Where Real Estate Gets Its Dirt

AAR shows CAR how’s it done.

Congrats to Bob Bemis and the entire ARMLS team. Interesting how much differently this went than calREDD, California Association of REALTORS (CAR) state-wide MLS effort, last year. But, that’s another blog post.

Full Press Release Below:
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Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service Goes Statewide
August 8, 2011
Tempe, Arizona – The Directors of the Arizona Association of REALTORS® (AAR) today voted to purchase
the Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service, Inc. (ARMLS®), making it the largest statewide MLS in the country. Today’s historic vote follows years of discussion which turned serious in March 2010 when the AAR Directors approved a full investigation and the formation of a workgroup to study the merits of a statewide MLS. A complete written report of the findings and comparisons was released in July 2010. Additional research included two membership-wide surveys and feedback from local association/MLS executives to understand their services and costs. A preliminary business plan was presented to AAR Directors in March 2011. Parallel discussions were held among ARMLS’s four local shareholder associations, Scottsdale Area, Phoenix, West Maricopa and Southeast Valley Regional, who individually voted in July to approve the negotiated terms of the sale and sell 100% of their shares in ARMLS to AAR. AAR’s CEO Tom Farley, seen as one of the driving forces behind the purchase, claims that “once other stakeholders recognized the advantages for Arizona Realtors, the project took on a life of its own, overcoming significant financial and political hurdles along the way. In the end it became clear it was the right thing to do.” The new entity, Arizona Multiple Listing Service, will be a wholly-owned subsidiary of AAR and will
employ ARMLS CEO, Bob Bemis, to lead the new organization. “It is an honor and a privilege to serve the MLS needs of Arizona Realtors and to bring enhanced services to all of Arizona Realtor associations.” The new entity will experience a change in governance, preserving larger associations’ representation by virtue of size, but also giving smaller associations a meaningful voice. The new governance model seeks to preserve both interests while maintaining the over-arching goal that this new system is for the benefit of the statewide membership. Duane Fouts, the current AAR Chair, sees the new structure as a win-win for all Arizona Realtors. “While the current members of ARMLS will see no dues increase, they will now be able to service their clients anywhere in the state. Smaller local associations who join will be able to increase services as well as take advantage of the cost efficiencies and buying power of the larger organization.” Current ARMLS President Bill Ashker sees the move as an opportunity that respects the autonomy of each of the 21 local state associations. “The decision to join the statewide effort is an individual one that the Board of Directors of each association will make when its current MLS contract comes up for renewal. Their decision will be based on their own value assessment for its members.” Each local association will be offered two options of participation, either a wholesale or a full service approach. Statewide MLS paves the road for another AAR initiative, the Arizona Realtor Business Interface (ARBI), a platform which integrates a Statewide MLS with AAR’s current zipForm®, transaction management and digital signature benefits. ARBI’s dashboard would make it possible for Arizona Realtors to access many possible two-way channels, including MLS and public records, digital maps, electronic forms, digital signatures, Realtors Property Resource™ (RPR™), transaction management, iMapp, broker back-office support, third party applications and more.ARMLS Press Release re: AAR vote Page 2
FBS, Inc., owner of flexmls® Web, the current MLS system used by ARMLS, will remain as the MLS software vendor for the new entity, with the added advantage that Tucson and Santa Cruz MLS are already using the flexmls® system. Complete integration is projected to take until the end of 2012. Full details of the statewide MLS proposal can be found at www.aaronline.com.
About ARMLS: Since 1982, Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service, Inc. (ARMLS) has provided property data compilation services to its 30,000 real estate Agents, Brokers and Appraisers, called Subscribers, who
account for over 80% of the Realtors® in Arizona. It serves real estate professionals in Maricopa and Pinal counties, and provides its Subscribers with data sharing capability with Tucson and Rocky Point,
Mexico. ARMLS also enables its Subscribers to utilize state-of-the-art real estate applications by licensing its data to real estate technology vendors. In addition to property data compilation, ARMLS, as the “Voice of Real Estate for Arizona,” prepares market reports and analysis to assist its Subscribers in
their businesses and the media in its real estate reporting. Learn more about ARMLS at www.armls.com or www.armlsbog.com.
About AAR:
The Arizona Association of REALTORS® (AAR) is the largest trade association in Arizona, representing approximately 42,000 Arizona REALTORS® belonging to 21 local associations. It is governed by a 126 member Board of Directors and a fifteen member Executive Committee. Eighty-six percent of AAR’s
membership belongs to the five largest local Realtor associations (Phoenix, Tucson, Scottsdale Area, West Maricopa and SouthEast Valley Regional). Members are active real estate licensees from all areas of real estate, including residential, commercial, property management, land, appraisal, and relocation.
Learn more about www.aaronline.com.

