Listen Now

A solid fan base is what makes a rock band successful, and it’s no different for real estate professionals.   But most of us focus on the individual transaction and miss an opportunity to build long-term relationships with our existing clients and turn them into raving fans.   And that means missed opportunities for referrals and repeat business.   Rivers Pearce is CMO of Milestones, a homeowner management platform that helps agents and lenders turn single transactions into forever clients.   On this episode of Listing Bits, Rivers shares his background as a touring musician and transition to proptech, discussing how he built the lead generation department at BoomTown.   Rivers explains why agents should market themselves as a trusted advisor for all things home and explores how real estate professionals benefit from referring business to home service professionals and other local businesses.   Listen in for Rivers’ insight on nurturing relationships with your existing database and learn how Milestones can help you provide the kind of value that turns one-off clients into lifelong fans!   What’s Discussed:     Rivers’ background as a touring musician and how he transitioned to proptech How the skills Rivers developed as a performer translate to real estate and proptech Rivers’ experience in building the lead gen department at BoomTown How the way proptech supports real estate agents with lead gen has evolved over time How Rivers thinks about using sphere of influence vs. portal aggregation to generate business The opportunity to build relationships with homeowners that most REALTORS miss Why agents should market themselves as a trusted advisor for all things home The benefit of referring business to home service professionals and other local businesses How Milestones functions as a homeowner management platform for agents How Milestones creates a custom maintenance plan for homeowners How Milestones helps REALTORS nurture relationships with their existing database   Connect with Rivers:   Milestones Rivers on LinkedIn Rivers on Twitter Rivers on Instagram Email rivers@milestones.ai or ashley@milestones.ai for a 3-month free trial   Resources:   BoomTown Mark Davison on Listing Bits EP042 Curaytor CallAction Agent Legend Drew Meyers of Geek Estate Tom Ferry   Our Sponsor:   Cloud CMA for Brokers

Listing Bits is back! If your role in real estate involves sales demos or any kind of training, you’re likely familiar with the frustration of delivering the same webinar over and over again.   Or worse, preparing a webinar that is either poorly attended or no one shows up.   But what if you could do 100 or even 1,000 webinars a month—without getting in front of a camera?   Melissa Kwan is Cofounder and CEO of eWebinar, a platform that saves people from repeatedly delivering the same webinar by turning videos into automated, interactive webinars.   Prior to eWebinar, Melissa founded and successfully exited the real estate tech startup Spacio, a check-in app for open houses.   On this episode of Listing Bits, Melissa shares her journey as a proptech entrepreneur, describing how she developed her mad sales skills and why she was ready for a new challenge after Spacio.   Melissa discusses how her experience with onboarding and training for Spacio inspired the creation of eWebinar and explains what differentiates the platform from Zoom, YouTube videos and webinar replays.   Listen in for insight around Melissa’s intentional approach to life and learn how your real estate business might leverage eWebinar to get your time back and spend it on things you enjoy!   What’s Discussed:     The initial idea for Spacio and how it evolved into a check-in app for open houses How Melissa developed her hustle and sales ability out of necessity Melissa’s successful exit from Spacio after 4 years of running the business The real estate leadership dinner that launched Melissa’s career as an entrepreneur What differentiates eWebinar from YouTube, Zoom and webinar replays How Melissa’s experience with training for Spacio inspired the creation of eWebinar How brokerages and real estate teams are using eWebinar to qualify leads The benefit of using eWebinar in terms of video quality and availability of content eWebinar’s use cases for sales demos, onboarding and training How Melissa runs eWebinar to reflect her work less, enjoy more philosophy of life   Connect with Melissa:   eWebinar Melissa on LinkedIn ProfitLed Podcast   Resources:   Spacio Inman Connect Greg’s Post on Melissa in Vendor Alley Pocket SAP HomeSpotter The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss   Our Sponsor:   Cloud CMA for Brokers

  NAR’s MLS Policy Statement 8.6 goes into effect on September 1, 2022.   So, what tools are available to make the implementation of the new One Data Source Policy easier for MLSs?   Katie Smithson is Director of MLS Relations at Zillow Group, where she leads the team building their MLS data licensing and distribution platform, Bridge Interactive. Prior to joining Zillow, she spent eight years with W+R Studios as Director of Enterprise Sales and Director of MLS Services.   On this episode of Listing Bits, Katie walks us through Policy Statement 8.6, explaining what problems the mandate does solve and why it’s a problem to provide vendors and brokers with data in a single feed.   Katie discusses the Bridge platform’s current functionality and describes the new feature her team is developing to help MLSs implement 8.6, the One Data Source Solution.   Listen in to understand how MLSs can use Bridge to auto-approve certain vendor agreements and find out if the One Data Source Solution is right for you.   What’s Discussed:     How MLS Policy Statement 8.6 requires that MLSs offer participants data in a single feed The security issue with leaving it up to brokers and vendors to know what data can be used in a VOW, IDX or back-office feed What problems the new One Data Source Policy does solve How the Bridge platform alleviates pain points around data distribution for MLSs What differentiates the Bridge platform from CoreLogic’s Trestle How Katie thinks about asking MLS boards to give Zillow their data (and pay for the service) How Bridge gives MLSs a simple way to combine existing data feeds for members The benefit of adding field-specific tags to MLS metadata via the Bridge One Data Source Solution How MLSs can use Bridge to auto-approve certain vendors or certain types of data access agreements Connect with Katie: Bridge Interactive Katie on Twitter Katie on LinkedIn Email: katiesm [at] zillowgroup [dot] com Resources: MLS Policy Statement 8.6 CMLS Implementation Guide—One Data Source Policy 8.6 Lone Wolf Technologies Trestle by CoreLogic Marilyn Wilson’s TSA Pre-Check Concept Inman Connect Las Vegas 2022   Our Sponsor:   Cloud CMA for Brokers

