoxiWorks customers have access to homeownership portals for their clients to help create loyal clients for life at no extra cost. "Our partnership with MoxiWorks is an exciting step forward in our commitment to empowering real estate professionals and delivering exceptional service to our clients," says Milestones CEO Dustin Gray. "At Milestones, we've always aimed to integrate with innovative technology offerings and elevate the industry as a whole. MoxiWorks has a proven track record delivering powerful technology at scale while remaining steadfast in its mission to help industry professionals thrive in a seamless business software experience." Milestones homeownership portals keep agents in front of their clients while building and nurturing relationships with them between transactions. From home valuation to maintenance to everything in between, agents who use MoxiWorks can now get their clients set up with a portal to make the most of their homeownership lifecycle and to stay top of mind with their clients. "The average homeowner only moves every 10 years, that's a lot of runway. But thankfully there are tools and processes available to help agents stay top of mind throughout that time," said York Baur, CEO MoxiWorks. "In an uncertain first half of 2023, we want our customers to know they've got this, and we've got them. That's why we're offering all customers access to the Milestones homeownership management portals as a core component of our platform." Milestones brings everything you need to manage your home into one place. Homeowners can: Keep track of all the important stuff — Documents, key contacts, maintenance tasks, and the many parts, systems, and belongings in a home. Get help when they need it — Find local service providers to help maintain, repair, or improve their home. Agents can even tag their favorites and can make warm introductions for their clients. Manage home finances — Automatically track your home value and equity, monitor mortgage and property taxes, and provides access to loans. Baur added, "We know the power of your sphere, especially in a cooler market. Staying in flow and building a pipeline that converts, even when clients aren't in the market to move, is extremely powerful and will lead to that coveted repeat and referral business. Milestones is a fantastic tool to help make sure agents can easily stay top of mind before, during, and after the transaction, over and over again, all in one place." With this offer MoxiWorks customers will have access to the Milestones starter package: Homeownership hubs Move hubs Mortgage and other ancillary services information "There's an endless list of golden moments attached to the homeownership journey, and if we can switch our mindset beyond just the transaction, agents can be top of mind for each of those moments and win more listings in the future," said Baur. Milestones joins the MoxiCloud as a fellow champion of providing a strong, yet flexible open platform of real estate technology for agents and brokerages. "Together, we will help brokerages serve the next generation of homeowners – by leveraging technology to deliver personalized client service before, during, and after the transaction," said Gray. Any agent with a MoxiWorks login can activate Milestones today. Brokerages interested in brand-specific solutions can talk to their MoxiWorks representative. To learn more, today, visit milestones.ai/moxi.

'zavvie Power Buyer' Offers Leading Brokerages a White-labeled Solution
zavvie, a software technology company providing customized marketplaces for brokerage-wide buying and selling solutions, announces the latest in real estate problem-solvers: "zavvie Power Buyer," a white-labeled solution exclusively for leading brokerage clients. Currently available to 14 zavvie partner brokerages in 11 states and the District of Columbia, the new zavvie service provides both "Cash Offer" and "Buy Before You Sell" modern bridge solutions, which are collectively helping brokerages significantly increase their mortgage capture rates, according to zavvie CEO and Co-Founder Lane Hornung. "When brokerages use zavvie Power Buyer, they are seeing between a 10 percent and 15 percent increase in their mortgage capture business because we connect clients directly to the brokerage's preferred lender," said Hornung. Recent news reports note that some Power Buyer firms have ended up owning an unplanned number of homes — but zavvie Power Buyer, which began a soft launch last year, does not own a single home. Hornung emphasized that zavvie's Power Buyer program is not a match for every brokerage, fitting best with firms that offer mortgage services. "The zavvie platform continues to showcase all the other leading Power Buyers solutions, as our program is designed to be complimentary, not competitive," Hornung added. The zavvie Power Buyer solution is available at brokerages including The Keyes Company in Florida, Home Pros in Texas, RE/MAX Professionals in Colorado, and Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Stouffer & Preferred in Pennsylvania, among a handful of others. "Immediately empowering buyers with Cash Offers, or sellers with a Buy Before You Sell solution, can create more transactions and open up more inventory. As a bonus, adding our in-house mortgage company as the 'go to' for all solutions – traditional and modern – has increased our capture rate," said Christina Pappas, President of The Keyes Company, the top independent and family-owned brokerage in Florida. Frank Gay, Principal and Chief Executive Officer of Home Pros Family of Companies in El Paso, Texas, notes that Power Buyer solutions are growing in popularity. "Research shows how Cash Offers have surged, with about one in three transactions being all cash," said Gay, noting, "Helping first-time buyers be able to make an offer that is equivalent to cash is a win for everyone." In Colorado, Alan Smith, Broker-Owner of RE/MAX Professionals, one of the fastest growing RE/MAX operations in the world, sees zavvie's Power Buyer solution as the key to giving agents every tool they need. "You need to offer every selling and buying solution available today because that's what consumers are demanding," Smith said. Last month, zavvie announced the completion of a $3.5 million funding round led by existing investors, including Second Century Ventures, the startup incubator backed by the National Association of Realtors. Hornung said that "2023 will be a breakout year for Power Buying because Cash Offers will particularly help first-time buyers." "Cash is always king and queen in real estate," said Stefan Peterson, Chief Data Officer and Co-Founder of zavvie, "and with Cash Offers, agents can help their clients win more deals, especially for first-time homebuyers." Peterson notes that brokerages are immediately attracted to zavvie Power Buyer as its research show that Cash Offers are more than four times more likely to be accepted than financed offers, and they also close faster. According to zavvie research, consumers gain a huge advantage when working with a Power Buyer versus applying for a traditional mortgage with a loan contingency. Mortgage-backed buyers needed to make an average of seven offers when buying a home, but just 1.1 offers when using a Cash Offers program. Hornung notes that consumer demand for new ways to buy and sell a home will continue to increase in 2023; zavvie's business momentum last year propelled its total number of brokerage-assisted transactions by more than 400 percent over their 2021 transactions, and revenue grew by more than 300 percent year-over-year. Today, zavvie's nationwide footprint covers nearly 50 states, serving more than 75,000 agents today, and potentially reaches more than 400,000 agents through partnership integrations. More information about zavvie is available at zavvie.com.

Homeownership Portal Milestones Surpasses 250,000 User Mark
As the real estate industry focuses on client-for-life solutions, one emerging company that has joined MoveEasy and MooveGuru is Milestones. In a short time since their completion of a $10.3 million raise in July, they have grown their subscriber count beyond 250,000 users. They are currently waiving set-up fees for brokers who would like to consider the solution. Please see below for the full press release: Milestones Surpasses 250,000 Agent and Loan Officers Mark AUSTIN, Tex. – December 8, 2022 – Milestones (milestones.ai), the all-in-one homeowner portal making it easier for consumers to buy, move, own, sell, manage and access mortgage services for their home, today announced that their product is now licensed to 250,000 real estate agents and loan officers, and their customers. Milestones uniquely partners with real estate brokers, mortgage lenders, title companies, franchises, Realtor associations, and multiple listing services to offer the service to agents to better serve their clients. "Offering excellent technology tools and marketing support for our agents has allowed our firm to outperform the marketplace in the competitive landscape of Orange County, California," says Michael Hickman, CEO of Seven Gables Real Estate. "The one missing piece in the technology stack of all brokers is to deliver a collaboration platform that combines the real estate agent, loan officer, and title company together to serve the client during the buy-sell-transact and move process. Milestones wins, where transaction management solutions fail. Beyond the transaction, Milestones keeps this team together to support the homeowner with maintaining their home over the ownership period. We have had separate software applications to do each of these things, but now they have been synthesized into a single, elegant, and remarkable platform that customers love." Milestones is the first technology firm to deliver a homeownership portal similar to consumer offerings in healthcare, personal finance, and education. Milestones monitors the value of your home, provides search for homes for sale, and manages both the selling and mortgage processes. Most of all, Milestones allows agents to stick with their client after the sale to update the homeowner on nearby listings and sales that impact the value of their home. The loan officer joins the agent in the portal to deliver home value estimates and monitor the interest rates on their home to ensure they have the best terms and access to home equity. The title and transaction records are stored in Milestones for easy access. Best of all, if the client needs maintenance or repairs on their home, they have access to the service providers recommended by the broker, agent, and loan officer along with a directory. Homeowners are only going to need one portal or "hub" to manage their home, just like consumers need only one to manage their health. This, along with Zillow's planned "super app", designed to steal the consumer's eyes away from the Realtor or Loan Officer, is causing the increase in demand for companies to get Milestones implemented for their agents and loan officers quickly. "We invested three and a half years in stealth mode building Milestones before we showed it to anyone," says CEO Dustin Gray. "In July of this year, we closed our $10.3 million Series A investment round to fund our go to market strategy and were able to bring on two key executives in Mike Malinowski as our COO and Ashley Terrell as our Chief Revenue Officer. The two deserve a lot of the credit in getting us to 250,000 subscribers in less than 160 days. This may be a high watermark for adoption in the real estate and mortgage software industry." Milestones is offering a promotion in December for teams, brokers, and mortgage lenders where they are covering all white label and licensing costs through Q1. To take advantage of the promotion, please send an email to Ashley Terrell for more information. Watch this introductory video to Milestones by CEO Dustin Gray: 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. To view the original article, visit the WAV Group blog.

