AOL-MOVEing in on property portals

Large consumer search portals like Google, Yahoo, and AOL have had an interesting, if not mystical strategy toward real estate. Today, AOL made an announcement to become a syndication channel for real estate listings. Perhaps AOL is going against the grain, or perhaps they finally found a great partner who made it easy for them to get enough quality listings on their site to make it a viable search solution for property. In today’s announcement, AOL Real Estate search will be powered by Move through the ListHub Syndication Network. No doubt, the strategy for AOL and Move fits. Both companies [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:25:31-07:00August 17th, 2011|Broker Technology Research, Main category, MLS Insights|Comments Off on AOL-MOVEing in on property portals

Enough Analysis Paralysis! Time for MLSs and Associations to make it happen!

Kim Prior from Onboard Informatics posted a great article on RETechnology.com today entitled:  MLSs Taking Control of Your Destiny. All I can say is “Well said, Kim!”  Her article talks about how our industry is stuck in the mode of “analysis paralysis.” We love to talk about problems, but we rarely actually DO anything about it quickly and decisively. Well I say,  “Enough postulating real estate industry – time for some decisions and some action!” […]

By |2018-05-03T21:25:34-07:00July 21st, 2011|Main category, MLS Insights|2 Comments

If you’re not promoting rentals, you’re missing the boat!

The world has changed.  Many consumers that used to want to live the “American Dream” of homeownership have given up on that dream – at least for now – and have turned to renting, instead of buying.   They may have lost their home, or simply don’t believe that buying a home is a good investment anymore.  Still others simply cannot afford to buy a home because they have lost their job or they have been forced to take a lower paying job just to keep food on the table. Are we just going to abandon these folks because they aren’t [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:25:37-07:00June 29th, 2011|Broker Technology Research, Main category, MLS Insights, Suveys and Research|Comments Off on If you’re not promoting rentals, you’re missing the boat!

Googles Next Step in Real Estate Search

Google Real Estate Last July, search and technology giant, Google announced an agreement to acquire ITA Software for around $700 Million. ITA software is a company that cut its teeth in the travel industry powering websites like Orbitz and Kayak. Google has been struggling with supporting consumers in real estate search for many years. They have had many fits and starts, including Google Base. With Google Base, the company tried to aggregate listing data and sort it out. Google Base was a failure and they shut it down. Now with ITA Software, Google may be back on track with [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:25:38-07:00June 25th, 2011|Broker Technology Research, Main category, Technology Evaluation|Comments Off on Googles Next Step in Real Estate Search

Marilyn Wilson Presentation at MLS Cloud Conference

Thanks to so many of you who requested Marilyn’s powerpoint presentation that was delivered at the MLS Cloud Conference hosted by the Houston Association of REALTORS. It has been a pain to email given the size, so it is posted here and you can download it. Contact Marilyn directly if you would like any details, narration or publishing permissions. […]

By |2018-05-03T21:25:38-07:00June 22nd, 2011|Main category, MLS Insights, Reports|Comments Off on Marilyn Wilson Presentation at MLS Cloud Conference

MLS Domains Association Update

Dot MLS Domains In 2009, many of the most progressive real estate technology CEOs set forth to combine their efforts around providing an internet construct that allows consumers to know when they are on an official website powered by MLS data. The problem that consumers face today is that there are so many property search websites which claim to offer MLS data, but do not. Under the current Internet guidelines and provisions, it is nearly impossible for organized real estate to put an end to these false MLS claims that hoodwink consumers. To cure this issue for consumers and [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:25:38-07:00June 21st, 2011|Main category, MLS Insights|Comments Off on MLS Domains Association Update

Generating Non Dues Revenue

Generating Non Dues Revenue MLSs and Associations of REALTORS® are facing budget woes. The decline in the housing market created a cascading impact on dues revenue.  The number of subscribers to MLS service has retreated to 2006 averages, coupled with membership losses to Associations of REALTORS®. In isolated real estate markets around the country, MLSs and Associations have become creative at building revenue streams outside of subscription fees and membership dues. Advertising is chief among them. As you have read in leading real estate media sources like RE Technology, Inman News and RIS Media, there are a number of [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:25:39-07:00June 13th, 2011|Main category, MLS Insights, Strategic Planning|Comments Off on Generating Non Dues Revenue