MLS Domains Association Issues Update

Bob Bemis, President of MLS Domains Association aka the CEO of ARMLS has sent out an update on the status of their .MLS initiative. I’ve reposted it here:

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ICANN decision means .MLS will happen Q1 of 2012

In June 2011, the board of directors of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) met in Singapore to consider the status of the new top-level domain effort. ICANN is the international organization responsible for managing top-level domains or “TLDs” (such as .COM, .US, etc.) on the Internet. Some national governments opposed certain proposed ICANN policies leading up to Singapore, and there was speculation that ICANN might further delay the application window (which was originally expected to open early in 2010). But ICANN adopted the final version of its Applicant Guidebook and announced that the application window would finally open in the first quarter of 2012. (See the more detailed timeline in the sidebar at the right.)

Like many companies and non-profits planning to apply for new TLDs, MLS Domains Association has been forced to stand on the sidelines, monitoring developments, conserving its financial strength, and preparing to act once ICANN announced a firm schedule.

This apparent dormancy can now come to an end: ICANN’s actions in Singapore allow the Association to move onto the field of play, and the Association’s focus now is to select its technical partners for operating the .MLS registry, secure support from industry sponsors, and launch a new membership drive and member retention effort. All this should lead to an application to ICANN in the first quarter of 2012 and operation of .MLS sometime in 2013.

What is ‘MLS’ worth in the mind of consumers?

One premise of the MLS Domains Association’s efforts is that consumers know what “MLS” and “multiple listing service” mean, that they trust MLSs as reliable, neutral sources of listing information, and that they will recognize and value sites on the .MLS top-level domain or “TLD.” The board of directors of MLS Domains Association has decided to commission research to assess the truth of that premise.

The board has retained WAVGroup to provide qualitative and quantitative data to demonstrate the brand value of MLS for consumers and to better understand the connotations of the MLS brand to consumers and how it affects their perception of data quality and overall site integrity. The project will involve two different surveys: One will assess the attitudes of a randomly selected panel of consumers. The other will survey visitors to MLS web sites. WAVGroup will also assess the use of “MLS” as a keyword for search using Hitwise.

The Association will send a separate invitation to all member MLSs with consumer-facing websites to participate by placing a ‘button’ with an embedded link on the home page of their consumer-facing sites asking consumers to participate. The survey will be live from August 22 until September 21.

WAVGroup and the Association expect to announce some or all of the results before the CMLS conference in Tucson in early October.

Please agree to cooperate with the survey when you receive your invitation. The results will be important to the future success of the MLS Domains Association!

Real estate industry commentators support new TLDs and .MLS concept

As a result of the recent ICANN decision to open the application process for new top-level domains by the first quarter of 2012, leading industry observers are beginning to take notice of the revolutionary changes this action will bring to real estate marketing.

Phil Butler, in Realty Biz News, explains it this way: We “will be able to park a domain out there branded like never before. Instead of a dot com, or dot net, even a dot biz domain suffix, many businesses will register domains like dot coke, dot pepsi, dot apple, and so on. As you can see, the leveraged position and brand protection here is enormous.” Butler continues, “Like so many other traditional business niches, real estate has lagged a bit in adopting proper strategies for utilizing the so called ‘conversation’ – engaging in a two way dialogue digitally… ‘Dot Branding’ is a term real estate brokers and investors need to learn, or ask their attorneys about.”

In a Real Estate Technology blog, Victor Lund (the WAV Group), comments: “This new ICANN initiative will represent one of the most significant evolutions of domain names since the inception of the Internet.” Seasoned Association Executive Belton Jennings advises that “One small step the industry COULD take right now would be to wholeheartedly embrace the .mls domain idea.”

And intellectual property attorney and legal counsel for CMLS John Reese says, “There are at least two significant implications for brand owners and others doing business in an online world. Businesses need to seriously consider either banding together with others to develop a community or generic domain name, such as financial institutions adopting the gTLD .bank.”

Or MLS organizations, by adopting .MLS as the brand for real estate information that is accurate, timely, and unbiased. As always, if you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Association at info [at] MLSDomains [dot] org.”

Get your CMLS on…

CMLS is only 60 days away. As you may already know it will be hosted this year in Tucson Arizona. Every year CMLS seems to get larger and larger. Here’s a few tips:
1. Be there. CMLS is the premier conference if you have anything to do with the MLS industry. Early bird registration ends next week so register today.

