Game changer move/deals of 2010:

MOVE acquiring ListHub.

I was not only impressed in the stealth this deal was made but the ripples it caused throughout the industry.

LPS Real Estate Group resigning GAMLS

LPS’ Paragon MLS system has the rep of not scaling to large MLS systems.  REInsight in their answer.  Signing GAMLS on this new MLS system has put LPS Real Estate Group back in the game with large and Mega MLS providers .  Whether or not a Flash (Adobe Flex) based solution is the right move remains to be seen.

calREDD “merging” with MRMLS, now CRMLS.

calREDD made the right move in shutting down and turning over operations to real MLS professionals.  Art Carter has already had some success by taking over the Southland Regional Assn. (which was previously managed by SoCalMLS), which now brings his membership to about 44,000.  How big will that number be in 2011?

Nick Rapattoni leaving Rapattoni.

This was a shocker.  What the impact may be, only time will tell.

N.A.R. MLS Policy Committee recommending to allow Franchisors to display indexed IDX listings.

One question.  Why restrict advertising around these indexed listings? If NAR wants to help Franchisors compete with sites like Zillow and Trulia, let them compete!

Best new product of 2010:

Cloud CMA.
What the hell else do you think I would say!!??

Vendor Alley “April Fools” post that actually came true!

Aprils Fools Post:

Nick Rapattoni leaves company, starts Death Metal rock band

Real Post

Nick Rapattoni steps down as Rapattoni’s President to pursue music career.

April Fool’s Post

Trulia announces huge profits, employees quit citing “coolness factor”, “gone”.

Real Post

Trulia Clearly Profitable – An Interview With Co-Founder Sami Inkinen

Top Influencers not “listed”

Brian Boero and Marc Davison
Co-founders, 1000watt Consulting
It’s hard to find now and will be harder to find in the future any national real estate websites that will not have Brian and Marc’s finger prints all over them, which is a good thing.

Jay Gaskill
CEO, LPS Real Estate Group
Haven’t heard of him?  That’s fine by Jay.

Mike Wurzer
CEO, FBS Data Systems
Not blogging as much as he has in the past but still one of industry’s most forward thinkers.

Rob Hahn
7DS Associates
His posts are long, wonkish and influential.

CMLS
Only getting bigger.  Look for their blog/website to really take off in 2011.

What to watch in 2011

Real Living
They just launched a new national website, look for some major innovation coming from these guys next year.  They will surprise you.

RPR

I think 2011 will be a pivotal year for NAR’s RPR effort.  They have made some great progress in 2010 and I believe that will continue to happen in 2011, maybe even signing a few Mega MLS providers.  But I also think they will have 3 issues to deal with:

1.  The Money-  In order for their model to work they need coverage.  I don’t think they’ve reached critical mass enough to begin making any real money to start taking off.

2.  Burn Rate – They’ve got an All-Star Team at RPR.  How long before they have to go back to NAR for some more money?  I don’t see that happening in 2011 but you gotta wonder how long is their runway.

3.  Their Products – Brian Larson has already stated that their tax data is not a valid replacement for MLS providers.  And RRP will soon see how hard it is (as any Vendor knows), to get agents/brokers to use their products.  Realtors are a tough sell.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m bullish on RPR, I’d like to see them succeed.  Here’s two ideas.

1.  Share the wealth with MLS providers.
2.  Give any CMA app the ability to include an RVM and other data from RPR.

RE/MAX
Big changes in 2011 are in the making, you read it here first.

MOVE
They made some big moves in 2010.  2011 will be no different.

I’m calling 2010 – “The Year of The Listing”

Here’s why:

Remember back in the day when it was all about “leads”? You had a dozen companies who’s revenue model was based on their ability to sell REALTORS “qualified” leads. Even before that you had real estate portals bragging about how many listings they had on their site. Now the model has morphed as big players have figured out new ways to monetize listing data.

It all began when NAR realized that their members lost their mojo. They no longer had control of a proprietary database, called the MLS, and the data was all over this new fangled thing called the internet.

NAR put together the best and the brightest in the industry and formed a PAG (Presidential Advisory Committee) to work on an innovative solution for fix their members woes. Something new! Something fresh! And what fresh and innovative ideas did they come up with? Drumroll please…..a proprietary database, this time called RPR.

That’s when shit hit the fan. Some declared the effort DOA. But mostly nobody knew what it was.

After flirting with MOVE they choose LPS over First American (now CoreLogic) to power their new system.

RPR told MLS providers that they should surrender their data for free, and in return they would receive (like it or not) free tax data. MLS providers balked, RPR’s effort stalled and left the door wide open for competitors to join the party.

Hell have no fury as a title company scorned, and CoreLogic went immediately to market with a competitive product of their own, and they were willing to share. Then MOVE walked in to the party looking HOT, like an old girlfriend should, with their new FInd product just to show RPR what they’ve been missing.

Meanwhile the “interlopers” were making money on the internet the old fashion way, advertising.

Zillow’s innovations drove traffic while they hinted at an IPO and Trulia’s SEO wizards increased their traffic and they announce profitability.

But, then MOVE played the role of spoiler again when they announced they just got married to ListHub. Trulia felt “two timed” and cried.

Then things began to get ugly.

Zillow responded they were bigger than MOVE, and started a pissing match. Then RPR accused CoreLogic of something.

And those are only some of the stories I can share, all in pursuit of the mighty listing!