Managing PR Risks Throughout Consolidation

The MLS industry faces rapid consolidation within the next few years. In just the last couple of years, the WAV Group estimates that the number of Multiple Listing Services firms have shrunk by about 15 percent, from about 750 to some 650 today. And that’s just the beginning. This is not a new business phenomenon: the energy industry over a 20-year period, from 1995 to 2015 has shrunk by half. In travel today, 16 cruise ship brands are owned by just three firms, as are the nine major rental car company brands. Only 7 hotel conglomerates own the 80 hotel brands that dominate [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:22:36-07:00October 24th, 2017|Main category|Comments Off on Managing PR Risks Throughout Consolidation

Stan Martin Promoted to MLS Director in Austin

We’re very excited to see the news that Stan Martin has been promoted to MLS Director for the Austin Board of REALTORS®! We have had the pleasure and honor of working with Stan on several projects. He has an impressive depth of understanding of where MLSs need to go and the best ways to serve ABOR members’ technology needs. He is extremely customer-centric and always looking for ways to better serve the needs of brokers of all sizes.  He is focused on continuing to improve ABOR’s MLS services for ALL members – he has worked diligently to improve the organization’s [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:22:36-07:00October 24th, 2017|Main category, MLS Insights|Comments Off on Stan Martin Promoted to MLS Director in Austin

CoreLogic Launches Partnership with SavvyCard

In the press release below, CoreLogic announces a partnership with SavvyCard that will allow CoreLogic MLSs to consider this new optional service. As you may recall, CoreLogic has been focused on enhancing the buyer portal within Matrix to make is a more full-service solution for agents providing MLS information to their clients. On the mobile side, this is also accomplished with GoMLS. This new service is an alternative that combines a variety of important agent applications into a unique and simplified service that has some outstanding connectivity to social media marketing. According to Chirs Bennett, General Manager of Real Estate [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:22:36-07:00October 24th, 2017|Broker Technology Research, Main category|Comments Off on CoreLogic Launches Partnership with SavvyCard

MLSs to Adopt Global Standard to Replace Antiquated Address System?

Friedrich Nietzsche wrote, “Early in the morning, at the break of day, in all the freshness and dawn of one’s strength, to read a book – I call that vicious!” There is a liberating freedom about the early hours of Saturday or Sunday. Unlike the other days of the week, my mind has more freedom. I wake up unfocused on the routine of my workday and embrace any number of ideas or influences that come my way. I like to read – not books like I did as a teenager so much as digital media. One of my favorite inspirations [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:22:36-07:00October 23rd, 2017|Main category, MLS Insights|Comments Off on MLSs to Adopt Global Standard to Replace Antiquated Address System?

How Great Agents Challenge Discount Brokers

Last week, WAV Group founding partner Marilyn Wilson and I had the privilege to speak to a packed room of nearly 1000 real estate agents and brokers at the Real Estate New Technology conference in Paris (R.E.N.T.). If you visit the website using Google Chrome – you can translate it (http://www.realnewtech.com). The show had about 4000 attendees and more than 200 vendors. It was very well done and I encourage you to set time in your calendar to attend next year if your budget permits. I really appreciate the invitation extended by the event’s owner and producer, Herve Parent. The [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:22:38-07:00October 23rd, 2017|Main category|Comments Off on How Great Agents Challenge Discount Brokers

Pacific Union International Acquires Empire Realty Associates

Pacific Union has acquired Empire Realty Associates, read the release below: Dear Pacific Union Colleagues: I’m excited to share the news that Pacific Union International has acquired Danville-based Empire Realty Associates, an independent luxury brokerage with 54 top-performing East Bay real estate professionals. The acquisition will continue to grow our Contra Costa region, increasing our market share in the Tri-Valley area. This alliance is a homecoming of sorts for the leadership teams of Empire Realty Associates and Pacific Union. The East Bay brokerage’s CEO and Chairperson Judi Keenholtz established Empire Realty Associations in 2002. Prior to founding that brokerage, Keenholtz was tapped [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:22:39-07:00October 18th, 2017|Main category|Comments Off on Pacific Union International Acquires Empire Realty Associates