What if it was easy for an MLS to raise money to develop the data services it needs and run the software its customers use? Colette Stevenson is CEO of REsides, the premier MLS in South Carolina. Formerly known as Hilton Head MLS, REsides serves REALTORS who represent properties in both South Carolina and Georgia, maintaining the most dependable and powerful data in the marketplace.  On this episode of Listing Bits, Colette shares the story of the rebrand from Hilton Head MLS to REsides, explaining what differentiates her team’s vision from that of the average MLS. Colette describes how REsides is developing a new business model to address the challenge of raising capital for software development and discusses why she’s open to collaborating with MLSs anywhere in the US. Listen in to understand Colette’s disciplined way of thinking about potential changes to cooperation and compensation—and learn how REsides is empowering agents and brokers with data in a way that keeps the industry at the center of the real estate transaction. What’s Discussed:   How Colette’s background in the ticketing industry informs her work at REsides What REsides is doing to keep the industry at the center of the real estate transaction The story of the rebrand from Hilton Head MLS to REsides What differentiates REsides’ vision from that of the average MLS (and how being small benefits Colette’s team) Where buyers in the Hilton Head market come from and why Colette is open to collaborating with MLSs anywhere in the US How REsides is developing a new business model to address the challenge of raising capital for software development Colette’s take on what keeps MLSs from making bold moves (and how REsides is overcoming it) Colette’s disciplined way of thinking about potential changes to cooperation and compensation REsides’ mission to empower agents and brokers with data Connect with Colette: REsides Colette on LinkedIn Resources:  ‘Atlanta’s No. 1 Broker Bought Homes for Big Investors From 600 Miles Away’ in The Wall Street Journal Our Sponsor: Cloud CMA for Brokers

Approximately 8 million appraisals were conducted in the US last year. By contrast, there are only 40,000 active real estate appraisers. So, it's no surprise that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are exploring appraisal modernization initiatives like the desktop appraisal option.   But to make these alternatives to the traditional appraisal work, we need data in the form of an accurate floor plan. And we need it at scale.   Jeff Allen is EVP of Innovation Labs Clear Capital, a leading property valuation tech company, and President of CubiCasa, an easy-to-use app for automating the creation of real estate floor plans. On this episode of Listing Bits, Jeff explains how the barrier to entry to become an appraiser has sparked a total transformation of the industry.   He discusses his work helping GSEs test alternatives to the traditional appraisal, describing why floor plans are an essential part of ‘bringing the house to the appraiser’ and how he discovered the CubiCasa technology that automates the process. Listen in for Jeff’s insight on the copyright dispute over real estate floor plans and learn how to support the creative partnerships necessary for CubiCasa to scale.   What’s Discussed:     How Clear Capital serves large financial institutions in the realm of property valuation How the barrier to entry to become an appraiser has sparked a total transformation of the industry Jeff’s work helping GSEs test alternatives to the full traditional appraisal Why floor plans are essential in ‘bringing the house to the appraiser’ How Jeff discovered the CubiCasa tech for automating floor plans and how it works The creative partnerships necessary for CubiCasa to achieve scale (e.g.: real estate photographers) How the desktop appraisal option supports CubiCasa’s efforts to scale The other major appraisal modernization initiatives coming from Fannie and Freddie Jeff’s take on the current copyright dispute over real estate floor plans   Connect with Jeff:   CubiCasa  Email: jeff [at] cubicasa [dot] com Jeff on LinkedIn Clear Capital   Resources:   10K Research and Marketing Appraisal Subcommittee Dodd-Frank Desktop Appraisals Vendor Alley FloPlan App Greg’s Post on FloPlan Copyright Dispute Over Real Estate Floor Plans Designworks Homes v. Columbia House of Brokers Realty CMLS’s Amicus Brief on the Floor Plan Copyright Dispute NAR’s Amicus Brief on the Floor Plan Copyright Dispute   Our Sponsor:   Cloud CMA for Brokers

