Many thanks to the folks at Inman News for posting an article about our new Vendor Alley Jobs Board.
You can read the full article here:
A Smarter Solution – Real Estate Job Hunting 101
Thanks Katie!
MOVE puts on the white hat.
Recently I wrote a post about “What’s MOVE’s next move?”. The following week Curt Beardsley, a VP at MOVE, did a lot of demos to news and industry people about what they’ve been working on. My business partner Dan Woolley and I were lucky enough to get a demo.
Dan and I have known Curt for quite a long time. In a nutshell Curt’s first company, True North Technology created the first web-based MLS system. Yup, that’s right he invented the internet based MLS system, take that Al Gore!! They were bought by GTE Enterprise Solutions, creators of T-III, which is where he met a guy named Errol Samuelson. Errol now is the president of Realtor.com.
Anyway we were lucky enough to get a demo of new tool for real estate professionals they call, “Find“.
The first thing I have to say about Find is that its freaking awesome! The way it blends public records data, MLS data, on the fly heat mapping, and pychographic data just blows your mind. But MOVE figured out that the key to understand this data is centered around the way you search. You might even say that you need to make sure you can “FIND” what you are looking for! I’ve seen other sites/products that try to pull off the natural language searching and most have failed. Find nails it.
Find is intuitive, fast and as a software developer inspiring.
But the technology is only half the story. It’s up in about 40 MLS providers around the country and it’s free to REALTORS. The only catch is MOVE would like MLS providers to provide their sold data to MOVE.com to implement the solution.
And what does MOVE what to do with this sold data? Sell it to direct marketers? No. Use it to build AVMs? Nope. Slice and dice the data and create derivative products for the mortgage industry? Not even close.
Here’s what they want to do:
Improve the consumer search experience on Realtor.com.
That’s it! In a nutshell, make the National Association of REALTORS flagship site, Realtor.com, (already #1) even better. I’m surprised that more people aren’t writing about this.
In the past the industry has been pretty vocal about what it doesn’t like about Realtor.com. I’m sure that there will still be a lot of Realtor.com “haters” out there, but with all the hype around MLS data it’s refreshing to see a company who is focused on improving their service and creating new tools that give real estate professionals back the edge. And that’s definitely something I agree with.
Don’t fear the ReaPeR?
Remember how you could play albums backwards and hear secret messages? On The Beatles album, “Abbey Road” many people heard the phrase “Paul is Dead”, which caused many fans to believe that Paul McCartney had died in a car crash.
Some messages are not so hard to understand. Take the 1976 hit from Blue Oyster Cult, “Don’t fear the Reaper”
“All our times have come
Here but now they’re gone
Seasons don’t fear the reaper
Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain..we can be like they are…”
MRIS sent a message to RPR that was loud and clear. “Thanks, but no thanks”. This is significant and symbolic in a lot of ways.
1. MRIS is the largest MLS provider in the country.
Not being able to get the largest MLS in country to sign up doesn’t bode well for the future.
2. Dale Ross, RPR’s CEO, is the former CEO of MRIS
If you can’t get the MLS you used to run sign up, then who can you get?
3. MRIS covers Washington D.C. the very place RPR hopes to sell the MLS data.
If you can’t get the local MLS to sign up, then how good is your coverage?
Plus 2 other significant developments have happen.
1. Laura Wolford has left the VP of marketing position or MRIS and has been replaced by Rob Hahn (as a consultant), the blogger/consultant who declared “The death of RPR” is now running their marketing department. Not a great sign for RPR either.
2. Also, rumor is that MRIS is working on a home grown version of RPR, where they get to keep all the profits. Doubters might say that this will prove to be unsuccessful. These doubters are wrong and have not been paying attention to what MRIS CEO David Charron and his team have accomplished in the past several years.
“Come on baby…don’t fear the reaper
Baby take my hand…don’t fear the reaper
We’ll be able to fly…don’t fear the reaper
Baby I’m your man…”
Of course the MRIS board of directors could change their mind, but when you add all these factors up it doesn’t look good.
“La la la la la
La la la la la”
It’s clear now that RPR not offering MLS providers a way to share revenue generated from their respective data was a mistake. Some companies are not only allowing MLS to “dip their beak” , but go for a swim!
So the solution is pretty clear, the MLSs have spoken…. MORE COW BELL RPR!!!
The industry’s worst kept secret is now official…
Real estate industry RETS Diva Princess Kristen Carr has joined RPR. Kristen’s most recent gig has been with Bridge Interactive. Lately I’ve been impressed with posts on her blog “Real Technology“.
Her role will be in Industry Relations, predominately in the Southeast. Good move on RPR’s part (Mona can spot talent). However, it will be interesting to see how Kristen juggles her passion for RETS with RPR’s vision of real estate data standards.
Good luck Kristen!
Vendor Alley Jobs Board is live!
I’m happy to announce the creation of a new “jobs board” for the real estate industry! Since I get a fair amount of readers from all facets of the real estate industry I didn’t limit the jobs listed to just vendors.
The URL is http://Jobs.VendorAlley.com
My wish is for this to become a central hub for anyone involved in the real estate industry; whether a vendor, MLS, association, title company, franchisor, or real estate brokerage to find a job.
