Where Real Estate Gets Its Dirt

OJO Labs acquires WolfNet

OJO Labs acquires WolfNet Technologies

“Specific financial terms were not made public but the deal involved a mix of equity and stock.

The founders of both companies, who had previously been working together on a partnership wherein OJO was using multiple listing service (MLS) data from Wolfnet, said that the deal made sense because of the synergies to be found between them, merging a new consumer-facing property search tool in the form of OJO with a trusted agent-and-broker focused software and data company in the form of WolfNet.”

Seems like every week a deal gets announced and this is a pretty big one! I con only think of one other vendor that currently aggregates the amount of MLS data WolfNet does. I don’t know much about OJO Labs but they are VC backed.

Joel is definitely an O.G. in the industry and a big congrats to him and his team.

Listing Bits Episode 33: Choosing the Right MLS Technology Solutions with DaVina Lara of OBAR & bridgeMLS

 

How do MLS executives make decisions around which technology solutions work best for their REALTOR-members? What motivates leadership to establish a system of choice? Are there benefits to offering agents options when it comes to MLS solutions? And what are the challenges associated with giving members more alternatives?

DaVina Lara is the CEO of the Oakland/Berkeley Association of REALTORSand bridgeMLS. Her career in real estate began working for Russ Bergeron at SoCalMLS in 1993. Since then, she has served as an association executive with both the Hemet San Jacinto and Palm Springs Regional Association of REALTORS. DaVina took on the role of OBAR CEO in August of 2015 and added the MLS leadership responsibilities in April of 2016. She is committed to providing members with access to reliable data through innovative technology, offering subscribers access to 10-plus MLSs across California.

Today, DaVina shares her extensive industry resume, discussing her early years as the office manager for SoCalMLS through her current role as MLS and association executive. She explains the thinking behind her decision to implement a system of choice and what impressed her about the dynaConnections’ connectMLS system. Listen in for DaVina’s insight around the pros and cons of offering members additional technology options and learn more about the trend to separate listing input from MLS systems.

What’s Discussed:

DaVina’s early years as the office manager for OCMLS

DaVina’s extensive resume in the real estate industry

Why DaVina is establishing a system of choice

DaVina’s goals as the CEO of bridgeMLS

  1. Change name, reputation
  2. Improve governance structure
  3. More advanced technology

The advantages of dynaConnections’ connectMLS system

-Give members options

-Great mobile site

-Phenomenal service

How data is shared in SoCal vs. the Bay Area

DaVina’s plan to provide connectMLS training

The trend to separate listing input from MLS systems

The relationship between choices and support challenges

 

Resources:

Cloud MLX

dynaConnections

connectMLS

Bridge Interactive

Paragon

BOOST MLS Staff Summit

 

Connect with DaVina Lara:

DaVina on LinkedIn

bridgeMLS

Oakland/Berkeley Association of REALTORS

Florida MLS provider kicks Homesnap to the curb

Florida’s Space Coast listing service ditches its Homesnap site

“In an Oct. 2 announcement and email to members, Space Coast MLS said the Homesnap-powered public search on its new association website “wasn’t the right fit for our needs” and had been replaced by a search tool from Financial Business Systems’ (FBS) Flexmls, a previous vendor, while Space Coast MLS works on a permanent solution.”

Looks like Space Coast was iframing Homesnap as their public facing site, which according to Steve Barnes..

““This is really kind of a fringe case related to Homesnap,” Barnes said in a phone interview, adding that none of the other MLSs that iframe Homesnap’s site have chosen to turn it off.

“What it might say is a very local MLS needs unique flavor and a more seamless [tool]. Iframe might not be the best solution for them, but it’s not something that’s actually core to the Homesnap brand,” he added.”

But here’s the rub. According to the article whether you iframe or not you still can’t filter on pools? WTF?

Also, something else. Did you know that you can’t get listing alerts via Homesnap? That’s right you have to login on to the site run a saved search manually (like a caveman) and then find out if properties match your criteria. Unless of course if you just wanted a home with a pool because there is no way to do that currently.

