Baird and Warner Dropping Big Bombs

With great interest, WAV Group noticed that Baird and Warner announced in July that they are partnering with BombBomb™ in offering their video solution. Historically, WAV Group has always understood BombBomb as an agent video solution. We believe that Baird and Warner may represent the largest firm to deploy their solution across their enterprise. We caught up with Laura Ellis, President of Residential Sales at Baird and Warner to understand the strategy. For Baird and Warner, many agents in their company had found BombBomb on their own.  This is how the company started to become aware of the service. Overall, [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:08-07:00August 16th, 2016|Broker-Agent Information, Main category|Comments Off on Baird and Warner Dropping Big Bombs

Imprev Study: Upstream garners remarkable support

Going into Real Estate Connect San Francisco, Upstream CEO Alex Lange should be all smiles when he reads the latest Thought Leader Survey – an Upstream-focused study – from real estate marketing automation leader Imprev. The latest Imprev study released today shows that 84% of the more than 300 top real estate execs participating say they “support” Upstream. Alex already had a strong wind of momentum at his back after releasing, to much praise, the new Upstream website. Upstream is also nominated for a 2016 Innovator Award by Connect conference organizer, Inman News. The nomination in itself is a considerable [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:10-07:00August 2nd, 2016|Broker Technology Research, Broker-Agent Information, Marketing, Press Releases, Suveys and Research|Comments Off on Imprev Study: Upstream garners remarkable support

RESO Continues to Expand it’s Influence and Leadership

The dedicated staff at the Real Estate Standards Organization (RESO) and thousands of volunteers from companies across the globe have labored away at the arduous task of creating consistent data standards to be used by all MLSs, technology companies and brokerages.  They have set the stage for a ton more efficiency and innovation in our industry. The RESO Data Dictionary is now available through nearly 550 MLSs across the country serving nearly 1.2mm REALTORS® today and the RETS data transportation standard has been adopted by every MLS organization and successfully utilized over the past 16 years since its inception. RESO’s [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:10-07:00August 2nd, 2016|Broker Technology Research, Broker-Agent Information, Marketing|Comments Off on RESO Continues to Expand it’s Influence and Leadership

UpstreamRE, NAR, and Real Estate Standards Organization Join xDTM Standard Advisory Board

SAN FRANCISCO, July 28, 2016 /PRNewswire/– Reflecting the strategic and operational importance of eSignature and Digital Transaction Management (DTM) across the real estate, property management and mortgage industries, thought-leaders Alex Lange from UpstreamRE, Bob Goldberg from National Association of REALTORS®, and Jeremy Crawford from the Real Estate Standards Organization (RESO) today added their expertise to the xDTM Standard Association’s advisory board. The xDTM Standard provides in-depth guidelines and best practices that Digital Transaction Management vendors should address to create a trusted online environment for their customers, including data ownership, transparency, security and the ability for data integration across applications. This is [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:10-07:00July 29th, 2016|Broker-Agent Information, Main category|Comments Off on UpstreamRE, NAR, and Real Estate Standards Organization Join xDTM Standard Advisory Board

Will Zillow Win The MLS Data Aggregation Wars

A new war over data management has broken out among America’s largest technology firms, and no clear winner is in sight. To begin, it may be best to level set around what data aggregation is. For brokerage firms or technology companies that leverage MLS data in software, they are pulling MLS data feeds. When you are pulling more than one feed, you are aggregating MLS data. Brokerage firms and software companies that have hired WAV Group to streamline their data aggregation systems know that we have always focused on the three leading firms that have been aggregating MLS data for [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:11-07:00July 21st, 2016|Broker-Agent Information, MLS Insights|Comments Off on Will Zillow Win The MLS Data Aggregation Wars

How Much Does It Cost to Recruit an Agent?

