Broker-Agent Information Archives

Homes.com partners with newspapers

Following in the path of Homefinder, Trulia, and Zillow, the Nation's 4th largest portal - Homes.com has announced that they are seeking to partner with Newspapers to offer online property search. Moreover, they are offering this service to Newspapers for free, in line with others. The new twist is that Homes.com seeks to leverage the relationship that Newspapers have with advertisers to develop a sales channel for their other products. The announcement of the new strategy is coupled with the launch of their first newspaper partner. In this case, it is actually an announcement of a partnership with 50 newspapers [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:24:53-07:00September 9th, 2012|Broker Technology Research, Broker-Agent Information, Main category, MLS Insights|Comments Off

What is a participant

NAR published revised guidelines this year that outline the definition of a Participant in the MLS. It is a long description, so I will put it at the end. One key element is that the mere possession of a broker's license is not sufficient, the broker must actively endeavor to make or accept offers of cooperation and compensation with respect to properties of the type that are listed on the MLS. If you are an NAR affiliated MLS, you probably have already adopted this language and amended your rules and regulations. Some MLSs go further. They require the broker to take training. Some state [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:24:53-07:00September 4th, 2012|Broker Technology Research, Broker-Agent Information, Main category, MLS Insights|Comments Off

The Unproductive Agent Exposed

In today’s Real Trends eMail update, Steve Murray talks about an important topic for REALTOR Associations and Brokers – the unproductive agent. The unproductive agent is both a blessing and an anchor on our industry. However, taking advantage of the unproductive agent may be a great source of new business for an emerging business model in real estate brokerage. The unproductive agent is a great source of revenue. Lets face the reality – without the unproductive agent paying dues to REALTOR Associations, the Associations would fail, or at least be delimited. The nation’s largest trade association, which does the most [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:24:53-07:00August 31st, 2012|Broker Technology Research, Broker-Agent Information, Main category|Comments Off

Contagion is a New Word for Brokers

If you spend much time around me, you would know that I get attached to words like “curate,” and use them so frequently that it annoys the good people who are around me every day. I am working on that. I have been a student of the effort to develop, to launch, and to save the Euro. A currency sharing standard among nations is more serious, and more important than a data sharing standard. However, in many ways real estate data sharing standards are analogous. I love some of the terminology used by economists and leaders to talk about the [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:24:54-07:00August 17th, 2012|Broker Technology Research, Broker-Agent Information, Main category, MLS Insights|Comments Off

WAV Group White Paper: Brokers Missing Their Customers

Many real estate brokers believe that search engine optimization is a key tactic to master in their online strategy. There is a tendency to use statistics to make assumptions about your search engine optimization strategy that can lead you astray and have you investing your efforts and marketing dollars ineffectively. We all know the NAR research. 35% of buyers and 40% of sellers start their home search online. This is a totally misunderstood statistic. It does not tell us where the consumer starts their search online. Do not assume that it is a search engine like google, MSN, AOL, or [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:24:55-07:00August 9th, 2012|Broker Technology Research, Broker-Agent Information, Main category, MLS Insights|Comments Off

dotLoop and Trulia partner up

Press Release: SAN FRANCISCO, CA, Aug 01, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- INMAN CONNECT -- dotloop, the first real estate software company that eliminates paperwork and Trulia, a leading online marketplace for homebuyers, sellers, renters and real estate professionals, today announced a partnership to simplify the real estate process from search to close. As part of the partnership program, Trulia and dotloop will jointly promote their online real estate services to agents and homebuyers. Under the partnership, Trulia and dotloop will jointly promote both services to member agents, and help simplify real estate transactions by bringing the process online. More [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:24:55-07:00August 2nd, 2012|Broker Technology Research, Broker-Agent Information, Main category|Comments Off

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MRIS to Launch First of its Kind GPS‐Based Mobile App For Real Estate Professionals

MRIS to Launch First of its Kind GPS‐Based Mobile App For Real Estate Professionals Smarter Agent Partnership Provides On‐The‐Go MLS Access to Brokers, Agents and Consumers ROCKVILLE, MD (July 30, 2012) — Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, Inc. (MRIS), the Mid‐Atlantic Multiple Listing Service (MLS) that facilitates more than $92 million a day in real estate transactions, has announced that it recently partnered with Smarter Agent, the global leader in mobile real estate search and discovery apps to launch the first of its kind suite of mobile solutions for real estate brokers, agents and consumers. “It’s our goal to provide our [...]

