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

Association/MLS Leadership Doesn’t Always Allow for a Consensus

Association and MLS leaders have it tough today.  The best leaders are staying on top of the latest trends, considering how emerging ideas affect their subscribers and proactively making changes to keep their organizations relevant.  Sounds like the kind of leader we all want to be right? So if this is what all leaders strive for, why is it so hard to create sustainable change? I have recently run across a few examples where the Board of Directors believed they knew the path that was best for their constituents yet they were not able to implement the path that made [...]

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 [...]

Part 2: Customer service or lip service?

[Part 2 of 2]   Last month I shared a theory that most real estate technology companies stink at customer service. I asked for people to challenge my theory, but only one person said, “You’re wrong.” Randall Standard, who heads up VoicePad, took strong exception my piece. He made several valid points in taking me to task, among which included my failure to point out that some real estate technology companies are providing good customer service. And he share this observation with me, which I think is spot on: He wrote, “A closer examination of real estate technology firms would [...]

By |2019-09-15T10:06:16-07:00January 21st, 2015|MLS Insights, Our Services|Comments Off on Part 2: Customer service or lip service?

Bad Customer Service can WIPE OUT a LOT of goodwill away in minutes!

Every company SAYS they have good customer service, but we all know the truth – many companies believe they are customer-centric, but when it comes right down to it, they don't always live up to the promise. I am going to use my brand relationship with my most frequently travelled airline to illustrate this point. With this unnamed airline I have had a really good year. I travelled almost exclusively with them, helping to raise my status level to the point where I travelled more in free upgraded first class seats than not. I was privy to the attention of [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:51-07:00January 12th, 2015|Main category, MLS Insights, Our Services, Strategic Planning|Comments Off on Bad Customer Service can WIPE OUT a LOT of goodwill away in minutes!

Time for WAV Group’s MLS Technology Survey

WAV Group would like to invite you and your MLS to participate in the fourth annual WAV Group MLS Technology Survey. This is a free, non-sponsored survey we provide for the benefit of the industry.  The more participation we have, the more accurate and valuable the findings will be for everyone. In 2013 we had over 75 MLSs participating with over 15,000 agents completing surveys. With your help, we will surpass that number this year. We are modifying the approach to the survey process. This year we will be fielding the survey in two stages for the purpose of saving [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:52-07:00December 18th, 2014|Main category, MLS Insights|Comments Off on Time for WAV Group’s MLS Technology Survey

Keep your organization ahead of the WAVes of Change happening in 2015!

As we end 2014 now is a great time to sit back and reflect on the best ways to help prepare your organization for the inevitable evolutions and revolutions we may experience next year. Do you sometimes feel like your Board of Directors and key staff are out of touch with what’s really happening in the real estate industry today? Do you sometimes feel a bit isolated and would like to know if other organizations are facing the same challenges you are? Is your organization suffering from stifled and cumbersome decision-making? Here’s what can happen when an organization is out [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:52-07:00December 18th, 2014|Broker-Agent Information, Main category, Marketing, MLS Insights, Our Services, Strategic Planning, Technology Evaluation|Comments Off on Keep your organization ahead of the WAVes of Change happening in 2015!

RealScout Secures $6M to Empower Brokers and Agents with Collaborative Search

When the Department of Justice and the National Association of REALTORS® agreed to a settlement that made virtual office website platforms available to every broker in the Nation, WAV Group expected widespread adoption and innovation of client servicing tools leveraging full/VOW data. It did not happen. Perhaps it was because of the economy was slumping or perhaps it was because of category killers like Listingbook, rDesk, and AgentAchieve. Regardless, we have kept our eyes open for innovation. A Silicon Valley based company called RealScout jumped up on the radar in a significant way this week with the announcement of over [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:55-07:00November 18th, 2014|MLS Insights, Press Releases, Technology Evaluation|Comments Off on RealScout Secures $6M to Empower Brokers and Agents with Collaborative Search

Waves of Change Are Coming…Are you Ready?

We all know that the floor is shifting in the real estate industry. There’s a general discomfort among brokers and Associations that the world as we know it could go away soon. So what can you do to prepare?   Are you staying close to the new players entering the real estate space? Are you listening closely to what today’s real estate customers are demanding and many times NOT getting from their agent?  Are you proactively talking about the ways that the industry is changing and how it is affecting your local real estate marketplace? Here’s what can happen when an [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:56-07:00October 31st, 2014|Main category, Marketing, MLS Insights, Our Services, Strategic Planning|Comments Off on Waves of Change Are Coming…Are you Ready?

MLSListings in the Lead Pack of MLS Adopting Homesnap

Homesnap is approaching the Nation’s leading MLSs with one heck of a value proposition. The company optimizes all of the MLS data for mobile devices and delivers it through an app to agents…..for free. Well, its free for the first year. Homesnap is among a small handful of mobile solution providers that offer agent-only data.  The agents can access the full listing data along with showing instructions, commission splits, agent roster, and other confidential fields. The MLS data is organized and combined with census data, tax data, and geographic boundaries that are important to agents in the field. The solution [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:57-07:00October 16th, 2014|Main category, MLS Insights|2 Comments

Raising MLS User Intelligence with MLS Drip Training

All MLS systems are pretty easy to use. Without any training, even a new real estate professional should be able to access the MLS and use its core features like search and add/edit listings. Watching a new agent log into the MLS is a great way to measure the ease of use. Try it sometime. Raising MLS user intelligence is a goal of every MLS organization. When WAV Group performs MLS user satisfaction surveys we learn that a large problem is that MLSs provide services and features that many users don’t know about. We did a survey last year for [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:57-07:00October 15th, 2014|Main category, MLS Insights, Our Services|Comments Off on Raising MLS User Intelligence with MLS Drip Training

Broker Back Office Powered By MLS

MLSs have taken a relentless beating by large brokers over the last year.  The message was clear, help us! Brokers are fighting for their lives in a technology cold war where they see everyone as a co-petitor.  Third party sites are co-petitors in attracting consumers to property search websites. MLS consumer sites are sometimes co-petitors too. Obviously, other brokers are co-petitor's, especially when it comes to the paradox of the MLS services vs. brokerage services. For many brokers today, it is hard to know who is your friend and who is your enemy. It begs the question, “why can’t we [...]