The National Association of REALTORS® hosted a Power Broker Roundtable and their recent topic was about agent recruiting and training. What I really like about the large broker roundtable is that you typically get some relatively pure information. I think that is the case here. The roundtable members for this discussion included representatives from some of the finest brokerage operators in America – Nick D’Ambrosia, Broker of Record, The Long and Foster Companies; Lennox Scott, CEO of John L. Scott Real Estate Seattle; Chad Ochsner, Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Alliance Denver; and Linda Sherrer, President and CEO of BHHS Florida Network. [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:11-07:00July 20th, 2016|Broker-Agent Information, Marketing|1 Comment

20 Years and Counting: Still Waiting For Digital Real Estate Transactions

In the 1990s, it was called disintermediation. In the 2010s, we are calling it disruption. Back then, we talked about a “new paradigm” that would alter the real estate business forever. Now we talk about “new business models” doing the same. The names may have changed, but the bottom line is this: I am still waiting for digital real estate transactions to be a common practice, not the exception to the rule.   What has really changed? Next month in early August, like many of my colleagues, I am heading to Inman News Real Estate Connect in San Francisco. It’s [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:11-07:00July 20th, 2016|Broker Technology Research, Broker-Agent Information|Comments Off on 20 Years and Counting: Still Waiting For Digital Real Estate Transactions

The Confident House Hunter: A Better, Different Way to Buy

It was a sunny day on beautiful Bainbridge Island two years ago when I met with Dylan Chalk. It was at the New Rose Café, a nearly secret lunch spot hidden among the plants and outdoor sculptures at the historically significant Bainbridge Gardens. Dylan had an idea for a new book about home buying and he was seeking my professional counsel, as well as my writing, editing – and eventually – promotional skills. As a member of the National Association of Real Estate Editors (naree.org) for more than a couple of decades, I have received enough books about buying a [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:11-07:00July 20th, 2016|Broker Technology Research, Broker-Agent Information, Main category|Comments Off on The Confident House Hunter: A Better, Different Way to Buy

CRM Impact on Recruiting and Retaining Agents

WAV Group has deep experience supporting real estate brokers on the selection and adoption of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) for their agents. Sometimes the best business strategy is a simple one. All research points out that successful real estate agents have 500 or more legitimate prospects in their CRM and they actively communicate with those prospects with a customer for life philosophy. Bearing this in mind, a broker or manager can better understand customer value of agent recruiting and retention. If you have been in the industry a long time, you may know the story of Intero Real Estate in [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:12-07:00June 27th, 2016|Broker-Agent Information, Clients, Main category|Comments Off on CRM Impact on Recruiting and Retaining Agents

Are You Selling To Your Competitors

Companies across the real estate spectrum who are selling to their competitors are having fantastic results. The process of expanding your communication strategy to include competitors is found to drive more new business than ever imagined. In the old days, companies locked down their communications plans to hide from sharing information with their competitors. Today, the overwhelming trend is to occupy more share of voice to position your company as a market leader. WAV Group consulting works with Associations of REALTORS®, Multiple Listing Service Providers (MLS), and technology firms to implement these programs through WAV Group Communications. Below are some [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:12-07:00June 14th, 2016|Broker Technology Research, Broker-Agent Information, Main category, MLS Insights|Comments Off on Are You Selling To Your Competitors

Backed by Google, Zillow Set to Become Online Brokerage

Real Estate is not just an online thing. It’s a global thing. People buy houses all around the globe, and in many nations – the notion of online real estate is hot.  In the small nation of England, companies valued at £312m, or £40m Housesimple along with easyProperty and eMoov are all trying to make a go of it with significant venture backing. Online real estate is ripe for the taking. Zillow Group will not need to go out for additional funding to pivot to online real estate.  The company is valued at over $5B and is operating at a run [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:13-07:00June 14th, 2016|Broker Technology Research, Broker-Agent Information|Comments Off on Backed by Google, Zillow Set to Become Online Brokerage

Are Real Estate Agents Dishonest?

A few months ago I spoke to the owner of a start-up company who was completely convinced that consumers do NOT trust their real estate agents to help them find service providers. He believed that agents were not the best group to help a home buyer secure all of the services they need to complete a transaction. He passionately believed that consumers believe that real estate agents are dishonest and do not have the best interest of their clients in mind. For those of you that read the WAV Group blog, you know we are not shy about talking about [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:13-07:00June 14th, 2016|Broker-Agent Information|Comments Off on Are Real Estate Agents Dishonest?