Main category Archives

California MLS Data Sharing Update

California Regional MLS and MLS Listings have reached an agreement to share MLS listing data. This is an important signal of MLS strategy in California for a number of reasons. These MLSs are planning to share data by sending data to each other for display in each other’s system and use by each other’s subscribers without the need to belong to both MLSs. Previously, CRMLS only pursued data sharing through CARETS™, a hub and spoke data share product developed by MRIS. Through this new sharing agreement with MLS Listings, CRMLS now has adopted three initiatives to create a statewide MLS [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:24:12-07:00May 9th, 2014|Main category, Press Releases|1 Comment

Third Party Site or MLS? Why not both?

MLSs, with their consumer-facing websites, long to find ways to make their sites more engaging, attracting more visitors and ultimately more exposure to their member’s listings. The Houston Association of REALTORS®, arguably one of the most progressive and gutsy Associations in America today, has done it again. They have become the first MLS consumer site in America to allow listings from brokers around the state of Texas via Listhub. Listing syndicator ListHub will feed listings to public-facing websites operated by multiple listing services, and the Houston Association of Realtors is the first to sign up for the new program, which [...]

By Marilyn Wilson|2018-05-03T21:24:12-07:00May 7th, 2014|Main category, MLS Insights, Our Services, Technology Evaluation|2 Comments

The Right and Wrong of Broker Data

There is a lot of confusion about real estate listing data today. I believe that the confusion is the cause of agitation that pits technology companies, consumers, real estate agents, pundits, MLSs, Franchises, and Associations of REALTORS against one another. For many, there is a belief that the listing data is free and access should be provided to all. The reality is that the listing data is legally bound to the real estate listing broker who is the custodian and responsible party for that data. Being a custodian, or the responsible party has nearly boundless latitude and altitude. Today’s real [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:24:12-07:00May 7th, 2014|Broker-Agent Information, Main category, MLS Insights, Our Services|3 Comments

Resourcefulness

If anything put fear back into the real estate industry lately, it was the sluggish first quarter performance. There are few valid explanations for it. Inventory is at a reasonable level and interest rates are low. People should be buying homes like they did last year. Rather than trying to figure it out, it is time to apply a healthy dose of resourcefulness into the business. The best way to do that is audit your expenses and your people. A typical story There are times when WAV Group finds significant problems in a business that management did not see. But [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:24:12-07:00May 7th, 2014|Main category, MLS Insights, Our Services|Comments Off

Professional “Standards” – Are we kidding ourselves?

We have had the pleasure of facilitating several strategic plans in the past few months with many of the nation’s leading Associations. We have seen an important theme emerge in many of these discussions – Professional Standards. While most organizations feel as though they are doing a good job of maintaining current expectations for professional standards, some weaknesses have been revealed. When asked, most organizations will readily admit that there are agents and brokers that are NOT upholding the Code of Ethics and standards of conduct to the level that most members are. Even though boards regularly admit that there [...]

By Marilyn Wilson|2018-05-03T21:24:12-07:00May 7th, 2014|Main category, MLS Insights, Our Services|Comments Off

Video Marketing – Becoming Mainstream

With all the marketing tools at your disposable, what should you use to stand out from the competition? Staying ahead of the curve allows you to maximize your marketing ROI and attract new clients. We are all looking for the secret sauce – the way to differentiate our business from the pack and gain a strong leadership position that none of our competitors will ever be able to match. While we can dream, we can never realize this goal unless we continually look for ways to re-invent our business. To be a star in real estate, we always need to [...]

By Marilyn Wilson|2020-11-06T06:51:15-08:00May 7th, 2014|Broker-Agent Information, Main category, Our Services, Reports, Technology Evaluation|10 Comments

Gurtej Sodhi Appointed Chief Strategy Officer of Crye Leike Group of Companies

Longtime chief information officer, Gurtej Sodhi has been appointed to the senior business leadership of the Crye Leike Group of Companies. His new title strings together Chief Information and Strategy Officer, and Corporate Executive Vice President. This new position at one of America’s leading brokers signals a new strategic direction for large firms. Sodhi’s responsibilities will reach over all of the Crye Leike companies including residential real estate, commercial real estate, mortgage, title, insurance and various other business units. “Information management is changing quickly in real estate and large firms with diverse business units require top level oversight to integrate [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:24:13-07:00May 6th, 2014|Main category, Press Releases|1 Comment

Austin Syndication News Flash

The Austin Board of REALTORS® and MLS made the historic move to turn off listing syndication with Listhub. The choir loft was full of tenored voices eschewing every possible angle of opinion on the strategy. Well, the saga continues with this latest news flash. Austin has entered into a direct syndication agreement with Trulia, governed by a contract that all parties have agreed to. Brokers are in control of their data, and the agreement protects and governs the use and display of that data. Here is the press release. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Austin Board of REALTORS® Partners with Trulia to [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:24:13-07:00May 1st, 2014|Main category|Comments Off

Value of Buyers Agent Diminishing, Study Reveals

WAV Group has had the pleasure of working with the Houston Association of REALTOR®’s Consumer Research Panel for over a year now. The panel has helped the organization uncover many meaningful insights that have helped share technology strategies, advocacy efforts, and educational efforts. Today, the Houston Association of REALTORS® released the findings of their “DIY: Do It Yourself” consumer research panel study. The purpose of the study was to gauge how important Houston area consumers feel agents are to the transaction. The survey, which was fielded to the 7,000 consumers that are now a part of the industry’s largest consumer [...]

By Marilyn Wilson|2018-05-03T21:24:13-07:00April 25th, 2014|Broker-Agent Information, Clients, Main category, Our Services, Reports|1 Comment

MRIS Seeking Seasoned and Strategic Director of Marketing

Director of Marketing, Communications, Events & Education Position and Company Overview Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, Inc. (MRIS, Inc.), located in Rockville, MD, is the largest real estate information service in North America serving the information needs of nearly 40,000 real estate professionals in the Mid-Atlantic. The company helps facilitate over $60B in residential real estate transactions each year and provide breakthrough technology designed to create value and innovation for the real estate industry. The company offers a leading edge suite of real estate marketing tools and technologies to its customers available both via subscription and a la carte purchases. MRIS [...]

By Marilyn Wilson|2018-05-03T21:24:13-07:00April 25th, 2014|Clients, Main category, Marketing, Our Services|Comments Off

Broker AVMs
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Broker AVMs

Broker Technology Research, Main category, Our Services

Broker AVMs

One of the core services of brokerages and their agents is pricing property. In the olden days, it was less scientific than it is right now. On an individual property, agents deliver CMAs or BPOs. Today, using MLS data, brokers are now automating their services. Sometimes this service is called Automated Valuation Modeling, or AVMs. There is a healthy and robust marketplace for AVMs in the financial services industry. Banks want to know the debt-to-equity ratio on homes they hold mortgages on. They also want to use AVMs as a method to validate home appraisals. The government uses AVMs to [...]

By Victor Lund|2018-05-03T21:24:13-07:00April 21st, 2014|Broker Technology Research, Main category, Our Services|2 Comments