We're baaaaaack!     I spend a lot of time at conferences explaining why MLSs, brokers, and franchisors should let the ‘professionals’ build their technology. And yet, there are real reasons why these stakeholders might want to design their own. So, when is it appropriate for an MLS to create its own tech stack rather than relying on a vendor? And what does the development process look like? Faith Geronimo and Colleen Yasuhara are the CEO and COO, respectively, of Hawaii Information Service (HIS), the MLS provider for the islands of Hawaii and Kauai. On this episode of Listing Bits, Faith and Colleen explore HIS’s history of building its own technology and explain their decision to spend the last four years creating a new MLS system. Faith and Colleen discuss the transition from their initial system, REsearch, to the new HIMLS, describing HIS’s partnership with software developer MEV and their experience working with a team of Ukrainian developers. Listen in to understand why the Russia-Ukraine conflict hasn’t disrupted the development process and learn how HIS leveraged research and user testing to inform the design of HIMLS. What’s Discussed:   HIS’s role as MLS provider for the islands of Hawaii and Kauai HIS’s history of building its own technology How Faith & Colleen’s decision to build a new system on their own was influenced by their ability to integrate public records and MLS data Faith’s take on why Hawaii needs 3 MLS providers What Faith & Colleen learned in their research on MLS systems and how it informed the design of HIMLS How the pandemic influenced the development process and allowed for rigorous user acceptance testing The timeline for the transition from REsearch to HIMLS from 2018 to present HIS’s partnership with MEV and how they built the portal and web API together before tackling the MLS Faith & Colleen’s experience working with developers in the Ukraine and why they flew the team to Hawaii early in the process How Ukrainian developers continue to work on HIMLS despite the Russian invasion and how they’re handling the conflict Connect with Faith & Colleen: The Story of HIMLS Hawaii Information Service Hawaii Information Service on YouTube Faith on LinkedIn Colleen on LinkedIn Resources: HIMLS Update on YouTube Inman Connect New York CMLS Conferences Craig Pennington Paragon Matrix Realist RESO Web API MEV Alex Natskovich   Our Sponsor: Cloud Agent Suite

When Zillow announced its intention to acquire ShowingTime in February of 2021, a slew of companies jumped into the showing solutions space. But Instashowing had already been in business for two years, and despite the fierce competition, its young founder believes that his startup has an edge. William Schoeffler is the Founder of Instashowing, a software company out of Bend, Oregon, that offers the premiere showing solution for forward-thinking real estate professionals. On this episode of Listing Bits, William shares the experience with an agent that inspired him to build Instashowing and describes the suite of listing agent tools his team is developing. William explains how he raised $4M on the heels of Zillow’s acquisition of ShowingTime, discussing the expectation to grow that comes with that kind of an investment and the advantages Instashowing has over its many competitors. Listen in to understand the challenge of supporting several showing solutions in a single market and learn how William is forming a syndicate to allow MLSs to invest in Instashowing. What’s Discussed:   The experience with a real estate agent that inspired William to build Instashowing How William raised $4M from industry giants Pete Flint and Greg Schwartz The wave of competitors in the showing solutions space after Zillow’s acquisition of ShowingTime Why Instashowing started selling to agents and brokers (not MLSs) when it launched in 2019 The advantages Instashowing has over its competitors How Instashowing’s success in a given market hinges on full integration with its MLS Why William believes the industry will return to a single showing solution product in each market The suite of listing agent tools Instashowing is developing The expanding vision and expectation to grow that comes with a $4M investment Why William is not planning on adding a call center to the Instashowing offerings How William is forming a syndicate to allow MLSs to invest in Instashowing Connect with William: Instashowing William on LinkedIn   Resources: Instashowing’s $4M Raise Zillow’s Acquisition of ShowingTime Tomo Offerpad BrokerBay Homesnap Showings MLS Aligned SentriLock CRMLS Glide   Our Sponsor: Cloud CMA for Brokers

Ask the average consumer what they know about the MLS, and you’re likely to hear about their favorite Major League Soccer team. But CMLS wants to change that, and the organization is on a mission to educate the general public around the benefits of working with a real estate professional and listing a home on the MLS.   Katie Smithson is the Director of Enterprise Sales at Lone Wolf Technologies, and she serves on the Board of Directors for both the Council of Multiple Listing Services and Real Estate Standards Organization. On this episode of Listing Bits, Katie shares CMLS’s new In the Know Campaign, describing how the initiative seeks to convey the importance of the MLS to consumers. Katie explains why CMLS partnered with 1000watt to develop assets for In the Know and how agents and brokers can use the campaign’s digital content to share the CMLS message with consumers. Listen in to understand how Lone Wolf is integrating In the Know content into Cloud CMA and find out how other vendors can get involved in educating consumers on the value of the MLS. What’s Discussed:     How CMLS’s Making the Market Work Campaign communicated the value of the MLS to its members CMLS’s partnership with 1000watt to develop assets for the new In the Know Campaign How the In the Know Campaign conveys the importance of the MLS to consumers Why In the Know is not specific to a particular MLS system but advocates for the industry as a whole CMLS’s hope that brokers and agents will share the campaign’s message with consumers Why exclusive listings are not a good look for organized real estate in light of Fair Housing legislation How listing on the MLS gives sellers the best exposure in a given market How In the Know assets are designed for brokers, agents and vendors to put to use How the Lone Wolf Technologies team is integrating In the Know content into Cloud CMA Live Katie’s insight around how other vendors might get involved with the In the Know Campaign Connect with Katie: Email ksmithson [at] lwolf [dot] com Resources: CMLS’s In the Know Campaign CMLS RESO CMLS’s Making the Market Work Campaign 1000watt NAR MLS Clear Cooperation Policy The Fair Housing Act   Our Sponsor:  Cloud CMA for Brokers