Windermere Teams with zavvie, Offering Tech-driven Ways to Buy and Sell a Home
The real estate market is shifting, and as it does, consumers are weighing new tech-driven ways to sell and buy their next home. While multiple offers can help maximize a seller's profits and cash offers can make buyers ultra-competitive, understanding the best way to buy or sell their biggest financial asset can be daunting to consumers who aren't familiar with all options available. Windermere Real Estate, the largest regional real estate company in the Western U.S., with more than 300 offices and 7,000 agents serving communities in 10 states, notes that sellers today have more choices available to accomplish their goals. That's the good news — but most home buyers and sellers don't know about all the new tech-driven innovations available today. To help, Windermere is launching Windemere Offers, powered by real estate brokerage tech innovator zavvie. For homeowners working with participating agents, Windermere Offers is available in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. Using Windemere Offers, agents can now help sellers compare and choose between an instant sale, an iBuyer, a buy-before-you-sell modern bridge solution or listing their home on the open market to maximize their profit. Agents can also help buyers compare Cash Offer, mortgage options, or Homeownership Accelerator (rent-to-own) programs. Buyers can leverage the power of a cash offer for a contingency-free purchase or use a Homeownership Accelerator program to secure a home, even if they currently don't qualify for a mortgage. "Windemere Offers provides our clients with all their options in one place," said OB Jacobi, President, Windermere Real Estate. Powered by zavvie, a software technology company providing real estate brokerages with a marketplace for selling and buying solutions, Windermere agents and their clients are now connected to the latest solutions. "The old days of offering a single way to buy and sell homes are gone," Jacobi explained. "Consumers want to see all their options as there are more of them than ever before. They also want a trusted professional to help select the best path for their situation. Windermere Offers delivers all the choices along with a Windermere professional providing the guidance." Jacobi notes that Windermere Offers enables sellers to see how much instant cash an iBuyer will offer for their home. Another option allows them to buy their next home before selling their current one. Sellers also can list their home on the open market to maximize their return. "All sellers are not alike. They have different needs and goals," said Lane Hornung, zavvie CEO and co-founder. "Windermere professionals help homeowners cut through the clutter and the noise to give sellers complete transparency into what is possible in today's market so they can make a well-informed decision about what is best for them." Hornung notes that the cutting-edge technology that powers Windermere Offers can help sellers maximize their profits and help them buy their next home, often with less effort and less stress, securing the best deal on their new home. For more information about Windermere, visit windermere.com.

UpEquity and zavvie Join Forces to Expand Options for Home Sellers, Buyers
There are two enormous obstacles in today's real estate market: competing against all-cash buyers and the certainty of having a home to move into before you sell. Technology is helping buyers and sellers tackle these obstacles by enabling everyday home buyers to make all-cash offers and allowing sellers to buy their next home before selling their current one. At the forefront of this movement is UpEquity. A tech-enabled lender, UpEquity is revamping the mortgage process by removing barriers for both buyers and sellers. The Austin-based lender is announcing a new collaboration with zavvie, the nation's first real estate brokerage marketplace connecting broker-agents to buyers and sellers. This partnership will expand UpEquity's solutions to real estate brokerages with thousands of agents nationwide. Posting a growth rate of over 500% last year, UpEquity is available in 15 states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas — with plans to add eight more by the end of 2022. By becoming part of zavvie's real estate brokerage marketplace, UpEquity significantly expands its ability to partner with top brokerages throughout the U.S. that use zavvie's modern marketplace. "Most people are stuck buying and selling a home the old-fashioned way, and UpEquity gives buyers and sellers the options they need to make their moves," said Tim Herman, CEO and co-founder of UpEquity. "Cash buyers are four times more likely to win a deal versus buyers with financing. And homeowners are much more likely to sell when they are certain they have a place to move into," he added. Herman explains that UpEquity "democratizes homeownership" by leveraging technology to create a modern real estate experience with less stress and more certainty. "Selling or buying a home doesn't have to be slow, complicated and uncertain," he noted. UpEquity provides zero-cost cash offers for well-qualified buyers, boosting purchasing power even for first-time homebuyers. Moreover, sellers can make a cash offer on their new home, then sell their old one. UpEquity, which also provides permanent financing, uses automated underwriting, powered by a proprietary blend of computer vision and algorithms that ensure low mortgage rates and fast closing — currently averaging 18 days. "UpEquity is at the forefront of lending innovation," said Lane Hornung, zavvie co-founder and CEO. "While disrupting the traditional mortgage process, they continue expanding partnerships with brokerages and real estate agents. UpEquity knows this is the best strategy to accelerating its continued success."

Why Your Brokerage Needs to Move into the Cloud
Cloud technology is one of the most important trends of the century. By 2025, 85% of companies will be operating on a cloud-first principle, according to a Gartner report cited by Business Insider. Is your brokerage still relying on local servers? The entire real estate transaction workflow, from lead to close and commission disbursement, can be completed seamlessly in the cloud, all while improving your brokerage's bottom line. To learn more about the cloud and why your brokerage should start using it ASAP, read on. What is the cloud? You may still be confused about the cloud. After all, even its name sounds nebulous, foggy, and far away. The cloud refers to computer resources that live on the internet, rather than on your own computer or a server in your office. Instead of opening a software application that you installed on your hard drive, you log in to a website that works the same way but runs on a server somewhere else. But where are these servers? More than half of the world's cloud infrastructure is controlled by just four companies, which have data centers (where their servers are located) all over the globe. Check out these data center maps from Microsoft and AWS. Most of the services you use every day, from your email to social media, are powered by these or similar data centers. Tech companies can also operate their own data centers for their customers or contract with secure third-party data centers to manage servers remotely on their behalf. Many brokerages are underutilizing the cloud Many brokerages aren't leveraging the cloud to its fullest potential, particularly small- to medium-sized and regional brokerages. In many cases, some or all of their business relies on legacy systems running on computers or servers in their offices or buildings. This creates several issues because local servers: Take up valuable, leasable space you have to pay for Are costly to maintain Paralyze your business when they fail Don't work during power outages Require on-site IT experts to troubleshoot And more These legacy systems are costing your brokerage money and putting your business continuity at risk. Why the cloud is the future of real estate The cloud offers distinct advantages over local infrastructure: Resilience and innovation Blockchain, the metaverse, and every other new technology you hear about are all based in the cloud. Future technological breakthroughs will be made in the cloud, so adopting cloud technology now will make your business more receptive to future innovation and more resilient in the face of change. Availability With the cloud, your systems will rarely (if ever) go offline, you can work from anywhere with the internet, even a public computer or your phone—all with the same functionality and security as your office. When you're working in the cloud, you're always open—anytime, anywhere. Scalability The cloud is easily scalable, meaning you can increase or decrease your capacity, storage, memory, and more as you need it, without having to scale physical servers or office space. Security Cloud providers use incredibly robust protocols to ensure the highest levels of security for your data and processes. They also monitor security 24/7 for signs of breaches that might otherwise go unnoticed. Savings Sixty-five percent of respondents saw up to 10% cost savings after migrating to the cloud, according to the Cloud Continuum Survey conducted by consulting firm Accenture. After switching, companies can derive even more savings from higher productivity, higher customer service, and lower turnover. Are you ready to see how the cloud can boost your business? Get in touch with Constellation1 today. To view the original article, visit the Constellation1 blog.