I’ve kept it pretty inexpensive. Only $29.95 to post a job for 30 days via PayPal. So far I’m starting with 4 categories:
Sales
Tech
MLS/Association staff
MLS/Association CEO
I consider this a version 1 release. I’ll be spiffing it up later. I would also love your feedback on making it better. Just e-mail me at vendor.alley at gmail dot com
Thanks!
Greg
“I will survive” video -Title Edition
If you loved the “Life of a Realtor” video, then you’ll love Lisa Anglin of Fidelity Title singing “I will survive”
My favorite lyric:
“First I was afraid, I was petrfied. Kept thinking SB133 I’m surely gonna get fired….”
Thanks again Niki!
What’s MOVE’s next move?
Things are sure heating up in the RPR arena. Matt Carter at Inman News wrote a great piece earlier this week (BTW Matt is quickly becoming the “must read” writer if you are following the MLS industry) One of the things I’m very interested in seeing is what MOVE is up to. Like a jilted lover MOVE was a little bit stung when NAR decided to forego their technology and cozy up to LPS. You gotta wonder whether Errol is happy with all the attention Marty Frame is receiving.
And product wunderkind Curt Beardsley must be more than a bit annoyed at all the fawning RPR’s revamped Cyberhomes UI is receiving.
Something tells me that Errol and Curt have more than a few tricks up their sleeve.
eNeighborhoods knows the way to San Jose.
Nice to hear some good news coming from eNeighborhoods. Looks like SoCalMLS extended their commitment and, in somewhat of a surprise, MLSListings signed on as well. Muy bueno!
Read full press release below:
Mercado Real Estate Marketing Platform Grows with Addition of Three More California MLSs
CRISNET MLS, SoCalMLS, and MLSListings deliver member benefits with statewide real estate marketing platform.
Boca Raton, FL (PRWEB) February 11, 2010 — eNeighborhoods, a leading provider of real estate information and marketing systems, announced today the expansion of Mercado, California’s statewide
real estate marketing platform.
The expansion includes the addition of Van Nuys-based CRISNET, Anaheim-based Southern California Multiple Listing Service (SoCalMLS), and Sunnyvale-based MLSListings, all of which have signed on to provide Mercado as a member benefit. Mercado now provides statewide access to MLS information and marketing applications for more than 110,000 users and 4.5 million active and off-market listings.
Mercado is a Web-based marketing system that leverages the cross-MLS property search of MLSAlliance, joining together multiple California MLS databases, with local information on neighborhoods, school districts, and community demographics. Mercado provides real estate professionals with a single gateway to a vast amount of real estate information throughout the state for producing personalized CMAs, buyer tours, and single-property profiles, along with market-to-market comparisons and referral opportunities.
“With this expansion, Mercado now unites the two largest MLSs in Northern California with the three largest MLSs in Southern California,” said Andy Woolley, eNeighborhoods vice president and general manager. “Our goal has been to deliver marketing tools agents and brokers can use every day to further leverage the power of their MLS systems. To see Mercado grow in size and usage so quickly indicates that the technology investments being made by these MLSs are paying off by enabling them to deliver additional member benefits today and in the future.”
Mercado will be launched to other MLSs participating in the California MLSAlliance over the next several months, and is expected to be available eventually to real estate professionals throughout California.
About eNeighborhoods
eNeighborhoods, a division of Dominion Enterprises, is the nation’s premier compiler of real estate related home and neighborhood information, providing the real estate and marketing services industries with a comprehensive set of marketing and analytical tools. In 2002, eNeighborhoods became a partner in the National Association of REALTORS REALTOR Benefits Program. The company provides MLS data sharing and marketing tools to top MLS organizations in the United States, Canada, and Australia. The company maintains strategic alliances with major real estate franchisers, including CENTURY 21, Coldwell Banker, ERA, EXIT Realty, GMAC, Keller Williams, Prudential, Realty Executives and RE/MAX International as well as many of the major independent brokerages. For more information on the company, visit www.eneighborhoods.com.
About Dominion Enterprises
Dominion Enterprises is a leading marketing services company serving the automotive, enthusiast and commercial vehicle, real estate, apartment rental, and employment industries. The company’s businesses provide a comprehensive suite of technology-based marketing solutions including Internet advertising, lead generation, CRM, Web site design and hosting, and data management services. The company has more than 45 market-leading Web sites reaching more than 16.7 million unique visitors, and more than 450 magazines with a weekly circulation of 4.3 million. Headquartered in Norfolk, Va., the company has 5,400 employees in more than 200 offices nationwide. For more information, visit http://www.DominionEnterprises.com.
The Notorious MRIS?
Is it true?
RUMOR: First American offers up to 40% rev share with MLS providers
Looks like First American in wake of the recent COVE meetings in Scottsdale have been offering a 40% revenue share deal to MLS Providers who sign with them exclusively . 15% for a non-exclusive deal.
This is in direct response to RPR policy of not sharing revenues derived from sale and use of MLS data.
The other interesting thing I’ve heard is RPR’s response. Word is they plan to ignore MLS providers and go straight to brokers for permission.
Can anyone confirm??
Oh man this is getting verrrrrrry interesting!