Prior to 2003, Supra had a monopoly on the lockbox market. But NAR membership wanted choice, so the trade association invested in its first outside tech company, SentriLock. Today, a similar market dominance exists in showing service solutions, and SentriLock is stepping in once again to compete with the dominant player in the space. Scott Fisher and Devin Beck are the CEO and Director of Revenue of SentriLock, the first and only combined lockbox, showing service and experience management solutions for real estate. On this episode of Listing Bits, Scott and Devin explain why SentriLock is expanding into the showing service space and how proptech consolidation accelerated industry interest in their new offering.   Scott and Devin share SentriLock’s approach to entering a new market with a dominant player, describing how their partnership with NAR and commitment to customer service differentiate them from the competition. Listen in for insight around the unique features of the SentriKey Showing Service and learn how you can benefit from their lockbox offering, showing service or combination thereof.   What’s Discussed:     How Scott’s telecom background led him to the lockbox space Devin’s efforts to diversify SentriLock’s portfolio of offerings What inspired the partnership between NAR and Scott’s team Why SentriLock is expanding into the showing service space SentriLock’s approach to entering a market with a dominant player How Zillow’s acquisition of ShowingTime accelerated interest in SentriLock’s new offering How SentriLock’s lockbox and showing solutions are designed to stand alone yet work together Why consolidation causes uncertainty in the MLS community Why NAR is unlikely to sell SentriLock How Scott sees their commitment to take care of the member first as SentriLock’s secret weapon The features that differentiate SentriLock’s showing solution How competition among vendors brings value to the industry Connect with Scott & Devin: SentriLock Scott on LinkedIn Devin on LinkedIn Resources: The Story Behind SentriKey Showing Service Supra CoStar’s Acquisition of Homes.com REALTORS Relief Foundation REALTORS Political Action Committee   Our Sponsor: Cloud CMA for Brokers  

At present, MLS data access is unnecessarily complex. And brokers are calling for a more efficient system with a single set of rules around how the data can be used. In response, the CMLS Data Access Concepts Workgroup drafted the Listing Exchange and Access Policy or LEAP. But does the new policy really solve these problems? Could it be improved in a way that recognizes the changing landscape of the real estate industry?   Sam DeBord is the CEO of the Real Estate Standards Organization, the trade group responsible for developing standards for the industry, and he writes for publications including REALTOR Magazine and Inman News. Michael Wurzer is the CEO of FBS, the leading innovator of MLS technology and one of the most respected real estate software brands, and he covers industry issues on the FBS Company Blog. Both Sam and Michael are active participants in the LEAP debate on Twitter and have written long-form posts on the topic.   On this episode of Listing Bits, Sam shares the goals of the proposed Listing Exchange and Access Policy, describing how it seeks to simplify the rules and make access to MLS data more efficient. Michael discusses his concerns around the draft policy, explaining why licensing should be a part of LEAP and what a usage-based pricing model might look like. Listen in for Sam’s speed limit versus toll road analogy for the issues at play and hear both sides of the debate on whether LEAP solves the fundamental problems brokers face in using MLS data.   What’s Discussed:     LEAP’s goal to simplify the rules and make access to MLS data more efficient Why Michael sees a problem with how LEAP treats IDX, VOW and Back Office the same Michael’s argument that the value of aggregated MLS data as a whole is greater than the sum of its parts Why Michael believes that licensing and pricing should be a part of LEAP How the definition of a Participant is evolving and why Michael thinks LEAP should address the shift Sam’s concerns around using policy to penalize companies who are using data well Sam’s speed limit vs. toll road analogy for the issues at play in LEAP Michael’s point that portals would be worth dramatically less without MLS data The potential to charge licensing fees for MLS data based on usage (with free low-usage plans available) Sam’s view that MLSs should make local decisions about pricing rather than NAR policy   Connect with Sam:   Real Estate Standards Organization Sam’s Website Sam on Twitter   Connect with Michael:   Michael’s Blog on FBS Michael on Twitter   Resources:   Michael’s First LEAP Post: Look Before You LEAP Michael’s Second LEAP Post: MLS Content Is Uniquely Valuable, License It Accordingly Michael’s Third LEAP Post: A Picture Is Worth More Than… Sam’s Post: LEAP Forward -- Six Questions to Answer on Broker’s MLS Data Rob Hahn’s Blog on LEAP Vendor Alley LeadingRE The Realty Alliance CMLS Draft of the Listing Exchange and Access Policy (LEAP) Victor Lund on Twitter FloPlan by FBS   Our Sponsor:   Cloud CMA for Brokers