More Funding in Client-for-Life Category for Brokers
The real estate industry has been plagued with something akin to bad breath when it comes to staying connected to customers. After the trade, the agent and brokerage disappear. They do not even provide helpful services to help with the move. A number of companies are supporting brokers with concierge solutions that solve this problem – and it's a big problem. Up to 45 million consumers move a year, and the real estate industry is the tip of the spear that can connect their customers with service providers. Updater is the leader in providing moving and utility connection services. Ramping up behind them is MooveGuru, followed in a smaller way by MoveEasy. In the release below, MooveGuru just announced a $5 million raise on top of the $3.6 million from their earlier round. WAV Group's founders are investors in MooveGuru and Updater. We believe that this is an enormous opportunity for our industry to create Client-for-life programs. Consumers want homeownership applications that allow them to track and manage their most valuable asset. Today, they can look at their home valuation, but there is no consolidated place for ordering and storing records of home services and improvements or filing and executing transactions as a buyer or seller, etc. Consumers access a bunch of disparate systems being used by the listing and selling agents that mainly go dark after the closing. Real estate agents, brokers, mortgage, title, insurance, and the hundreds of thousands of home service providers need to stay connected to the customer. The Race is on NAR consumer satisfaction studies say that consumers are more than 90% likely to use their agent again in a future transaction. Unfortunately, only one in five actually do. The top reason why consumers do not use their agent again is because they did not stay in touch. This is the problem that these services seek to solve. With MooveGuru, the entire move and all of the services related to homeownership are in the YourHomeHub portal. From a distribution perspective, MooveGuru is gaining a ton of traction with more than 316,000 agents across over 2,000 brokerages accessing the platform and inviting their customers. I do not know who is going to win the race. We are investing in all of them. These companies are likely to battle for market share. Milestones is also coming online with a very competitive product along with some strong partnerships. The Zillow Risk Zillow is coming. Zillow also has a major advantage over real estate. Over the decades, they have collected identity information on homeowners. We really do not know what their super app is going to do, but we encourage all brokers to get a strategy with a vendor in place now and tow in their customers. Congratulations to the MooveGuru team. Keep on crushing it. Please see below for the full press release. MooveGuru announces equity raise of $5 million Victorum Capital and two other undisclosed parties invest in fast growing proptech startup; MooveGuru has raised a total of $8.6 million Atlanta, GA — March 22, 2022 — A fast growing Atlanta proptech company continues its rapid growth plans: MooveGuru has just closed on $5 million in new equity raised from Victorum Capital and two other undisclosed parties. To date, MooveGuru has raised a total of $8.6 million. The mover engagement platform MooveGuru, operators of the YourHomeHub and HomeKeepr brands, has been expanding its reach both with consumers and realtors in its network over the last year. 320,000 real estate agents now use MooveGuru and their wholly owned company HomeKeepr. MooveGuru also has exclusives with ERA Real Estate, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, Exit Realty, Realty Executives, Vylla, and HomeScout. More than 110,000 Keller Williams agents are on the network. Additionally, MooveGuru has preferred vendor relationships with REMAX and Berkshire Hathaway. MooveGuru's owned and managed network of over 350,000 local home professionals are all referred by real estate agents. "We own our home professionals network and that helps us maintain customer satisfaction with the consumer," said Scott Oakley, CEO and founder of MooveGuru. "Some other platforms use a third party. Honestly, I wouldn't want the consumer in the hands of a third party where you cannot control the experience." MooveGuru just launched YourHomeHub, an "everything home" platform that allows homeowners to manage both the financial details and physical elements of their home. It includes the most effective features from MooveGuru and HomeKeepr—hundreds of thousands of consumers already trust these solutions for moving and home maintenance—and adds additional functionality to help people manage all parts of their home. About MooveGuru MooveGuru Inc. is based in Roswell, GA. In 2016 the company launched a free mover engagement program to real estate agents and brokers with the idea of connecting home buyers and sellers to convenience and savings on moving services. Using just-in-time delivery through artificial intelligence algorithms, MooveGuru Inc. ensures consumers receive agent-branded savings and convenience from national and local retailers and utility connections as they step through the relocation process. Today, more than 2,000 brokerages, 316,000 agents, and millions of homeowners are connected to the MooveGuru and YourHomeHub platforms. Learn more at MooveGuru.com. To view the original article, visit the WAV Group blog.

MooveGuru Announces First-Ever PropTech Franchise
MooveGuru is pioneering a franchise program that allows local franchisees to offer their services to local agents and brokers -- but this is the first localized service. Real estate agents and brokers really believe in working with people locally in their community. This provides them the best possible opportunity to do that, which is particularly important when customers and agents are building a customer-for-life strategy. Please see below for the press release. First Ever, A PropTech Franchise Atlanta, GA - October 5, 2021 -- Through its automated data capture and delivery platforms, the first PropTech franchise emerges from a likely source, MooveGuru. For five years, MooveGuru has been perfecting the consumer experience during their moving process, now the robust platform supports consumers throughout the homeownership lifecycle. Its latest endeavor, YourHomeHub, is the first consumer portal that is "Everything Home" – meaning it allows homeowners to manage both the financial details and physical elements of their home. The consumer can monitor extensive information about their home and local market conditions, store important documents, generate accurate estimates for home repairs and find a local contractor for over 1,000 different home service categories. The platform is provided by real estate professionals who give this powerful homeowner resource to their customers—at no cost to them. Real estate professionals also receive exclusive marketing opportunities to their spheres of influence, which prevents competitors from engaging with their most coveted contacts from the dashboard. All of this is packaged into a unique franchise opportunity for existing MooveGuru partners, which include real estate brokerages, lenders, title and MLSs. Nine states have been sold with 14-unit franchises pending. Scott Oakley, CEO and founder of MooveGuru notes, "We are garnering a lot of interest from our broker and lender relationships. Three of our first franchisees all own multiple businesses in the real estate space and are looking for another ancillary revenue stream." One of the first Regional Developers is Unique Realty Services which is headed by 35-year industry veteran Dave Collins and former COO of the ERA brand. Dave stated, "I reconnected with Scott after a precipitous LinkedIn message. We met in Atlanta a couple weeks later and I immediately knew they had a winning strategy that we needed to be part of." The platform won't officially launch until mid-November 2021. Kathleen Kuhn, a 35-year veteran of the home services franchise sector, and EVP of Strategy and Franchising for MooveGuru, commented, "We knew our platform was needed and that industry leaders would appreciate what a gamechanger it is, but we did not anticipate we would close so many territories before we made any official announcement." To learn more about a YourHomeHub franchise and available territories, please email [email protected] or visit yourhomehub.com. About MooveGuru MooveGuru Inc. is based in Roswell, GA. In 2016 the company launched a free mover engagement program to real estate agents and brokers with the idea of connecting home buyers and sellers to convenience and savings on moving services. Using just-in-time delivery through artificial intelligence algorithms, MooveGuru Inc. ensures consumers receive agent-branded savings and convenience from national and local retailers and utility connections as they step through the relocation process. Today, more than 1500 brokerages, 300,000 agents, and millions of homeowners are connected to the MooveGuru and YourHomeHub platforms. To view the original article, visit the WAV Group blog.

