Where Real Estate Gets Its Dirt

Signal by 1000watt – Be there!

Have you bought your tickets to 1000watt’s Signal conference yet? I’ll be there. I went last year too, when it was held at Gilley’s in Dallas, TX. Great content, great people. This year’s Signal conference will be held June 2-4 in Denver, CO. I think for any MLS organization that wants to fire up a creative spark, or to do some professional development for their marketing and training departments, it would be money well spent.

I also hear they are also going to add a special breakout session for MLS. I’ll report more on that as we get closer to the conference.

In the meantime, they are holding a live webinar tomorrow that’s an exclusive preview of the event, hosted by Brian Boero, Marc Davison, and Jessica Swesey. They will walk through:

  • What this year’s program is designed to do (and why it matters now)
  • A look at the speaker lineup and the talks they’re most excited about
  • The hotels they recommend (and why proximity matters)
  • How to make the most of your time in Denver

That’s live tomorrow, March 6th, 12PM PT. Register for the webinar here. Buy tickets to the event here.

Compass, Redfin and an Uncertain Future

The Industry Relations Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player!

Overview

Rob and Greg discuss the implications of a new deal between Compass and Redfin that allows Compass listings to appear on Redfin without traditional listing metrics like days on market or price change history. The conversation explores how this partnership could reshape the competitive landscape among major real estate portals and accelerate the normalization of private or exclusive listings. They also debate whether private listings harm transparency or fairness in the housing market, including a heated discussion around claims that such practices impact fair housing. The episode also examines how shifting alliances between portals like Zillow, Redfin, and Homes.com could affect MLSs and industry norms. Toward the end, the conversation broadens to macro trends including AI’s potential impact on white-collar jobs, the future of real estate search, and how economic disruption could influence housing markets in the coming years. 

Key Takeaways

  • Compass and Redfin reached a deal allowing Compass listings to appear on Redfin without showing days on market or price change history. 
  • The move represents a major shift in portal alliances, potentially weakening the previous alignment between Zillow and Redfin. 
  • Private listings may become more normalized as brokers and MLSs respond to changing portal strategies. 
  • Rob argues that fair housing concerns around private listings are often overstated and distract from the real business debate. 
  • Greg suggests the practical impact may be limited if most listings ultimately still end up on MLS systems. 
  • Future home search may shift from portals to AI assistants that aggregate listings across multiple sources. 
  • The hosts discuss the broader economic implications of AI potentially replacing large numbers of white-collar jobs and how that could affect housing demand.

Links

Concerns Over Harmful Private Listing Networks Explained by NAEBA (The National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents)

Robert Reffkin dreams of lobsters 🦞🏠

Connect with Rob and Greg

Rob’s Website 

Greg’s Website 

Watch us on YouTube

Our Sponsors:

Cotality 

Notorious VIP

The Giant Steps Job Board 

Production and Editing Services by Sunbound Studios

DISCLAIMER: Greg & Rob may have business relationships with one or more of the companies discussed.

Brokers, your real estate super app is here

Rechat and Canva Unveil New Integration

By integrating with Rechat, we are empowering agents to turn live property data into polished, on-brand marketing materials in minutes.

Smart move. But the Canva deal isn’t really the story here.

The story is what Rechat has quietly become. They’ve hit 100% year-over-year revenue growth, grown their customer base by 220%, and expanded their team to 85 people across 18 countries. Their CRM adoption rate sits at 75% — which, if you’ve spent any time in this industry, you know is borderline miraculous.

I think two things are at work here to qualify that success.

Number One: Integrations. Figma last August. SkySlope. Follow Up Boss. Now Canva. Rechat CEO Shayan Hamidi says it’s about “removing friction from the creative process and meeting agents where they want to work.” This feels different than an “all-in-one” or “end to end” strategy that a lot of vendors are shooting for — they started by knowing that integrations would be part of their solution.

Number Two: Knowing who their customer is: Independent Brokers. The content that Rechat creates is of high quality and good design. Something that gives independent brokers a way of competing with Compass’ tech stack, but without all the restrictions.

Rechat isn’t trying to be everything to everyone — they’re building the platform that independent brokers didn’t know they were waiting for, and the numbers say it’s working.

VestaPlus [Sponsor]

My thanks to VestaPlus™ for sponsoring Vendor Alley this month.

VestaPlus continues to push practical innovation in MLS technology with tools that help MLSs and agents work more efficiently and deliver better service to their members and clients. They offer a full suite of MLS solutions, including the VestaPlus™ MLS system, MLSGo™ mobile app, MarketSnap™, ShowingsPlus™, SearchPlus™, and CheckMate™ compliance software, all built with an emphasis on speed, usability, and real-world workflows.

This month I want to spotlight CheckMate™, their AI-powered compliance platform that’s gaining traction nationally with MLSs of all sizes. CheckMate not only flags potential listing policy issues, it uses machine learning and automation to help teams maintain data accuracy and streamline compliance workflows, reducing manual work while keeping listing data cleaner and more reliable.