Policy may not be sexy, but without standards around how we format real estate data and build technology systems, we simply can’t share data or integrate the tools we need to do our jobs well. Sam DeBord serves as CEO of the Real Estate Standards Organization, the trade group responsible for developing the open standards that drive efficiency and streamline technology for the industry. His resume includes a wide range of leadership positions in the real estate space, including President’s Liaison for MLS and Data Management at NAR and VP of Government Affairs with Washington Realtors. Sam is also the VP of Strategic Growth for Coldwell Banker Danforth in Seattle and writes for REALTOR Magazine, Inman News and the Swanepoel Trends Report.   On this episode of Listing Bits, Sam describes RESO’s role in the real estate industry, explaining how the standards set by his organization provide certainty for developers and support data shares and tech integrations. He shares the progress RESO has made in the last year, discussing what they have done to streamline compliance certifications and initiate the proposed Listing Exchange Access Policy. Listen in for Sam’s insight on the constraints of the current market (and the new tech that’s emerged as a result) and find out how he thinks about the kerfuffle surrounding the most recent mergers and acquisitions in the real estate space. What’s Discussed:   What RESO does to create efficiencies and streamline tech for the real estate industry RESO’s evolution to an independent trade organization and how it relies on thousands of volunteer SMEs to build its Workgroups RESO’s recent work to streamline its compliance certifications and create a new development guide for vendors How RESO standards provide certainty for developers and support data shares and integrations Why Sam is a proponent of creating a single policy for how data is used and displayed (and how that would help brokers) RESO’s work with the broker community and CMLS to draft the proposed Listing Exchange Access Policy The progress RESO has made in just the last year to align industry trade organizations, brokers and MLSs around common goals How RESO standards helped facilitate the NorCal MLS Alliance Sam’s take on how the artificial constraints of the current market impact agents and the tech facilitating the trend to buy homes sight unseen How Sam thinks about the most recent mergers and acquisitions in the real estate space Why proptech companies need to recognize our cultural preference to work with an agent The potential problems associated with a broker-member of an MLS being paid by that MLS for a technology service Connect with Sam: Real Estate Standards Organization Email sam[at]reso[dot]org Sam on Twitter   Resources:   RESO Workgroups RESO Web API Tools & Software RESO’s Broker Advisory Workgroup RESO Certification 2020 RESO Certification Updates Andy Woolley CMLS NAR NAR’s MLS Technology & Emerging Issues Advisory Board Summary of NAR’s 2021 MLS Policy Changes CMLS’s Participant Data Access Policy LeadingRE The Realty Alliance CMLS’s CCP Implementation Guide RESO Compliance Guide NorCal MLS Alliance Zillow Economist Jeff Tucker on Industry Relations EP059 CoStar Zillow’s Acquisition of ShowingTime Greg on Twitter RESO’s Unique Organizational Identifier (UOI) Victor Lund at WAV Group RESO Remix RESO’s 2021 Fall Conference Our Sponsor: Cloud CMA

Video marketing is a powerful way for agents, brokers and real estate companies to reach consumers. But how do we get the most mileage out of our videos? How do we maximize the marketing value of the content we create?   Christian Sterner is the Cofounder and CEO of WellcomeMat, the premier platform for managing your real estate video. Christian’s team facilitates successful video marketing campaigns for agents, brokers and companies who are committed to video as a long-term marketing strategy, helping clients leverage video content to generate traffic and engagement on their domain. Christian has been playing in the technology and marketing space since 2000, and he has led WellcomeMat since its inception in 2006.   On this episode of Listing Bits, Christian explains how WellcomeMat maximizes reach for every video in a user’s library and helps them make educated decisions about what videos to create. He offers insight around what kind of content really moves the needle for real estate professionals, sharing his take on the pros and cons of producing humorous or provocative video content. Listen in to understand how WellcomeMat is working to facilitate visual search for the real estate industry and learn how drone automation can be used to create killer listing videos and accelerate the adoption of video marketing among brokers and agents.   What’s Discussed:     WellcomeMat’s mission to make video the most valuable thing agents and brokers can do to market themselves and their properties What makes WellcomeMat the best way to maximize reach for every video in your library How WellcomeMat accepts content from any service (and allows users to switch providers at will) What WellcomeMat does to help users make educated decisions about what videos to create How WellcomeMat increases site visits by an order of magnitude over using YouTube alone Why listing videos are best for pushing top line revenue The value in producing evergreen content like neighborhood tours, agent profiles, etc. WellcomeMat’s referral database of 5,000 video production companies Christian’s take on producing provocative and/or humorous video content The MLS rules around branded and unbranded content + how WellcomeMat offers tools to remove branding for MLS compliance WellcomeMat’s work to facilitate visual search for the real estate industry How drone automation facilitates the production of quality video at scale for the real estate space   Connect with Christian:   WellcomeMat Christian on Twitter christian [at] wellcomemat [dot] com   Resources:   RE/MAX Trulia 8z Booj CBRE Revaluate Homebot ZAVI Homes TED For Sale by Owner LeadingRE Luxury Portfolio Halstead Semonin Realtors Wistia Tim Smith Group on YouTube Smith Group’s ‘Teach Me How to Duffy’ Marketing Video Gracenote Shazam Cole’s Drone Video Amazon’s Ring Always Home Cam Skydio eWebinar