Think about it, it’s 2018 and Homesnap can’t

1. Search for homes with pools
2. Create and send listing alerts (which is ironic because this.)

2 things, I’m sure 99% of IDX vendors have been able to do, for the last 19 years.

Who the fuck cares about “fair display guidelines” if you can’t search for homes with a pool or get listing alerts?

And this is supposed to be “the real estate’s industry answer to third party sites like Zillow and realtor.com”.

I bet they are laughing their asses off in Seattle and Silicon Valley.

But hey, “downloads”, right?

Listing Bits Episode 32: The Influence of Design on a Real Estate Brokerage with Matt Beall of Hawai’i Life

How does design impact a real estate brokerage? Does it go beyond aesthetics to influence processes? How does quality design shape the user experience? And what are the benefits of an in-house creative team?  

Matt Beall is the CEO and Principal Broker at Hawai’i Life, the state’s largest listing brokerage with over $25M in annual revenue across 13 commercial locations. He founded Hawai’i Life in 2008 to solve for representation of properties in marketing and digital technology, and now the firm does thousands of transactions each year, representing approximately $1B in sales. Matt also produces the Worthshop Series, a unique industry event designed to facilitate content and conversation among real estate’s brightest minds, and he serves as the cohost of HGTV’s popular reality show Hawaii Life.

Today, Matt shares his diverse experience in real estate, discussing how his background in sales, investing and running a traditional brokerage inspired him to found Hawai’i Life and what differentiates the company from other firms in the space. He explains the value of design in creating a clean and simple user experience and his decision to employ a full-time team of creatives and engineers. Matt also describes the benefits of being featured on HGTV in terms of brand awareness and credibility. Listen in for a preview of this year’s Worthshop at Mauna Kea Resort and learn how the design focus at Hawai’i Life contributes to its company culture.

What’s Discussed: 

Matt’s background running a traditional brokerage

What inspired Matt to found Hawai’i Life in 2008

Hawai’i Life’s recent merger with Joy International

Why Matt employs a full-time creative design team

Hawai’i Life’s focus on simplicity in user experience

The benefits of being featured on HGTV

The aim of Hawai’i Life’s annual Worthshop Series

What differentiates Worthshop from other conferences

The key aspects of Hawai’i Life’s company culture

How an ‘ethos of reset’ influences the tone of Worthshop

 

Resources:

Hawaii Life on HGTV

Worthshop Series

CMLS 2018

 

Connect with Matt Beall:

Hawai’i Life

Matt on LinkedIn

Worthshop 8

MLS PIN promotes key executives Melissa Lindberg and Holly Haines

I’m still catching up from the CMLS conference but didn’t want to forget to share this exciting news.

MLS Property Information Network, Inc. Appoints Melissa Lindberg to Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer

“In this new role, Melissa will provide leadership and management while focusing on MLS PIN’s strategic initiatives and opportunities in alignment with the company’s goals for growth. Her responsibilities include industry relations, marketing and communication, expansion, customer engagement and education, product user interface, and the roll-out of company initiatives.”

MLS Property Information Network, Inc. Appoints Holly Haines to Chief Operating Officer

“In this new role, Holly will provide leadership and management while focusing on organizational excellence and technical vision in alignment with the company’s goals for growth. Her major responsibilities include internal operations, software and product development, quality assurance, administration, and human resources.”

In reading both press releases about Melissa and Holly’s accomplishments it easy to see why Kathy has given them these new responsibilities. Congrats to Melissa and Holly.

Looking for a little help….

My company, W+R Studios, is running a “Fall Promo” this year. For the first time we are offering all agents the chance to try all our products in the Cloud Agent Suite free until the end of the year. That means agents could have as much as 3 months of free service, this includes our premium product, Cloud Attract, which is usually over $100 per month. And also for the first time we are releasing the new Cloud CMA to all current and new agents.

I recruited some of our W+R employees and made a short video to promote the special offer. I really think it came out great.

What we need to do now is spread the word. So we’ve made it super simple for our friends who want to help by providing 2 things.

