Looking for an Amazing New Career Opportunity?

Looking for an amazing way to leverage the network of relationships you have built in the industry?   How about selling one of the most insightful, relevant and effective educational tools in the industry today – RE Technology.com, WAV Group’s sister company? We’re looking for a few amazing sales warriors to help us expand the reach of our platform to even more agents and brokers and in turn, take their sales careers to the next level. Currently the site is available to over 750,000 agents and brokers.   It is one of the most popular tools available in nearly 100 MLSs around [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:48-07:00March 18th, 2015|Main category, Our Services|Comments Off on Looking for an Amazing New Career Opportunity?

Five Ways to Make a Thoughtful Decision about Direct Feeds

I had the honor of working with the Greater Albuquerque Association of REALTORS® today. They hosted a Town Hall asking for input on whether or not their brokers would like them to negotiate a Direct Feed from the Zillow Group on their behalf.  Michael Bustamante did a great job of framing the issues that need to be discussed and ultimately decided upon. While the issue is anything, but clear cut, there were interesting questions posed that may be helpful for you to use in your market as you try to think your way through your market’s decision about direct feeds. [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:49-07:00March 16th, 2015|Main category, MLS Insights, Strategic Planning|4 Comments

Forward Looking Technology

2015 and 2016 will be years of incredible change in real estate technology. For too long, the real estate industry evolved in an eggshell whereby data, applications, and presentation layers were composite to one another behind most fragile and isolated shell walls. Today, we see systems that separate these three components of the technology to maximize the usefulness of this information to the industry and the consumers it serves. We Got You “We got you” is a statement that can have two meanings when a technology provider speaks it. It can take on the meaning of “we screwed you” or [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:49-07:00March 12th, 2015|Broker-Agent Information, Main category, Technology Evaluation|Comments Off on Forward Looking Technology

Direct Feeds to Zillow Group

MLS RETS servers are designed to deliver IDX, VOW, and Full Data feeds to brokers and their vendors. With few exceptions, they were not purpose built for sending listing syndication feeds to publishers. Syndication feeds are the domain of Listhub. With Listhub’s support of Zillow Group’s websites going away, you must act now to determine what your plans are. MLS RETS Servers are emerging with new features that blend in Syndication support for Direct Feeds to Publishers like the Zillow Group. The defining difference between Listhub and direct feeds may be complex or simple. The complex path is considered by [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:49-07:00March 7th, 2015|Main category, MLS Insights, Strategic Planning|3 Comments

Do you love what you do?

It’s been a whirlwind past few weeks with Inman Connect and Leading RE and everything in between. And then came Valentine’s Day and I found myself writing and thinking about love: A news release on the love of our homes, a new Valentine’s video from 12-year old Sparkles Lund that captured her love of dancing, and I sat down and wrote a love letter to my wife of 22 years. So ask this question: Why do you love what you do? I asked this of a friend of mine when we both were hitting 40. He said he didn't. I [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:49-07:00February 25th, 2015|Main category, Marketing|1 Comment

Revised IDX Rules are Looming for MLSs – New Solution Announced to Help MLSs be Compliant

As you probably know by now, the rules governing IDX were revised at the NAR Meetings in November last year.  Click here to view the details of the approved changes. One of the big changes requires that every MLS provide a Web API by June 30th, 2016 to make it much easier for brokers to allow third party companies to leverage MLS data for tools used by brokers. For the non-techies among us, let me answer the first question….What the heck is an API and why should I care? According to NAR…. API, short for Application Program Interface, describes a [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:49-07:00February 25th, 2015|Main category, MLS Insights, Reports|1 Comment

Social Media or mass media?

Social media campaigns seems to be getting the bulk of attention in marketing and communication budgets these days, but I would argue that mass media still packs a far more potent punch when you are trying to build a brand or generate top of mind awareness among a mass audience. Skeptical? Let’s look at some numbers. Super bowl advertisers paid as much as $4.5 million for a 30 second spot this year – a new record – to reach 114 million viewers. That’s just over 4 cents a viewer. In 1993, advertisers paid $850,000 to reach 90 million viewers, just [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:49-07:00February 25th, 2015|Main category, Marketing|Comments Off on Social Media or mass media?

Audit Third Party Portals Today

Brokerages publish listings to third party portals as a method of advertising homes for sale. As we mentioned in our paper, the Syndication Rats Nest (Download Report), every portal displays listings differently. Moreover, portals apply different rules on the same listing if it comes from a different data source. Confused? You are not alone. Portals are constantly battling on multiple fronts. They are innovating constantly to return better value to consumers and advertisers. On any given day they segment their consumer traffic to test innovation strategies. Sometimes your listings are folded into the mix in ways that you did not [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:50-07:00February 25th, 2015|Main category|Comments Off on Audit Third Party Portals Today

Down Payment Resource™ Job Opportunity

   JOB OPPORTUNITIESAccount Manager   Down Payment Resource™ is seeking an Account Manager responsible for establishing and growing collaborative relationships with our customers and partners. With the goal of maximizing the growth and value of our existing client base, objectives for this position include strategic customer lifecycle management, customer adoption of Down Payment Resource products and services and customer satisfaction. Job requirements: Ability to work remotely Ability to travel frequently Thorough understanding of the real estate industry Knowledge of the home buying process, mortgage finance and homeownership programs 10 years of experience in real estate and account management Proficiency in [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:50-07:00February 24th, 2015|Main category, Our Services|Comments Off on Down Payment Resource™ Job Opportunity

RETS Servers and Direct Feeds

The National Association of REALTORS MLS Issues and Policy Committee made a bold move to require RESO data dictionary complainant by Jan 1, 2016, and RESO RESTful web API by June 30, 2016. Further complicating the matters is the groundswell of considerations with third party portals making requests for MLS direct feeds. Data sharing between MLS systems, RETS Update, and system conversions taking place across the industry today deepen the data transport considerations. Wrapping it all together with a lit match could easily lead to mass hysteria. WAV Group took a look at what the largest MLSs in the nation [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:50-07:00February 20th, 2015|Broker Technology Research, Broker-Agent Information, Main category|Comments Off on RETS Servers and Direct Feeds

National Broker Portal Launches Website

The national broker portal project continues to gain momentum as brokers and MLSs agree to participate in the formation of the company to explore the launch of a national MLS consumer facing website with broker governance. Although only a month into the funding period, the group is well on its way to raising the $250,000. After the holiday, the Council of MLSs hosted two online webinars on the topic. The Realty Alliance and The Leading Real Estate Companies of the World also hosted two webinars. This activity was followed by the delivery of information at the CEO Summit as part of [...]

We lost a One of a Kind Gem this Week

My heart sank this morning when I heard the news that we had lost Bob Hewes.  Bob was one of my absolute favorites in the industry – could be because he kind of reminded me of my dad who I miss desperately too. Bob had that rare dry sense of humor – you always had to pay attention or you would miss his subtle nuances and quips.  He was a born negotiator. He wasn’t happy unless he was getting a big deal for his beloved Association. the Naples Area Board of REALTORS®.   He got the best of me pretty much [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:50-07:00February 9th, 2015|Main category|Comments Off on We lost a One of a Kind Gem this Week