What can technology vendors do to better connect with the agents and brokers we hope to serve? And what can we learn from the perspective of a computer engineer turned REALTOR about how to approach real estate professionals and what kind of tech solutions they need? Georgia Purpura is Managing Broker at Urban Nest Realty, a mid-size independent brokerage out of Las Vegas, Nevada, where she specializes in helping agents grow their business. She is also very involved in the local association, most recently serving as Chair of the MLS. Georgia has been a licensed agent for 12 years, acting as broker for Keller-Williams Southwest before joining Urban Nest in 2018. Prior to real estate, she earned her degree in business and information technology and spent eight years working as a computer engineer. On this episode of Listing Bits, Georgia discusses how her background in IT has served her well in real estate, explaining how she evaluates technology solutions and what vendors can do to market their software more effectively. She offers advice for vendors and brokers on creating a business model that mitigates agent churn, challenging us to focus on producers rather than subscribers—casting a deeper net as opposed to a wider one. Listen in for Georgia’s insight on how modern agents learn about technology tools (and how that’s evolved over the years) and get her take on the top technology needs in the real estate space.  What’s Discussed:   Georgia’s background in computer engineering and how that tech experience has served her well in real estate How Georgia learned about tech tools early in her career from sales meetings and through the local association How modern agents learn about tech tools through word-of-mouth on social media Georgia’s advice for vendors around marketing to top producers who can create influence for you Why vendors should lead with the problem they’re solving for in pitching agents and brokers How Georgia evaluates tech based on its potential to shorten the sales cycle and save time or money Georgia’s criticism of how brokers have gone about increasing profitability by having the biggest army (rather than the best) How real estate brokerages and software vendors can build a business model that mitigates agent churn The top technology needs Georgia sees in the real estate space --Integration among tech solutions (strategic alliances) --Agent retention and engagement tool for brokers   Connect with Georgia:   Urban Nest Realty  Resources: David J. Tina Top Producer Inman News Realtor.com Realtor Magazine Vendor Alley Rob Hahn Joe Versus the Volcano   Our Sponsor:    Cloud CMA

Owning a second home can be an enriching experience, allowing us to make priceless memories with friends and family. But many can’t afford to buy a vacation home, nor does it make much sense to leave a house sitting empty for ten-plus months, even if you can afford it. So, what if you could buy a share of a second home and enjoy true ownership for a fraction of the cost and hassle?   ***MAKE SURE YOU CONSULT WITH A CPA.  THIS PODCAST AND ITS CONTENT ARE NOT INTENDED TO GIVE TAX/INVESTMENT ADVICE ON LOSS/GAIN OF PASSIVE INCOME*****   Austin Allison is the Cofounder and CEO of Pacaso, a startup designed to make the dream of second homeownership a reality for more people. The platform allows up to eight people to buy a share of a vacation home for much less—in a way that is seamless, hassle-free, and without risk. Austin’s first venture was Dotloop, the real estate transaction management solution he built in 2008 and sold to Zillow in 2015.   On this episode of Listing Bits, Austin introduces us to the benefits of co-owning a second home through Pacaso over the DIY model, explaining what differentiates a Pacaso from a resort or hotel timeshare. He describes how the platform’s scheduling feature works and why it can actually be better to own a property with people you don’t know versus friends and family. Listen in for Austin’s insight on how his company makes money and learn how you might use Pacaso as a second home buyer, seller or real estate agent.   What’s Discussed:    How Austin’s frustration with creating and signing documents as an agent inspired the creation of Dotloop How Pacaso’s mission around second home ownership inspired the company name The broad range of people Pacaso serves and the potential market for second homes in the US and Europe What differentiates a Pacaso from a resort or hotel timeshare --True ownership vs. rights to use --Single-family home --Easy to resell Why Pacaso prohibits short-term rental activity in its properties How Pacaso’s scheduling feature allows users to reserve dates in a way that corresponds with their ownership level How Pacaso makes money through a markup on the real estate and asset management fees What happens if a Pacaso home increases in value The benefits of owning a home with people you don’t know through Pacaso over the DIY model The potential tax benefits of owning a second home with Pacaso How the Pacaso process works for buyers, sellers, and real estate agents Connect with Austin:  Pacaso Austin on LinkedIn   Resources: Dotloop California Association of Realtors’ Partnership with zipLogix The a16z Podcast The a16z Podcast on Joint Home Ownership Sponsor: Cloud CMA

It’s easier to gain a seller’s trust when you have the data to back you up. But where can agents and brokers go for real-time buyer data? And how do we turn those numbers into actionable insights to earn new business? Ashley Terrell is the Executive Vice President of Partnerships at Buyside, a real estate tech platform that helps real estate professionals leverage intelligent buyer data to capture seller leads, win more listings and close more transaction sides in-house. Prior to joining Buyside, Ashley served as the Director of Account Management and Director of Strategic Growth at Constellation Software and the Director of Account Management and Product Marketing at Real Estate Digital. On this episode of Listing Bits, Ashley explains how Buyside partners with other vendors to procure data and provide its users with seamless product integration. She offers insight around the current buyer landscape, sharing her take on why there’s such a boom in real estate right now. Listen in for Ashley’s insight on the resources available to help agents use the Buyside tools and learn how to leverage buyer data to win your next listing presentation.   What’s Discussed:  Ashley’s background in tech and how she was introduced to the real estate tech space How Buyside serves as a seller lead gen tool and helps agents win listing presentations How Buyside procures data from vendors like Zillow, ShowingTime, etc. Buyside’s focus on seamless product integration to create the best possible user experience Ashley’s insight around the current buyer landscape in real estate Ashley’s take on why there’s such a boom in real estate right now How agents and brokers can leverage buyer data in a listing presentation --Help seller price home --Marketing strategy --Pool of buyers How Buyside serves large brokerages vs. small brokerages and large teams The value proposition for Buyside in a buyer’s market Ashley’s commitment to building out resources that help agents use the Buyside tools   Connect with Ashley: Buyside Ashley on LinkedIn Resources: Market Leader Sharper Agent Real Living John Hensley John Heithaus on Listing Bits EP061 Charles Williams ShowingTime RealScout Cloud CMA Inman News ‘Existing Home Sales Skyrocket Amid Pandemic, Inventory Down’ in Inman News ShowingTime’s June 2020 Showing Index Results Buyside Help Center   Sponsor: Cloud CMA