Broker Resource Network Launches Powerfully with Attractive Opportunity for Firm Owners
The Broker Resource Network (BRN) issued their first press release today. Since January, the network has been forming through the efforts of one broker calling another, then another, and so on. In a short number of months, the group took shape, and through accounting, these firms combine to represent the fourth largest group of brokers in real estate behind KW, Realogy, and LeadingRE. Many of the firms come from those groups, and for the first time, there is one network to house them all. All brokers are welcome! Joining the Broker Resource Network costs $2250 per year. In consideration of the strategy of the BRN, I could not help but to parallel the effort with thoughts from the great success coach, Tony Robbins. The following list includes a few of his quotes: "Set Goals" – The BRN offers benchmarking to member firms. "Selfless Contribution" – BRN creates non-competitive broker groups where firms share success tactics. "Give Back" – The BRN firms can contribute a lot to our industry. "The path to success is to take massive, determined action" – Together, the BRN firms will form a voice for brokerage advocacy across the industry. "Most people have no idea of the giant capacity we can immediately command when we focus all of our resources on mastering a single area of our lives" – In this regard, I believe that these firms will collaborate for positive change. And lastly, Robbins says, "In life, you need either inspiration or desperation." I do believe that brokers are in a desperate position; brokers have the lowest margins of any business in our industry today — but brokers are also full of inspiration. The leaders who have formed the BRN are among the most engaging and exciting executives that I encounter in our industry. In collaboration, their future is bright. Enjoy the press release: Real Estate Company Leaders Collaborate to Launch Broker Resource Network COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. (June 15, 2021) – Broker Resource Network ("BRN"), the broadest real estate brokerage-focused network in North America, announces its successful launch and now is welcoming new brokers to join the network. Combined, the early participants in the network already include close to 100 leading real estate firms from the United States and Canada. These firms applied in its earliest days to develop a collaborative environment to improve the performance of brokerage through learning from their peers and identifying the resources the need most, which the network will provide to them. Having completed the quiet launch phase, the BRN is now sharing the news of the opportunity of this network to all companies whose main business is representing sellers and buyers as brokers. "There are many networks, interest groups, and news sources for brokers in the industry today, whether you are a franchisee, an independent, a traditional broker, an alternative model, a single or multi-office, local, regional, or even a national firm. But there is not a single organization that encompasses all groups and is focused exclusively on brokers," said Kent Hanley, president of the Broker Resource Network. Launched last month, BRN is open to all brokers who have a desire to excel as real estate business operators. The network has enlisted the engagement and support of top brokerage leaders and industry experts across the real estate spectrum, all of whom are committed to helping connect brokers with each other and develop a wide variety of resources to support their success. "The best information I ever get is from another broker," said Craig McClelland, vice president and COO of Better Homes & Gardens Metro Brokers. "BRN is primarily about connecting brokers directly to each other. It fills a gap, because currently there is no framework for brokers to connect across all brands and networks. For me, the other resources provided in the subscription are merely a bonus." "We look forward to receiving the additional resources to come through Broker Resource Network," said Nancy Fennell, president of Dickson Realty. "We know our subscription will connect us with research, benchmarking data and timely information focused on broker needs, as well as with some of the best and brightest brokers around. We expect to be even better equipped for the opportunities and challenges ahead by adding this additional level of support." The Broker Resource Network is the broker equivalent to the Council of MLS ("CMLS") and the Association Executives Institute ("AEI") who provide value to their respective segments of the industry. Michael Scarafile, president of Carolina One Real Estate, shares, "While Carolina One has always focused on our local market presence and expertise, we have also looked to leverage multiple networks and associations to connect us and our agents to other regional, national, and international companies and experts." "We look forward to benefiting through our participation in the Broker Resource Network. Research on key issues, data on timely topics and insights from fellow brokers will be very useful to Sibcy Cline in the months ahead," said Robin Sheakley, president of Sibcy Cline Realtors. "Our members tell me they have already begun to find the resources that are produced by this broker collaborative to be of unique value, and we expect our brokerage leaders will enjoy the added benefit from connecting with leaders of firms outside of our own network," said Craig Cheatham, President and CEO of The Realty Alliance. "And we frequently receive requests from brokers who want to join The Realty Alliance, but who lack enough commonality with our current members to create mutual benefit. The Broker Resource Network instead appears to be a perfect fit for these brokers of all sizes and business models." The real estate industry has several associations and networks, but this group will focus on brokers, many of whom do not have access to an organization so focused on their specific role. Franchisors work to connect their franchisees. Realtor associations serve many in this industry but must focus primarily on agents (Realtors). The Realty Alliance supports only the very largest, traditional brokers. Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® serves only independents. Ownership groups like Realogy Brokerage Group (formerly "NRT") and HomeServices of America® work with brokerages they own. The Broker Resource Network will connect brokers of all sizes, business models and affiliations, making it a great supplement to any more restrictive group to which a broker already may belong. The newest generation of brokers is more familiar with a "subscription" model than the association model their predecessors utilized, so BRN is structured in that manner, which also will help keep it market driven. About the Broker Resource Network The Broker Resource Network subscription includes exclusive access to private discussions with other brokerage leaders through "Peer Advisor Groups," which offer the broadest base of information and sharing among brokerage leaders. Participants also receive each week at least one resource focused solely on company leaders, such as articles, research, analysis, benchmarking, webinars, and newsletters. Subscriptions to the BRN are open to all brokerage owners and executives in the United States and Canada through an annual fee which includes direct access for up to six leaders from a bona fide real estate firm, including recruiting, marketing, and technology leaders. Technology partners focused on the brokerage segment to provide foundational support for the organization. Brokerage applications are submitted online through a secure and confidential application found here. To view the original article, visit the WAV Group blog.

Crye-Leike Launches zavvie-Powered iBuyer and Buy-Before-You-Sell Program
Housing inventory is tighter than ever. Homeowners with any inclination to sell should be leaping at the opportunity. Why aren't they? Before making the momentous decision to list their house for sale, homeowners want to understand what all their options are -- and which choice is right for them. But where do they start? Crye-Leike Real Estate Services, the third largest independently owned real estate firm in the nation and the largest serving Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and the Mid-South, is solving this conundrum with the launch of its zavvie-powered iBuyer and buy-before-you-sell program. Crye-Leike Listing Advantage delivers "the most choices to sell" for local homeowners throughout Crye-Leike markets, offering transparency into all the different selling options and empowering homeowners to take advantage of the hottest sales market in decades. Crye-Leike Listing Advantage keeps agents at the center of every sales transaction because Crye-Leike agents now can offer local homeowners all the newest selling choices. Crye-Leike Listing Advantage features instant all-cash offers from iBuyers as well as one of the hottest new solutions for sellers, a buy-before-you-sell choice from bridge providers. "All a homeowner has to do to receive multiple offers on their home is push a button," said Crye-Leike Owner and Chief Executive Officer Harold Crye. "We're providing homeowners with two things they tell us they want: to see all the choices to sell, and a trusted agent to walk them through all of their options." Powered by zavvie, Crye-Leike Listing Advantage gives sellers the ability to compare three different sales paths. Homeowners can select an all-cash instant offer from an iBuyer, requiring properties in good condition within a targeted price range. Homeowners also can choose a modern bridge program, allowing them to buy their next home before selling their current one and giving them more control over the moving timeline. Crye-Leike agents also can help homeowners sell on the open market — the most popular choice, as it often results in the highest sales price and net proceeds. "Crye-Leike is raising the bar in providing the newest opportunities for homeowners to sell their home and still get the expertise of an agent," said Lane Hornung, zavvie co-founder and CEO. "By providing all options available to sell a home, Crye-Leike is empowering their agents to deliver not only the most choices to sellers, but also provide the highest level of service to their clients." "Every market needs more homes listed for sale," added Hornung. "Crye-Leike Listing Advantage can help unlock inventory as it helps many homeowners who are stuck. Our bridge program, which allows buying your new home before selling your current one, overcomes an obstacle that's keeping many homeowners on the sideline, turning them into sellers." More details about Crye-Leike Listing Advantage are at CLHomesListingAdvantage.com or at clhomes.com.