If you haven’t looked at their stack recently, now’s probably a good time.

My thanks again to them for sponsoring Vendor Alley.

Godspeed

FBS joins ROAM on its journey to form statewide marketplace

Press Release: ROAM MLS Selects FBS and the Flexmls® Platform to Support Statewide Marketplace

“Our newly established partnership with FBS will provide our members with an MLS platform that preserves many of the features and familiarity of their current native system while offering access to updated technology. This decision eliminates the need for duplicative add-ons, consolidates data into a single source, and provides our members with the opportunity for greater cost savings,” said Rhonda Reap-Curiel, ROAM MLS President”

Significant win for FBS. See below from ROAM’s website:

“What is changing

  • ROAM will launch a unified MLS platform, built specifically for ROAM by Flex MLS.
  • ROAM will retire the existing Matrix, Paragon, and legacy Flex platforms.
  • Members will be converted to the new platform with their listings, contacts, and saved searches.
  • The Clareity dashboard will be retired.

What is not changing

  • All ancillary services will remain in place, including Cloud CMA, ShowingTime, lockboxes, RentSpree, RPR, and other current tools.
  • Local support remains local.
  • Association-specific fees are unchanged as part of this announcement.”

Nice to see Cloud CMA didn’t get kicked off the island.  😅

Looking for a new gig?

Association Executive – Huntsville Area Association of REALTORS(r)

“The Huntsville Area Association of REALTORS® (HAAR) is beginning a leadership search at a moment of extraordinary growth for both the organization and the region it serves. HAAR is seeking a progressive, forward-thinking Association Executive who brings fresh ideas, proven leadership experience, and a genuine passion for elevating the value of the REALTOR® community across North Alabama.”

Chief Executive Officer – Women’s Council of REALTORS(r)

“The Women’s Council of REALTORS® is seeking its next Chief Executive Officer at a pivotal time in the organization’s history. With a mission to advance women as business leaders in the real estate industry, the Council has built one of the most respected leadership networks in real estate, serving thousands of members through a nationwide collection of state and local networks. For decades, it has played a measurable role in elevating leadership pathways, strengthening brokerages, and increasing professional opportunity across the industry.”

To find out about these jobs and more please visit the Giant Steps Job Board.

A New MLS Vendor Enters the Chat

The New Mexico Multiple Listing Service Selects reData MLS as the New MLS Software Platform for its Members

“After evaluating multiple MLS software platforms, we found reData MLS to be the fastest, most innovative, and technologically advanced.” -Crystal McCaslin, NMMLS Board Chair

I guess it was just a matter of time. UtahRealEstate.com has had their own homegrown MLS system for a while now. And just like other MLS organizations (think TheMLS/CLAW – VESTAPlus) they have decided to enter the vendor game.

I think New Mexico MLS (NMMLS) is a good start. With about 1,200 members is will be a perfect proving ground. NMMLS has already adopted the AlignedShowings property showing solution via UtahRealEstate.com’s ownership of MLSAligned.

I spoke to Brad Bjelke, CEO of UtahRealEstate.com briefly about the shift, and he told me that their goal isn’t to take over the world, but they think their MLS system could be a good solution for many MLS organizations. If you’re an MLS organization and want to find out more they have a pretty cool URL, https://realestatedata.com.

I secretly love when MLS organizations get in to the vendor game. As we all know, it’s a lot harder than it looks.

Richard Gibbens is new CEO of Intermountain MLS

Intermountain MLS Welcomes Richard Gibbens as CEO

“Richard most recently served as Chief Executive Officer of Bluegrass REALTORS®, where he led strategic modernization initiatives, strengthened broker collaboration, and advanced data and technology capabilities. Under his leadership, the organization sharpened its operational focus while building stronger alignment with brokerage partners.”

Congrats to IMLS and Richard!

MLS Independence, AI and talking to portals.

The Industry Relations Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player!

Overview

Rob and Greg discuss MLS autonomy and whether smaller organizations are truly positioned to handle independence from NAR. They examine legal exposure, slow consolidation, and the financial vulnerability of small MLSs. The conversation shifts to AI—highlighting Homes.com’s new voice search experience—and what rapid innovation means for brokers, MLSs, infrastructure, and data access moving forward. 

Key Takeaways

  • MLS consolidation is happening slowly, but smaller MLSs may face increasing legal and financial risk.
  • Independence removes guardrails and shifts more responsibility onto local leadership.
  • AI-powered search is advancing quickly, raising questions about cost, infrastructure, and long-term sustainability.
  • Agents will soon demand MLS data access for personal AI tools, and most MLSs aren’t prepared for that shift.
  • Over-regulation—whether in housing, energy, or MLS governance—can slow innovation and adaptation.

Connect with Rob and Greg

Rob’s Website 

Greg’s Website 

Watch us on YouTube

Our Sponsors:

Cotality 

Notorious VIP

The Giant Steps Job Board 

Production and Editing Services by Sunbound Studios

Sponsored By VESTAPLUS