Lone Wolf Acquires Instanet Solutions

The Transaction Management software space is one of the most competitive categories of real estate technology.  Today, Lone Wolf, one of the leading providers of broker accounting and management solutions, announced its acquisition of fellow Canadian company, Instanet Solutions.  This is the second transaction management software acquisition in the past two weeks.  Fidelity National Financial, Inc. recently acquired a majority interest in Skyslope, another highly regarded transaction management solution. Instanet provides Transaction Desk to over 500,000 REALTORS® through its partnership with MLSs and Associations across North America. Transaction Desk is a transaction management solution comprised of several cloud-based products for [...]

By |2018-08-20T07:22:50-07:00October 16th, 2017|Main category|Comments Off on Lone Wolf Acquires Instanet Solutions

Are You Market-Smart? Prove it with a Branded Market Report

Never has so much information been available to consumers on the residential real estate economy, especially on market trends important to buyers and sellers.  Buyers and sellers are self-educating themselves about market conditions long before they hire a real estate agent. This wealth of information can be confusing and even contradictory, proving once again that there’s a big difference between information and knowledge.  Perhaps that’s why consumers want agents who are as smart—or smarter—than they are about market trends.

By |2018-08-12T08:40:02-07:00October 3rd, 2017|Main category|Comments Off on Are You Market-Smart? Prove it with a Branded Market Report

Great Content Should Still Be King

The lines in the world of communication are blurring, between content that is paid for and content that is earned. Think about it. Is the last content you just read sponsored content or earned content? Do you know for sure? Did you check the source? Are you familiar with the writer?

By |2018-08-20T08:01:46-07:00October 3rd, 2017|Main category|Comments Off on Great Content Should Still Be King

Participate in WAV Group’s 2017 MLS Services and Support Survey

Gain perspective about your MLS Services and Support Offerings. Do you want to be the best MLS you can be?  Are you interested in what your members and REALTORS® across America have to say about the services and support that MLSs offer? If so, WAV Group can help you.  We’re offering a FREE service to the industry to evaluate the current state of MLS services and support. WAV Group would like to invite each of our readers to participate in our upcoming nationwide MLS Services and Support Survey.  As in past years, the WAV Group survey will measure awareness, adoption and attitudes [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:22:39-07:00September 19th, 2017|Main category, MLS Insights, Our Services, Suveys and Research|Comments Off on Participate in WAV Group’s 2017 MLS Services and Support Survey

Redfin Offers Method To Modernize IDX

“Let’s modernize IDX by linking to the listing broker!” IDX or Internet Data Exchange is a thesis that was developed by the collaboration between Brokers and MLSs that outlines a set of display rules for listings on broker websites. The idea behind IDX is that of cooperation among brokers. Fundamentally, the IDX policy states that a broker allows all other brokers participating in an MLS to display their listings on any broker (and usually Agent) website. Over the years, the IDX policy has evolved. And today, Redfin CEO, Glenn Kelman suggests a radical new change. Kelman would like the IDX [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:22:39-07:00September 19th, 2017|Broker Technology Research, Broker-Agent Information, Main category, Marketing, MLS Insights|Comments Off on Redfin Offers Method To Modernize IDX

Phishing: Preventing the Bait and Hook in the Pond of Security for Brokers

Remember a time when a fishing rod, some bait, and a lake was all that was needed for a quiet afternoon of relaxation and fun. Today, we need to deal with a different kind of “phishing”. This phishing has gone wild in the digital world and has become the preferred method by the bad guys in obtaining easy access to your corporate email platform. Access to a wealth of desirable information that includes transactional information, wire-transfer directions, and personal identifiable information (PII) of your Agents, Staff and Customers. The question becomes, “How can I protect my brokerage from becoming a [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:22:39-07:00September 18th, 2017|Broker-Agent Information, Main category, Technology Evaluation|Comments Off on Phishing: Preventing the Bait and Hook in the Pond of Security for Brokers