1. A co-branded landing page. Here’s what MFRMLS’ looks like:

2. A personalized Media Kit. This will have sample emails, copy, social posts, everything you need. Check out this link to see what MFRMLS Media Kit looks like —->Click to see MFRMLS Media Kit

So please drop Katie or me a line and we will build you a co-branded landing page and send you a personalized media kit.

katie [at] wrstudios dot com
greg [at] wrstudios dot com

If you don’t need a landing page or kit, just sent them to http://cloudagentsuite.com

One of the side effects I’m noticing is that this promotion really helping driving adoption. A lot of the signups are for free member benefit tools. So help me, help you!

The team has some pretty hefty goals, so even if its one email, or one post on your MLS login page, it would really help.

Thanks in advance!

Black Knight integrates Homebot in to Paragon MLS

BLACK KNIGHT INTEGRATES HOMEBOT INTO ITS PARAGON MLS SYSTEM Provides Brokers and Agents With Cutting-Edge Client Engagement Solution

The Homebot integration represents another example of Black Knight’s continual enhancement of Paragon’s Collaboration Center, which provides brokers and agents with advanced features, collaborative tools and capabilities to help them serve the needs of prospective home buyers and sellers. Paragon’s Collaboration Center also enables agents to provide their clients with one common, mobile-optimized portal throughout the entire real estate life cycle.

This is pretty cool. I’m not too familiar with Homebot but what I found interesting is the integration with Paragon MLS. Forget the fact that Homebot uses Black Knight’s data, since Homebot is a mobile-optimized collaborative tool they are integrating it as part of their Paragon MLS Collaboration Center.

While there is an additional charge to agents/brokers for using Homebot they are giving them (Homebot) a huge opportunity by placing the app in an area of the Paragon MLS where agents are already looking to collaborate with their clients. Putting apps (or call it an ad) in places that mirror what the agent is already doing should boost signups, compared to placement on a random dashboard.

Trestle Web API goes Platinum

CORELOGIC TRESTLE WEB API EARNS RESO PLATINUM CERTIFICATION

“Reaching the Platinum Web API standard is an important milestone for Trestle,” said Amy Gorce, principal of business development for CoreLogic Real Estate Solutions. “Platinum certification verifies that Trestle implements 100 percent of the RESO Web API functionality, providing maximum flexibility and interoperability. This achievement supports the efforts of clients and real estate technology providers to create a new class of solutions with on-demand access to the most up-to-date listing information available.”

We have had some limited interaction with CoreLogic’s Trestle group and I’ve been impressed with their responsiveness. I know the team wants to create something that will work in “the real world”.

I’m looking forward to RESO’s Fall Conference in a couple of weeks. I’m still not clear on how vendors, like W+R Studios, can help the effort. It seems that there is a lot of work to be done before vendors can start successfully using the new Web API. And I’m not sure where’s the bottleneck. Right now, I don’t see it being vendors.

Jim Speer named CEO of newly formed regional MLS.

MLSLI and HGMLS Merge to Form Regional MLS

“he Multiple Listing Service of Long Island, Inc. (MLSLI) and the Hudson Gateway Multiple Listing Service (HGMLS) have merged to form the New York MLS, LLC. The new MLS will consist of approximately 40,000 real estate professionals, serving Nassau, Suffolk, Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Bronx, and Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan and Orange Counties.
….
Jim Speer, the Sr. Vice President of Operations for MLSLI for over 30 years, will serve as Chief Executive Officer for the new MLS. Speer says, “With the alliance of two successful MLSs, members gain entry to a vast selection of integrated technology tools and resources which will better serve their buyers and sellers.”

Combined it looks like the new MLS will be over 40,000 agents. I saw Jim speak at the CMLS conference, along with Richard Haggerty of the Hudson Gateway Assn. where they went over some of the details. While I’m sure there were some bumps in the road (and a few ahead) it really sounded like the process wasn’t overly dramatic for a MLS that size. Big Congrats to Jim, MLSLI and HGMLS.

Sponsored By Paragon Connect