By Marilyn Wilson|2018-05-03T21:24:55-07:00July 31st, 2012|Broker Technology Research, Broker-Agent Information, Main category, Press Releases, Technology Evaluation|Comments Off

Defense of Commissions

American business is founded on the principal that pricing for a product or service is based upon what a willing seller will accept, and what a willing buyer will pay. This happens on an individual basis with each transaction, and price fixing is not allowed. Recently, Casey William Hyland who purchased a home from a Home Services of America brokerage, Semonin REALTORS brought a suit challenging the 6% commission rates on real estate transactions. His claim indicated that the 6% rate was price fixing and is a Sherman Anti Trust Act Violation. When there are multiple transactions of commerce, pricing [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:24:55-07:00July 27th, 2012|Broker Technology Research, Broker-Agent Information, Main category, MLS Insights|1 Comment

Brokers pulling out of IDX

Game changers happen when businesses test radical strategies. When a company breaks from the pack they learn things that none of their competitors learn. They understand a strategy that nobody else as any experience with. They grow their business wisdom and often find new ways to edge out the competition. By studying the impacts of strategies like withdrawing from listing syndication; launching single listing websites or virtual tours; and, withdrawing from IDX, marketers can learn volumes about how these strategies impact their online strategy. Listing Syndication Strategies that work WAV Group has been studying listing syndication strategies for more than [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:24:55-07:00July 25th, 2012|Broker Technology Research, Broker-Agent Information, Main category, Virtual Office Website Series|1 Comment

Loyalty Marketing in Real Estate

An innovative concept known as loyalty marketing was heralded by the launch of American Airlines AAdvantage in the early 80’s and has since evolved to become competitive table-stakes as loyalty programs have saturated the business landscape. It is curious that an industry like real estate, powered by 80% repeat and referral business has missed the mark on loyalty marketing. Real Estate is not the only industry getting it wrong. It’s safe to say that the majority of programs consumers experience today have been designed “By Boomers for Boomers,” all while fundamental shifts in consumer purchase behavior demand that new models [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:24:55-07:00July 23rd, 2012|Broker Technology Research, Broker-Agent Information, Main category, Marketing, Sales Advisory, Strategic Planning|3 Comments

Scott Dixon and Partner buy The Real Estate Book

WAV Group congratulates our friend Scott Dixon and his colleague Stewart Christian for purchasing The Real Estate Book and affiliated publications. Scott and WAV Group partner Victor Lund have been friends for years. Lund has always admired Dixon's vision for the role that highly targeted and well produced print publications play in real estate. "Certainly, The Real Estate Book has done a great job working with their national footprint of publications. We are excited to see the next chapter of the company development under its new ownership," says Lund. The new company name is NewPoint Media Group. Here is the press release [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:24:56-07:00July 12th, 2012|Broker-Agent Information, Main category, Press Releases|Comments Off

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Stewart® Ranks in the Houston Chronicles’ Chronicle 100 for Top-Leading Companies

HOUSTON, TX (June 25, 2012) – Stewart Information Services Corp. (NYSE-STC) has been recognized by the Houston Chronicle as one of the best-performing companies in the Houston area. Stewart ranked 83 out of 100 in the Chronicle 100. The Chronicle 100 ranks publicly traded companies in the Houston area using four performance criteria for 2011. The score is based on the average of the rankings for these criteria: total revenue, annual growth in earnings per share, annual revenue growth and one-year total return. “Stewart has served the Houston market for more than a century, and we are truly honored to [...]

By Marilyn Wilson|2018-05-03T21:24:56-07:00June 26th, 2012|Broker-Agent Information, Clients, Press Releases|Comments Off