Industry Experts Discuss Technology's Role in Transforming How Realtors Do Business During the Pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic significantly disrupted real estate transactions and accelerated the reliance on innovative technologies to conduct business, according to a group of industry experts featured at the 2020 REALTORS Conference & Expo. Jeb Griffin, director of Strategy and Innovation for the National Association of Realtors, moderated the discussion, "COVID-19 – Transforming How Realtors Do Business," and reached a consensus with the panelists that technology has played a central part in residential real estate's strong resurgence after the initial strict economic lockdowns and subsequent market downturn in the spring. "Real estate experienced some significant challenges during the first several months of the pandemic, but we've witnessed a remarkable v-shaped recovery in housing demand and sales," said Griffin. "By necessity at the beginning, and now by design, technology is playing a much more active role in nearly all aspects of the real estate transaction." "There was a moment of panic when the pandemic first started, but several technologies are making it easier for agents to stay in touch with clients and in front of them on a regular basis," said Marilyn Wilson, managing partner of WAV Group and president of RETechnology.com. "For many real estate professionals, the pandemic reminded them about how much they love working with people and not just to sell real estate, but to check on their customers and families." Many Realtors® now rely on videoconference platforms in their interactions with clients, but an even broader acceptance of the technology hasn't yet occurred, possibly due to an unexpected reality. "This technology was adopted very quickly following the lockdowns because the virus was hitting everyone – agents, lenders, consumers – all at the same time," said Nick Bailey, chief customer officer, RE/MAX, LLC. "Videoconferencing technology isn't new, but we're slower to adopt technologies than we'd like to admit. The reason is that we don't want to see or hear ourselves. We have to get over that and use it." Electronic signatures and remote online notarizations are two technologies experiencing an ever-growing appeal during a time when social and physical distancing measures are required to maximize safety. However, some challenges still remain. "There is some amazing technology that exists and remote online notarization is one of those technologies," said Andy Ambrose, practice lead at DocuSign Notary. But there's a whole ecosystem of technologies that should work better together and seamlessly." "Integrating those core programs like e-signatures and RON are key," Ambrose continued. "Unfortunately, there isn't uniformity at the county level for doing electronic signings and closings. Embracing title companies and lenders who have that ability for full electronic signings and closings will be important." Each speaker emphasized that many of the technological advancements currently in use will remain relevant and sought after by Realtors® and consumers alike, well beyond the pandemic's conclusion. "Some of these technologies are here to stay, like 3-D virtual tours, as some consumers will continue to be uncomfortable with seeing homes in-person," Griffin said. "It's amazing how some of the virtual platforms can take an empty room and fill it with furniture and dynamic lighting. Artificial intelligence and automation are helping drive consumers through the sales cycle." "The pandemic isn't going anywhere anytime soon," Wilson added. "Consumers love the idea of virtual tours, especially live virtual tours, which they can do with their agents and narrow down their home selections to two or three. "Imagine how much time you and your client can save without having to drive around and see 10 different homes," Wilson said. "It's so much more efficient. The technology tools are allowing us a lot more flexibility." Bailey agreed with that sentiment. "If every agent can take away two pieces of technology to be more efficient, it will improve their business," said Bailey. "The one really bright spot – it has reminded every agent that they are the most important part of the real estate transaction and that's not going to change anytime soon."

Moving Services Are Hot in 2020
In 2019, moving services offered to consumers through the real estate professional became a trend that will continue in 2020. There are three companies that are hot on the trail to develop partnerships with the industry: MooveGuru, Move Easy, and Updater. All of these companies focus their business development efforts in a business-to-business to consumer model--partnering with moving service companies on one hand, and real estate industry partners with consumer relationships on the other. Each company delivers a key service to the consumer that enhances the value of working with a real estate agent or broker--relieving the challenges, tasks, coordination, and consumer stress related to moving. They all make moving easier.

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Winans Empowers Home Sellers with iBuyer Platform
Real estate powerhouse Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Winans announces the launch of their Flex Move Program. With Flex Move, homeowners get multiple instant offers on their home with the push of a button and can easily compare iBuyer offers with selling on the open market. A local professional with BHGRE Winans provides expertise and counsel for whichever path the homeowner chooses. As Dallas/Fort Worth's premiere lifestyle real estate company, BHGRE Winans is proving its commitment to bring all options to the table for its clients. These options now include purchase offers from Opendoor, Zillow Offers, RedfinNow, Perch and Offerpad—commonly referred to as iBuyers because these online firms offer to "instantly buy" homes. The Flex Move platform provides online tools that make it easy to collect offers from all active iBuyers in the market as well as a real-world estimate of selling price and net profits by listing on the open market. These industry leading tools provide homeowners with transparency, data, and professional expertise and guidance. The BHGRE Winans Flex Move Platform helps homeowners uncover all of the essential information they need for their home sale, so they can make the best choice for their personal situation—whether that's moving quickly with an instant offer or maximizing profit. BHGRE Winans developed their Flex Move Program to address two crucial aspects that consumers may be overlooking when it comes to instant offers: If a homeowner is considering one instant offer, they need to compare that offer to all available instant offers, so they can choose the best one for them. If a homeowner is considering accepting an instant offer, they need to compare their net proceeds—their profit—to selling on the open market. "The role of a professional real estate agent continues to be vital to the sale of a home, especially with the emergence of instant offers from iBuyers," explains Mark McDonough, President BHGRE Winans. "We protect home sellers by being their chief advocate, expert negotiator and skilled facilitator. With Flex Move, home sellers can confidently accept an instant offer with the agent right by their side, guiding and advocating for them through the entire transaction." BHGRE Winans partnered with zavvie, whose technology, the Offer Optimizer™ Suite, powers the iBuyer platforms of leading brokerages in markets across the U.S. zavvie provides online tools and up-to-date, market-specific data so clients of their broker partners can make informed decisions about home selling. "It's not agents against iBuyers. It's agents and iBuyers working together to benefit sellers. iBuyers are a new group of potential buyers, and for some sellers, they're a great option," said Lane Hornung, CEO and Founder of zavvie. "Forward-thinking brokerages like BHGRE Winans are bringing the iBuyers to the table for their clients. When homeowners in Dallas-Fort Worth are considering selling their home, they can count on BHGRE Winans agents to give them all of their options—along with an incredible experience. Working with Winans to provide multiple offers with a push of a button is thrilling," Hornung added. Find more information at betterdfw.com.

Who Is the End User of Real Estate Tech?
Are the tools you're offering to clients beneficial to you or to them? Are the frictions in the home buying and selling process a result of technology developed with the wrong end-user in mind? It's All About the Experience Why do people pay for fine dining? What about first class seats? A luxury car? It's about the experience. It is easy to see how Michelin star restaurants, airlines, and Italian car manufacturers understand that the ultimate customer is the diner, traveler and driver, respectively, of their business. Can we say the same for the most common real estate tools?

5 Technology Expenses to Review for Budget Season, Part Two
Part two of this two-part series continues to explore technology expenses and strategies for budget season. In part one, we discussed the importance of reviewing your technology partner agreements and telecommunication expenses. Part two focuses on finding savings in cloud services, the benefits of a hardware refresh program, and capturing Shadow IT costs. So, let's start.

Everyone Is Moving to the Cloud
Fact: 70 percent of U.S. organizations are now utilizing cloud technology to run at least one application of their businesses. The growth of cloud technology adoption is on the rise as the business benefits have proven to be worth their weight in gold regarding profitability and efficiency standards. Gone are the days of investing heavily in never ending hardware, and with good reason. The infrastructure of old limited growth of organizations in several key areas that we all have come to demand from our "on-the-go" lifestyles. Vendors such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google, and Microsoft Azure are the leaders in cloud computing space that run backend of many of businesses today. While each company offers their own competitive advantages for cloud technology, they all offer standardized benefits regardless of industry, size, or sophistication.

3 Do's and Don'ts in Choosing a Technology Partner for Your Brokerage
It's not easy choosing the right technology partner for your brokerage. Your brokerage's website, communication, accounting and ability to generate leads all depend on your technology. So how do you choose a technology partner? Here are three do's and don'ts for choosing who to partner as your technology provider: Do's 1. Demo! One of the best ways to see for yourself what a technology partner can offer you is by booking a demo. Demos give you a chance to ask questions and test specific capabilities of a technology to see if that technology is right for you.

The Top Tech that Changed Real Estate in 2016
Real estate industry insiders are finally cozying up to real estate trends and technology following a mind numbingly long, pothole laden journey. Now embracing technological advancements that break the mold rather than remaining stuck in it, the industry has seen a blinding array of game changers this year. What tech driven real estate trends knocked real estate professionals onto a different course in 2016? Smart homes The home itself is changing: 82 percent of buyers are interested in increasingly affordable, convenient smart tech, from locks to thermostats and lights. Drones In June, the FAA finally made it easier for agents to legally fly drones without certifiable "air time," putting a whole new arsenal of weaponry in the hands of agents, sellers, and buyers. Video Video has gone viral, literally, offering a new way for buyers to get a feel for a property – sans-travel. Are you cashing in on this proven and effective real estate trend?

Technology, Agent Adoption, and ROI
I have been involved in real estate technology for a long time. For several years now, I have been meaning to write about the overwhelming number of options that exist for both brokerages and agents alike. There are hundreds of vendors who not only have competing products, but overlapping products that duplicate one or more functions of something you might already have. Throw in the fact that agents need a simple platform to use since their adoption of technology is pretty low, and you can see brokerages pulling out their hair in frustration. What's the point of spending money on technology platforms when they are not getting adoption and expected ROI on what they already have? It with this in mind that I have written this series of two blogs on this topic. The purpose is to analyze the many different platform types that are out there, which ones actually lead to sales, and which ones might be left off your shopping list next year. One of my large clients told me recently that he could not justify adding any additional technology expense on new platforms until he could really understand the adoption and ROI on what he already has. I think that logic makes a lot of sense and why I present you the following information. First, let's take a look at the multiple categories (in no particular order): MLS (often multiple) - An MLS is essential to doing business, but extending out of your market adds real value. Corporate Intranet - Most brokerages have some sort of company intranet and this is probably an important item to have in your technology program. Corporate Website - Again, this is hard to do without, but you could add new developments and new homes to your mix to extend your income. Agent Website - Hard to imagine your agents not having their own websites, but some turnkey solutions can get new agents up and running with their own website on day one.