The five most stressful life events include the death of a loved one, divorce, major illness or injury, job loss, and moving. But a new proptech platform is working to take relocation off the list with a tool that makes the experience of moving less stressful, less expensive, and more efficient.   John Heithaus is a serial entrepreneur and venture investor with 30-plus years of experience in strategic marketing, corporate strategy, and product development. He has co-founded or served as a founding executive of four real estate startups, generating nearly $100M in successful exits. One of John’s current projects is OK Move Me, a proptech tool that offers consumers a one-stop resource for planning, moving, and settling into a new place.   On this episode of Listing Bits, John explains how OK Move Me works, walking us through the four phases of the moving process and describing the site’s interactive task lists for each. He discusses how the vendors promoted on the platform are vetted and share what the team is doing to provide an outstanding customer experience. Listen in for insight into how OK Move Me generates revenue and find out why the site is looking to partner with traditional real estate agents and brokers.   What’s Discussed:    John’s unique background in real estate, proptech investing and the music business What inspired John’s return to building an online marketplace for moving + relocation services OK Move Me’s four phases of the moving process and associated interactive task lists --Planning --Moving --Move-in --Settling in How OK Move Me serves as a referral organization rather than a direct service provider OK Move Me’s affiliate agreements with vendors on the site What makes OK Move Me users a coveted cohort How OK Move Me vendors are vetted and held to a high standard The potential for OK Move Me to partner with traditional real estate agents and brokers How OK Move Me is promoting the site through social media ads and content marketing OK Move Me’s alliance with moving company brands that focus on customer experience OK Move Me’s Reddit approach to procuring user feedback   Connect with John: OK Move Me My OK Move Me   Resources: Buyside Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp SuperStar Factory Productions Pure Music Nashville Artisanship Music Moving.com Best Places to Live Jonathan Miller Sharma Packers and Movers Edwin Tichenor Relocation.com Move.com Updater Moove Guru The Knot Relocation Stress Syndrome Broker Public Portal MILLIE Indeed ZipRecruiter Monster AARP Wirecutter Honey Opendoor’s Deal with Realtor.com Zillow’s Partnership with DR Horton SIRVA Sponsor: Cloud CMA Live

Who’s ready to get geeky about MLS? Collaborations among MLS organizations are usually about sharing data. But MLS Aligned takes collaboration to another level, promoting dialogue among their in-house technology teams and putting the tech tools they have developed to work in each other’s markets. Matt Consalvo is the CEO at Arizona Regional MLS, Chris Carrillo is the CEO of Wisconsin’s Metro MLS, and Brad Bjelke is the CEO at UtahRealEstate.com. Together, with a few other MLS organizations are principles at MLS Aligned, a collaboration of five forward-thinking MLS organizations that are coming together to change the industry. On this episode of Listing Bits, Matt, Chris, and Brad share the MLS Aligned origin story and discuss how their in-house tech teams benefit from the ability to share best practices. They introduce us to the MLS Aligned API, describing how it is designed to follow RESO standards while providing additional fields and features for vendors, brokers, and other MLSs. Listen in to understand how MLS Aligned might support smaller MLSs with fewer resources and learn about the organization’s mission to provide high-quality products with a local focus. What’s Discussed:  How MLS Aligned grew out of a conversation among MLS CEOs and CTOs How the tech teams of MLS Aligned members benefit from the ability to share best practices Examples of MLS Aligned collaborations where tech has been plugged into other markets The Market Initiative partnership between ARMLS and Metro MLS Why the MLS Aligned API is designed to avoid data replication How the MLS Aligned API follows RESO standards while providing additional fields + features How vendors are using the MLS Aligned API How MLSs might collaborate to adapt to moving trends prompted by the pandemic What differentiates MLS Aligned from other MLS collaborations (e.g.: MLS Grid, MLS Roundtable, etc.) --Collaboration among MLSs with in-house technology teams --Mission to deliver a high-quality product with a local focus How MLS Aligned might serve as a lifeboat for smaller MLSs with fewer resources The focus on inclusivity at MLS Aligned Why the principals at MLS Aligned are committed to building success before they start selling Resources: ARMLS Metro MLS UtahRealEstate.com Monsoon Tax Records System MLS Grid Jim Harrison ARMLS & Metro MLS Market Initiative The Marquette Airbnb Study of Milwaukee STRs Sam DeBord at RESO CMLS MLS Roundtable Kurt von Wasmuth Dave Wetzel   Connect with Matt, Chris & Brad:  MLS Aligned Email info@mlsaligned.com   Sponsor: Cloud CMA Live

