There are billions of dollars pouring into our industry today-- investment bankers and venture capitalists alike have caught the real estate bug. If the programs and companies you offer don’t meet the ever-changing needs of consumers, then you’re not going to be around for long.
Preparing for a Strategic Planning session involves a process of gaining a holistic view of the organization. Understanding your customer’s perspective is always the primary driver that informs everything. But understanding of staff culture and capabilities; system strengths and limitations; financial conditions; and industry trends pave a path to developing a plan that works. At the end of the day, the board of directors and the management team agree to a group of initiatives that will make the business stronger, and the strategic plan is born. Some organizations in real estate take the plan and execute it flawlessly where others [...]
WAV Group conducts more subscriber satisfaction research for MLSs than anyone else in the country, including our industry first Customer Experience Index. We have a depth of understanding of the key drivers of satisfaction and perceived relevance for MLS organizations. Here’s the 5 key opportunities for improving your MLS’ satisfaction and relevance as you move into 2023: Go TO Your Members Create a Field Support/Training Team There is NOTHING that drives up customer engagement and satisfaction for MLSs more than a team of customer servants that go out into the field, attending office meetings, broker events and community events. These [...]
Trends are a numbers game. The bigger the data set, the better the answers. That is exactly what the WAV Group Customer Experience Index (CXI) is producing — great answers. WAV Group has fielded hundreds of surveys over the last two plus decades. As consultants, we have been able to, over the years, garner insights from previous surveys that help inform current clients. However, what the industry was missing was the ability to stack results side-by-side and understand true areas of strength and opportunity, not just in local markets, but for MLS organizations nationally. But data is only as good [...]
Here at WAV Group, we invest a lot in business intelligence. Business intelligence is a broad term that can mean a lot of things. We define it as a 360-degree review that combines the collection of information from a variety of sources, then benchmarked against peer groups.
Years ago, after the acquisition from Brookfield, WAV Group collaborated with a team at Pacific Union to take a historical snapshot of the brand from the eyes of the consumer and the agent. We identified that the local, boutique essence of the Pacific Union brand had been eroded over time by efforts to grow through recruiting anyone and everyone.
There is a saying that goes, “The squeaky wheel gets the oil.” From a repair perspective, that is a good rule to follow, but far too often organizations let the “squeaky wheel” drive important strategic decisions that affect the future direction of the MLS or association. I have seen this happen many times first-hand while creating hundreds of strategic plans for organizations over the years and as an advisor for the Louisiana's broker-owned MLS, Greater Southern MLS. While customer feedback and interviews play an important role in understanding your challenges, as leaders on the board of directors, or in the executive offices, it is crucial that you temper what you hear with real numbers. WAV Group’s Customer Experience Index (CXI) is the first industry wide standard collecting and comparing numbers for MLSs across markets.
From WAV Group’s over 20 years of fielding MLS and association customer satisfaction surveys, and from the launch of our new program the WAV Group Customer Experience Index, we have learned a lot about how to use survey results to turn a disgruntled subscriber into a raving fan. Here is a time-tested process that sometimes takes your worst critic and turns them into your most loyal supporter.
What is the role of the MLS to run consumer facing, lead generating real estate websites? This has been a question that the industry has struggled with since the beginning of the internet search era. For many years, many brokers were not in support of MLS consumer websites because they felt they were competitive with their own online efforts. The classic mantra was “don’t level the playing field.”
MLSs and Associations have websites that display brokerage and agent rosters, but very few of them provide the kind of information that a potential consumer wants to see when selecting a professional. Brokers (and their technology vendors) would love to get a data feed of their agents. The utility of this data feed goes beyond display on the broker/agent website.
If I told you I could run a 40-yard dash in only 20 seconds, you might think that is amazing, unless you knew that professional athletes run it in more like 4 seconds. The point is that simply measuring your performance without a standard can warp your perspective. But what is the standard that you SHOULD use to measure your aptitude?
Clootrack surveyed over 102 customer experience experts in a recent study that looked at the importance of the customer experience as a key differentiator for successful businesses. The second biggest challenge these experts pointed to, for organizations improving the customer experience, was this idea of a customer-first mindset.