Schmooze vs. Substance: What Are YOU Using to Make Technology Decisions?
Let's face it. We operate in a very social industry. We're all a bunch of salespeople. We love to go to parties, catch that final drink at the bar after dinner and attend swanky events sponsored by technology companies. In general, we just love to schmooze! It's part of our real estate DNA. I definitely count myself on the list of schmoozers. We host at least three parties a year and countless dinners and events beyond that. They are a great way to get to know people and start new relationships. All of this networking is great, but we all need to be cognizant of something. When it's time to make an important decision about what transaction management solution will work best for a brokerage or what MLS system to purchase, we have to try to separate the schmooze from the substance. Just because a company has bought you a drink or a dinner doesn't mean they offer the best technology solution for your company. When we facilitate RFPs for MLSs and brokerages, we sometimes hear a lack of interest in a very viable candidate. What is the reason? We don't "know" them. That's code for we haven't partied with them at Mid-Year or Inman or any other conference. We haven't been wined and dined by them. While, of course, trust relationships enter into any decision when choosing a new technology partner, I sometimes feel like our industry is biased more toward the schmooze than the substance. If you are making decisions for your members or your agents, it is incumbent upon you to separate your personal connection so that you can truly try to examine the company and the quality of its technology offerings.

Top Tools and Apps to Get You through the Day
Sometimes all those apps and tools we have taking up space on our phones and tablets can be a bit distracting. How often are you grateful for an app or a crucial tool for keeping you on task or for making you more productive during your day? We've all had one of those days where it seems the simple app we have keeping us on task is the only reason we were productive. Since we tend to get stuck using the same tools over and over again, we may be unaware of the other tools out there, or unwilling to try something different for fear of switching up our routine. Via Atlassian There is a lot of time wasted at work, and you'd be surprised to know that some of the biggest culprits are some of the unnecessary things we end up having to do while at work...and not just checking on our Facebooks. According to a study by Atlassian, at least 60% of our time at work is actually spent productively. If you're working a 40 hour work week, that's at least 24 hours spent not being productive. One of the biggest culprits? Answering and keeping your emails organized. That same study found that, on average, it takes about 16 whole minutes to get back on track after being derailed by an incoming email. Okay, ready for the good news? We've got the master list of professionals from all different industries of the tools and apps they use to get through their day productively. We went out and asked a few of our customers what they thought about it and what top tools or apps they use everyday. The results? Amazing. And we'll be honest, there are a few on this list that we hadn't even heard of! But you can be sure we'll be implementing them into our routine very soon.

Smart Home Certification for Residential Properties
Today, we had our Logictech Harmony Ultimate Home automation experience installed. From a single controller or mobile device, anyone in our family can control connected lights, locks, thermostats, home entertainment devices, and even schedule when devices turn on or off. Everything is connected. Smart Homes May Add More Value This week, Coldwell Banker Real Estate and CEDIA announced a collaboration to develop a smart home curriculum for real estate sales associates. Coldwell Banker and CNET, the world's largest and most trusted online source of consumer technology news and reviews, also developed the definition of a smart home, which is illustrated below. At the onset, Coldwell Banker will be culling smart home features from their database through keyword search to determine listings that qualify for the designation. By pulling qualitative data from the Coldwell Banker database in the form of keywords in the property descriptions, they hope to begin measuring benchmarks in relative price per square foot and days on market for smart homes. Today, consumers can search for smart homes on ColdwellBanker.com/smarthome, but the company expects that they are at the beginning of a long road to lead the industry into support for smart homes. Coldwell Banker recently released research that indicates that 87% of consumers value smart home features.

Graceful Vendor Termination
System conversions are very difficult in real estate. If there is one eternal truth it's that agents will absolutely resist change no matter what. Even with MLS system conversions where the death of the application–vital to their business–is imminent, they hang on during the parallel period until the very end. Then there is a flood of complaints about failure to notify them or train them. It’s a way of life that extends beyond the MLS system to the brokerage system. More and more, brokers are providing end-to-end business systems to their agents. Over years, the company trains and supports the program. It becomes part of the culture of a company. Then one day, usually for sound business reasons, the broker decides to change vendors. Chaos ensues. Change is a recruiting opportunity When you see a competitor changing vendors, it is a great time to target your recruiting. License the system that your competitive broker is dumping and offer it for agents who want to come over and bring their system with them. The recruits can wear the old shoes of their last firm for as long as they like.

Crowdfunding Comes to Real Estate. Can It Work?
From flying bicycles and pi-shaped pie pans to 3-D printers and home security systems, crowdfunding has seen its share of hits and misses. Flying in the face of traditional approaches to financing, will crowdfunding be on target when it comes to real estate trends? What is crowdfunding? Leveraging the accessibility of the internet and social media, crowdfunding offers a method of raising capital by providing access to tens of thousands of investors – from friends and family to potential customers and individual investors. Contributions range from $20 to thousands, with payback encompassing rewards to cash returns on investment estimated in the 7-20 percent range. How's it work? Typically, accredited investors can use the platform for free and "shop" for real estate opportunities, ranging from single family homes to new developments and high-rises, nationwide. Money may be loaned at a specific interest rate, or as purchased equity in projects. iFunding, a rising star in the crowdfunding market, even offers a mobile app – purported to be the first ever in the real estate crowdfunding market.

7 Tech Tools to Make Brokers’ Lives Easier
Technology is becoming more efficient, more affordable, and more useful for real estate professionals and their clients every day. But figuring out what's worth the time and money can be overwhelming. To help make those decisions a little easier, a panel of brokers shared their go-to apps and tech tools for managing their business and connecting with clients and agents during the Emerging Business Issues & Technology Forum at the REALTORS® Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo in Washington, D.C., last week. Here are seven of their recommendations: Periscope: This is Twitter's web streaming app, which gives users the ability to share live video. When your broadcast is over, you can make it available to viewers for later replay. If you want to broadcast to specific people, you can make it invite-only. Free. Broadcasting ideas for brokers: Panel or keynote presentations: Do you do a lot of public speaking engagements? Share your presentations live with your agents and followers. Company updates/major announcements: Introduce new hires or new agents, celebrate accomplishments, and announce expansions and other newsy events at your brokerage. Q&As and interviews: Get one of your top producers to sit down and do an education interview that potential clients would find useful, or talk to community leaders about local issues and events. Speakers and training sessions: Be a resource for agents on the go by live streaming speaking events or in-house coaching sessions. Invite just your agents to view the live stream or make it public. Sure, agents from other brokerages might see it, but what better way to recruit?

Tech Tools Boost Home Sales
Are you looking for the fastest way to sell your listings for top dollar? U.S. News has identified a host of high-tech real estate tools perfectly suited to help you stand out from the crowd. Get the attention you need with these 6 cutting edge real estate tools: High-end, high-tech images Professional, high resolution photos get potential customers up close and personal with every room in a home, far surpassing the broad strokes snapshots of yesteryear. 3-D floor plans and video tours help buyers better understand layout without the need for a walk through, and aerial photos taken via drone are a boon to large, expansive properties with views. Beefed-up video tours Videos boasting narration, music, and scenes of people enjoying the property help create an emotional connection versus silent video tours of empty rooms used in the past. Virtual staging Virtual staging easily adds furniture and decor to photos of empty rooms and avoids the high costs and time necessary with the real-life equivalent.

New Kids on the Block: 8 Tech Solutions for Brokers to Explore
It seems like every month multiple new solutions, services, and apps debut that aim to somehow simplify the lives of agents and brokers. We know it's hard to keep up--that's why we do it for you! Aside from our daily educational content, RE Technology hosts a comprehensive directory of thousands of real estate technology products. It's a database that's constantly growing. To make sure you're up on what's new, here's a sampler of the latest additions to our directory: HomeKeepr Designed for buyers who gave just moved in to a new home, HomeKeepr offers your clients a custom home maintenance calendar. For homeowners who can't complete the suggested tasks, the app recommends local vendors to contact. Suggest this mobile app to clients when their transaction closes--it's one way to stay in touch by offering information homeowners actually need. WebGreeterIncrease website conversions with a live chat operator that greets visitors and assists them in searching for a home that meets their needs and budget. Well-trained operators can assist your site's visitors in multiple languages--helpful for brokers operating in market with a lot of foreign buyers. Maximum Real Estate WebsitesAnother addition to the crowded IDX website category, this vendor offers templated real estate websites with customizable content and lead capture forms, marketing features, and more.