Most real estate agents look down on rentals, preferring to work solely with clients looking to buy in the next three to six months. What they don’t realize is that there are $12B in leasing commissions available to those agents who are willing to work with renters. And they’re missing out on the opportunity to build relationships with the homebuyers of tomorrow. But how do you find out what rentals are available in your market—when only a small percentage are listed on the MLS?   Ishay Grinberg [pronounced ee-shy] is the Founder and President of Rental Beast, the MLS for rentals. The platform helps tenants and landlords navigate the rental experience and levels the playing field for agents and brokers, giving them access to a comprehensive database of rental listings. Ishay has 20-plus years of experience in the real estate industry, working as an agent and managing broker for firms in New York City and Boston before creating Rental Beast.   On this episode of Listing Bits, Ishay introduces us to the Rental Beast platform and describes the opportunity available to real estate agents who are open to working with renters. He explains how the platform facilitates a fully virtualized transaction that is driven by the agent, exploring what the sales side of our industry can learn about virtualization from rentals. Listen in for Ishay’s insight on integrating Rental Beast with existing MLSs and learn how the platform helps agents earn more by generating transactions on the rental side.   What’s Discussed:    Why Ishay describes Rental Beast as the MLS for rentals The 50 unique data points Rental Beast collects for each property Ishay’s experience in the NYC market where there is no MLS The $12B in leasing commissions available to agents who are willing to work with renters How working with renters helps agents build relationships with the homebuyers of tomorrow What JCHS research reveals about the growing affluence of renters in the US How Rental Beast facilitates a fully virtualized transaction driven by the agent How agents can leverage Rental Beast’s AVM for rentals What the sales side of real estate can learn about virtualization from the rental industry --Streamline and digitize the closing process --Touchless showings Reading the local market to decide whether to hold or flip an investment property Rental Beast’s vision for embedding themselves in the MLS universe via integration The positive results brokers are seeing from the use of Rental Beast   Resources: RESO Harvard’s JCHS Research FBS Invitation Homes MRED MRED’s Partnership with Rental Beast Connect with Ishay: Rental Beast Sponsor: Cloud CMA Live

While we may not be able to predict exactly how the current health crisis will impact organized real estate moving forward, most of us would agree that change is in the air. The kind of change that could transform the way we do business altogether. So, how is the Coronavirus changing the way we think about the spaces where we live and work? And how might this new perspective lead to foundational shifts in our industry? Jessie Beaudoin is the Founder and CEO of CallAction, a lead engagement automation platform that helps real estate agents capture, track, and respond to leads from online and offline marketing channels. He has 35 years of experience in real estate, working as a mortgage broker for nearly two decades before his interest in efficiency and scale led him to the technology space. Now, Jessie is on a mission to help businesses do more in less time through intelligent sales and marketing automation. On this episode of Listing Bits, Jessie discusses the foundational shifts in real estate that may come from the Coronavirus pandemic, exploring how the crisis is changing the way we define ‘home’ and why the efficiencies of working remotely might shift the way we do business moving forward. He offers insight into why we lean on technology in moments of crisis and how the virus could impact the housing market in the months ahead. Listen in to understand what mainstream adoption of virtual showings means for real estate agents and get Jessie’s advice on what YOU can do to step up as a leader for your clients and your family in this challenging time. What’s Discussed:  Jessie’s background in real estate and segue into the technology space How the Coronavirus is giving us a newfound appreciation of what home means How the efficiency of working remotely might change commercial real estate Why we leverage technology in moments of crisis The positive foundational shifts that may come from the COVID-19 pandemic -  Appreciate being together, hyper-focused during appointments -  Written + verbal communication more clear, poignant and thoughtful How mainstream adoption of virtual and self-showings could impact agents Jessie’s insight around how the virus might affect the housing market The innovations that emerged in the last recession Jessie’s advice for agents on navigating the current health crisis      -  Leverage overcommunication and connection      -  Depend on technology to scale efforts      -  Step up as a leader for clients and family How CallAction allows agents to scale their communication via automation Resources: Zoom Real Estate for Millennials vs. Baby Boomers Gary Vaynerchuk’s Keynote at Inman Connect 2016 Connect with Jessie:  CallAction Call (323) 741-2255 Jessie’s Blog Jessie on LinkedIn

Out of 565 Multiple Listing Services nationwide, 82 serve less than 100 brokers and agents. Unsurprisingly, this means that the nation’s 20 largest Multiple Listing Services serve over 50 percent of the nation’s total MLS subscribers. These statistics didn’t exist a year ago, but thanks to the Real Estate Almanac, the disparity is clear. Now that we understand the scale of the issue, how can we make changes to better serve agents, brokers, and their clients? Clint Skutchan is the vice president of T3 Sixty’s association and MLS division. T3 Sixty is an industry-leading management consultancy and research company that focuses on residential real estate brokerage. Clint has over a decade of experience in the real estate industry and previously served as CEO of a realtor association in Colorado. He established an independent consulting company in 2014. In 2018, he joined T3 Sixty. On this episode of Listing Bits, Clint discusses T3 Sixty’s latest undertaking: Real Estate Almanac. He explains where the idea for a comprehensive list of MLSs and associations came from and talks about some of the surprises that came out of that list. Listen in for Clint’s insight on the future of the Real Estate Almanac and how the data it consolidates will impact the industry, and the nation as a whole.  What’s Discussed:  How Clint got involved in T3 Sixty What the Real Estate Almanac is and what it says about the industry Why T3 Sixty put the latest MLS and association list together What issues MLSs and associations are facing nationwide Whether Clint thinks NAR membership will stagnate, drop, or continue increasing How the list of MLSs and associations has shrunken in five years Why MLSs choose not to consolidate How smaller MLSs might tackle some of the issues they face What’s next for the Real Estate Almanac Resources: T3 Sixty Real Estate Almanac Top Associations/MLS Connect with Clint: Follow Clint on Twitter Follow Clint on LinkedIn