Successfully Integrate New Technology
It's common for a real estate office to have a diverse group of salespeople with a variety of backgrounds, specialties, and experience levels. While sales practitioners are as different as the client bases they serve, those varying talents can pose a challenge to brokers trying to roll out new technology that all their agents will embrace. Tyler Wagner is an associate broker and co-owner of Wagner Real Estate in Havertown, Pa. They have 30 licensed agents with their company—one-third have more than 20 years experience, one-third have been licensed within the last two years, and the rest are in between. Wagner consults with his father and brother, who are co-owners in the family business, whenever a new product or system looks promising for their brokerage. They want to make sure everyone on their team will use it, so they do their homework. "We want our agents to use what works best for them," Wagner says. "Technology can sometimes be distracting to your daily sales activities, so we help people stay focused and don't let them get too carried away [learning new systems]." After talking to multiple brokerages about how they implement new technology, we've compiled a set of three tips to keep in mind to successfully introduce tools at companies of all sizes.

3 Tech Tools for Fostering Business
Real estate price points in many markets throughout the country have climbed back to levels last seen prior to the crash — a strong signal that the recovery of our industry is in full swing. I'm sure you've noticed the positive news, and maybe your brokerage sales figures have increased over the past year. So now that the worst is behind us, what can you do to maximize efficiency and profits this year? I have three simple suggestions that could make an immediate impact on your bottom line. Cloud Systems The easiest thing brokers can do to free up time for more important tasks — and to get back some sanity – is to get a cloud-based storage solution. Cloud storage is the simple idea of making a folder for all your digital stuff — documents, photos, spreadsheets, and so on — that you can access on your mobile, laptop, and desktop devices from anywhere on the globe with an Internet connection. How many times have you realized you need a preapproval letter to submit an offer, but it's on your computer at work and you have to drive 30 minutes there and back to get it? You — or your agents — risk looking disorganized in front of the client by having to bug the lender to resend it. Think of the possibilities for your brokerage. Files and client information can be shared instantly and across multiple platforms so everyone on your team can access it. It will save hours of work and provide a better, more seamless experience for your clients. New cloud products and apps seem to come out daily with limitless advancements in functionality. This is absolutely something you should be integrating into your business plan if you haven't already.

Static Data Can Be Boring and Stale. This Tool Can Make It Fresh!
Do you want to make the information you share with your sphere of influence DANCE? Consider utilizing Infogr.am to create dynamic infographics. With Infogram's interactive visualizations, you are literally adding a new dimension of engagement with your communications. Top producing real estate professionals are already leveraging this data visualization product to improve engagement with their clients and potential clients. A very productive Realtor in Southern California uses infogr.am's free option to distribute information to his customer database on how the real estate market is performing locally (thank you Tristan for sharing). Here is an example (click to view the full interactive version):

Real Estate Tech In-Depth: Our Top Broker Product Reviews from 2014
Throughout 2014, we've been publishing a series of articles that guides brokers through the technology selection process (see the full list of articles here). While those provide a helpful overview of broad technology categories, the next step is for brokers to learn more about a single product in more detail. That's what our product reviews column does. Each review offers an in-depth look at an individual product, complete with screenshots and an overview of all major features. In 2014, we published a handful of broker product reviews, and we've rounded them up here for your convenience. Take a moment to learn more about a new technology that could help your brokerage (and stay tuned for our round-up of over a dozen agent reviews!). Market Videos for Brokers MarketVideos.com is a collaboration between Terradatum and VScreen. The basic concept is to offer market data for a specific region in an appealing video format. The data shared in the videos includes median listing price in the region, days on market, and other key metrics. Data comes directly from the local MLS. The videos are aesthetically appealing, include a pleasant voiceover as well as music, and fit a great deal of useful information into a short format. They are updated automatically every month, meaning that you won't need to remove an embedded video on your website and embed a new video each month. Rather, you can set it and forget it.

Broker's Guide to Technology Selection for 2015
Over the past several months, we've been publishing weekly guides that focus on a single type of real estate technology. Each article offers an overview of that category, helpful articles, and questions to ask before considering a new purchase. With a new year on the horizon, now's the time when brokers are setting goals for 2015. For many, achieving these goals may require new tech tools or services. If your brokerage is looking to add or upgrade technology products, the first step is to thoroughly research your options. Kick off your research by choosing the type of product you're interested in learning more about from the list below: Back Office Virtual Office Websites Lifestyle Search Market Analytics E-signatures Online Reputation Management Document and Transaction Management Online Marketing Websites Lead Generation Mobile Apps Website Analytics

4 Ways to Automate Your Real Estate
Automation is the cornerstone of working smart, not hard, and this is something that Realtors definitely want to do. The problem is you don't want to let anyone fall through the cracks, so a single simple task multiplied by your growing pipeline can become carpal tunnel syndrome central for you in no time. For the sake of you and your wrists, try these automation tips. 1. Use Drip Campaigns If you're not using drip campaigns, then you are either wasting your valuable time on leads who are not yet ready to buy, or you are letting future buyers fall through the cracks. There is no better way to cultivate your future prospects by sending occasional emails and staying in front of them. Let the drips handle the leads who are months away from purchasing, so that you can spend more of your time on the clients who are buying now! 2. Email Templates So the drips are great, but maybe they are a little too "auto" for you. What if you have a particular message that is unique to certain situations, such as a referral to a lender? Email templates are great for these types of situations. They can sound much more personal to your clients and you don't have to spend 10-15 minutes drafting each one.

30 Top Tools for Agents in 30 Minutes (8/19)
Tuesday, August 19, 2014 10:00 - 10:30 AM In order to take your business to the next level and win the best buyers and sellers in the market, you need the right tools for the job! But who has the time to filter through all the productivity tools and sites and apps and find out what's worth your time? We do! Join Trulia Trainer Jovan Hackley for a rundown of the latest must-know tools, apps, and services used by agents like you to generate business and impress clients! Attend this session for: tools you can use now to improve your marketing ideas to help you wow potential clients at your first meeting real advice on how to decide which tools you really need Register now!

Troubleshooting iCloud Syncing Issues
Whenever you are having syncing issues with iCloud from any device you are using, you can narrow down the cause of the issue with very simple steps. Determine Which Device Is Not Syncing 1. Login at www.icloud.com using your iCloud username and password. Once you are logged-in, you will be able to see the mail, contacts, calendar events, or anything else being synched through iCloud. 2. Compare your data. Option 1: If the current online data does not match the data in one of the devices, this usually means that the device is the cause of why your data is not being synced on the cloud. Option 2: Add a test contact or calendar event to make sure it appears on each device. If the test contact or calendar event you created appears on the iCloud website but not on one of the devices, then the device that does not display the test has the problem. If your test does not even appear on the website, then the device that created the test has the problem

Optimize Yourself and Your Client for This Crazy Market
I write this post on what is a "holiday" for many people: President's Day. A three-day weekend, the most joyous of "holidays." Meanwhile, my wife – who is now a REALTOR® in Chicago – is running around prepping for another day because three day holiday weekends only means an extra day to be with clients looking for homes in a market starving for inventory. She has realized what many a real estate pro already has known: There are no such things as holidays for REALTORS®. This, after a marathon Saturday of showings where half the houses she saw sold by the end of the day, turned into a night of presenting four offers to her seller only for the elation to quickly wear off when said sellers realized they have no home to move into once their condo closes in two months. Let's face it, the market realities today mean that the hours real estate professionals work may not be the hours they'd LIKE to work. There's lots of "work-life-balance" talk on the interwebs, but unplugging may be hard to do when you're in a multiple-offer situation, or if you NEED to show that listing that just came up on your MLS radar. However, the time you DO have with your clients will prove to be the most valuable, and squeezing every bit out of time with them might mean a make-or-break deal. Some tips... Audit Your Productivity Processes Now: No other technology can position the client/agent team better in today's hot market than mobile technology. How mobile are you? How mobile is your broker-tech, MLS, and forms technology? These entities are not created equally, and if you realize you're working in the tech dark-ages, literally make it better, or carry contracts with you. Recognize that "being mobile," actually means "being productive." Know how to use DocuSign, dotloop, zipForm or whatever your broker or MLS's technology is that allows you to write offers on the fly. Dropbox and Evernote collaborations with clients may save your listing sanity. Sometimes having a MiFi hotspot and a laptop is all you need to be productive, whether your next office might be a Starbucks or the passenger seat of your car. The words, "I need to go back to my office to..." should never enter into your lexicon. Bonus: Brokers, make your next sales meeting a workshop, one in which your agents practice writing mobile contracts. For example, practice writing and sending forms to each other. Broadcast it live with about.me. Record it and throw it on your YouTube page. Your time is valuable, too!

What's a Public Service App?
Real estate professionals are no strangers to using apps. Over the past few years, mobile and web-based applications have become indispensable to agents and brokers. But there's an entire category of real estate app that you may not have heard of--public service apps. These tools can help you better serve the needs of your community and position your business as a valuable resource. Apps for Serving the Community Coined by MRED CEO Russ Bergeron, the term "public service app" refers to web-based tools that offer benefits directly to the consumer. The apps augment MLS listing data with information that motivates a consumer to purchase a home or helps a seller better market theirs. To get a clearer idea of what we're talking about, let's look at a few examples: Walk Score - Provides information on the walkability of neighborhoods, nearby public transit and amenities. Consumers can also calculate commute times in order to find a home that's close to work. SourceMLS™ - When the SourceMLS badge appears on a listing, consumers can rest assured that the data is timely and accurate because it comes directly from the local MLS. Fannie Mae Short Sale Assistance Desk - Helps expedite the short sale process, reducing the chance of foreclosure. My Home EQ/My Home Energy Score - A utility tool that reveals the energy efficiency of a home, enabling consumers to make a better informed choice about where to live. Down Payment Resource - Flags properties eligible for down payment assistance programs within the MLS data feed, and provides consumers information on those programs.

Centralize Agent Databases
"I've decided to leave," Beth said in a shaky tone. "It's nothing against you, the company or anything like that. I've just decided to make a change." Beth wasn't the first agent that I had lost, but was definitely one of my favorites. She was a good producer, took advantage of the classes and training we had to offer and knew the technology better than anyone. After my attempts to dissuade her failed, I had to ask what my competition brought to the table that we didn't. "They market my database for me," she started. "They upload my contacts into their system and a couple of times each month they send out a well-written email to them branded with my information." My jaw hit the floor. Didn't she know she was giving away the lifeblood of her business! How could an agent give this responsibility to their company? No agent would ever grant their broker this, right? Fast forward two years to find me sitting at a desk working for that company in question, formulating a content marketing plan that would take the responsibility of marketing off of our agent population, present them as knowledgeable, consummate professionals and most importantly—manage our company brand in the eyes of hundreds of thousands of consumers. I, much like Beth, now understand the value of a company-managed email marketing program and how this empowered agents to focus on doing real estate and stop trying to market. I've told this story to hundreds of brokers at conferences and gatherings over the years, and 99 percent of them responded with the same shocked look of disbelief.

How to Choose the Right Tech Products in 2014
With a new year on the horizon, now's the time when brokers are setting goals for 2014. For many, achieving these goals may require new tech tools or services. If your brokerage is looking to add or upgrade technology products, the first step is to thoroughly research your options. Over the past several months, RE Technology has published a series of articles to help real estate brokers do just that. Each article offers helpful questions to consider before purchasing and lists specific products that may suit your needs. Kick off your research by choosing the type of product you're interested in learning more about from the list below: Lead Generation Listing Syndication Mapping or Lifestyle Search Market Analytics Property Search Website Consulting Service Ad Network IDX/VOW iPad App Back Office Solution

Rules When Choosing a Technology Partner
1. Begin with the end in mind The real estate industry has wasted loads of money on software solutions that have either underperformed or were never adopted by agents. Questions to ask yourself: What issues am I trying to solve for my brokerage, agents and clients? Can technology really solve my issue? How will solving my problem help me, my clients and my bottom line? 2. Understand the technology partner's solution Make sure your team does a deep dive on potential technology solutions for your company. You should: See a live demonstration. Understand the administrative tools of the product. Request to run the application for at least a week to understand the software features and test it in a live environment. Ask for case studies of the product used by similar companies. Ask for company references.

Real Estate Tool of the Month: Feedly
It was heartbreaking – the news that Google Reader was being retired. Done away with. Exiled. I honestly considered it to be tragic, and I miss my old friend Google Reader. We were close friends for many years, visiting each other almost every single day. I honestly couldn't imagine life with out my dear friend. But I've started seeing someone else, and I have to say, this new friend is awesome! My new friend's name is Feedly, and I'd like to introduce you. We have chosen Feedly to be July's real estate tool of the month because the two of you need to meet. Feedly organizes your favorite blogs, news sites, podcasts, YouTube channels and more in one place. Feedly features multiple layout options, very fast connection speeds for both desktops, tablets and phones. Feedly is also created with sharing content and mobile integration. Now that we know what this product is capable of, how does this help with my needs as a real estate professional?

Do Tech Companies Protect Your (And Your Clients') Privacy?
At one point or another, when meeting with a REALTOR® about marketing, the conversation about technology comes up. It comes up for two reasons. First off, technology and marketing go hand-in-hand in today's very technical marketplace. Secondly though, people always have feelings about what companies are great and what ones should be avoided. For instance, our cloud-based real estate CRM solution syncs your calendar, tasks and contacts. The two most common ways to do that are through Outlook (installed on your computer), or with Gmail (a cloud service that hosts your data for you). While many agents are more than happy to have Gmail take care of this for them, a good number of you express to me your concerns that "big brother" shouldn't have access to everything about you, your interactions with your clients, and your other personal data. So how do you know who is protecting you and who isn't? Luckily, the Electronic Frontier Foundation has your interests in mind, with their annual Who Has Your Back? Reporting. The idea behind this report is to give the companies incentive for transparency regarding how your data is disseminated to government agencies. It also is meant to encourage them to ratchet up protection for their users, ensuring that data is safe from potential privacy gaps. According to Gizmodo, the data on each company was based on six criteria: Require a warrant for content of communications Tell users about government data requests Publish transparency reports Publish law enforcement guidelines Fight for users' privacy rights in courts Fight for users' privacy in Congress

Is Technology Important for Small Brokerages?
As a data enthusiast, I love using our analytics account to browse the search terms that bring people to RE Technology. It provides a great glimpse into what real estate professionals are thinking about. Yesterday, among all the iPad and CRM related queries, a lone question caught my eye: "How important is technology for a small real estate office?" Since it wouldn't be right to leave the collective real estate mind wondering, here's a definitive answer: Technology is absolutely, 100% mission critical to small brokerages. Especially to small brokerages. Beyond streamlining processes and transactions, technology can be the key tool that helps small firms compete against large franchises and listing portals like Trulia and Zillow. Real estate mogul Barbara Corcoran agrees. "On the Internet everyone is equal. The small agent can look as classy as the big agent," she told The New York Times in an interview. "Ten years ago, if you wanted your property noticed you were far better off with large brokerage firms because they were the big buyers on the print ads. That's out the window now."

Putting the Broker in Charge of the MLS Service Offerings
Most MLSs today have a very simple pricing structure--one size fits all. Every MLS customer receives exactly the same level of service and technology tools. There is no consideration for what services they may have available from their brokerage. This is the crux of why many large brokers are not best friends with their local MLS. They believe the MLS is "leveling the playing field." Large brokers believe their secret sauce and recruiting advantages lie in the technologies they offer to their agents. They argue that the "full-service" MLS is diluting the impact of their significant investments in breakthrough and differentiating technology tools. While large brokerages might want their MLS to reduce the number of services offered, small brokers, on the other hand, welcome the support their MLS can provide them. They love when their MLS offers a depth of training options, marketing and prospecting tools and effective ways to enhance listings like virtual tours, mortgage calculators and mobile solutions. Interestingly, this important group of smaller brokers usually makes up the lion's share of the revenues being collected by a MLS. The large brokers with the largest voices want the MLS to limit its services and "stay out of their way." The smaller brokers welcome the support and breadth of services the MLS can afford to them and their agents. This is what we call a conundrum. So what's an MLS to do?