2. Book your Hotel reservations now. A little birdy told me that the rooms under the special rate are almost sold out.

3. If you want to exhibit/sponsor you need to sign up now. Space is limited and almost all tables are sold out.

4. A draft agenda has just been posted. You can check it out here.

Lots of new stuff this year including a new Legal Seminar. See you there!

Vendor Alley Stickers have arrived!

The new Vendor Alley stickers have arrived! Suitable for adornment to your favorite accessory! Want to make your new MacBook Pro look cool? Does you Thinkpad needs a little sumthin? Well then a Vendor Alley sticker is exactly what you need and I’m giving them away for free!

Just send a self addressed stamp envelope to (keeping it old school baby):

Vendor Alley Sticker Offer
123 Main Street
Suite 201
Huntington Beach, CA 92648

First come. First serve.

Market Leader acquires SharperAgent

Things are really heating up. Looks like Ian and the boys aren’t sitting still and looking to make a run at it… More on this later today.

Full press release below:

Company Release – 08/04/2011 08:00

Industry Leaders Come Together to Create Comprehensive, Integrated and Best-in-Class Software Platform for Real Estate Professionals

KIRKLAND, WA — (MARKET WIRE) — 08/04/11 — Market Leader (NASDAQ: LEDR) (http://www.MarketLeader.com), a leader in online marketing and technology solutions for real estate professionals, today announced the acquisition of Denver-based SharperAgent, a leading provider of online and print marketing suites with more than 30,000 real estate agent users across North America.

The acquisition represents the latest in a series of moves by Market Leader to create a comprehensive and integrated software platform for real estate professionals across the United States and Canada. Market Leader’s platform provides real estate franchise organizations, brokerage companies and all of their real estate professionals with one seamless, lead-to-close solution to manage and grow their real estate business.

“We are responding to a clear and growing demand from leading brokerage firms and franchises for a single integrated, best-in-class solution that meets all of their technology and marketing needs,” said Ian Morris, CEO of Market Leader. “SharperAgent is recognized as the leader in providing world-class customized marketing solutions, and we are eager to combine the strengths of our two companies to better serve our collective customers and the entire real estate professional community.”

SharperAgent’s marketing suite offers industry-leading marketing content, a robust marketing campaign management system for multi-channel distribution, and a multitude of online and offline tools.

Market Leader and SharperAgent will immediately begin working together to provide integrated solutions for the nation’s leading real estate franchise organizations and brokerage companies. The integrated platform will include:

Consumer lead generation and cultivation;
Customer relationship management;
Design and print solutions for all online and offline marketing needs;
Online and offline campaign management;
Social media and blogging integration;
Agent and office websites including nationwide MLS integration;
Agent accountability and team management;
Intranet and team communication;
Lender and partner integration;
Call center management;
Agent recruiting;
Integration with in-house and third party information sources.
“Market Leader is one of the dynamic companies helping to change the nature of competition within the real estate industry, through developing software that provides industry leaders with a single, seamless platform,” said John Featherston, CEO of RISMedia. “I believe the acquisition of SharperAgent, which has its own successful track record in the industry, will enhance Market Leader’s overall value proposition and its continued success.”

Current SharperAgent customers will continue to enjoy their current subscription options as well as integration with Market Leader products in the future. To learn more about SharperAgent products, please visit http://www.sharperagent.com.

“Today’s real estate professional needs a technology platform that is truly integrated, to seamlessly connect with consumers,” said Brian Wildermuth, president and co-founder of SharperAgent. “We look forward to continuing to provide great service to our clients while joining Market Leader in creating a world-class platform for our collective customers and the entire real estate community.”

To learn more about Market Leader, please call 1-800-984-7037 or visit www.marketleader.com.

About Market Leader

Market Leader (NASDAQ: LEDR) provides more than 50,000 real estate agents, teams and brokerage companies with a complete lead-to-close marketing and technology system that enables them to grow and manage their business. Founded in 1999 by a second-generation real estate agent, Market Leader enables success for its customers with subscription-based real estate marketing software, a complete contact management system and advertising products that enable them to generate a steady stream of prospects, plus the systems and training they need to convert these prospects into clients.

With a long history of innovation, Market Leader pioneered online lead generation for real estate professionals a decade ago and today is the leading marketing partner to the real estate industry. Market Leader’s national consumer real estate sites provide its customers with access to millions of future home buyers and sellers while providing consumers with free access to the information they seek throughout the home buying and selling process.

For more information on Market Leader visit www.MarketLeader.com.

Press Contact:
Matt Heinz
Heinz Marketing for Market Leader Inc.
877-291-0006
matt [at] heinzmarketing [dot] com

Investor Contact:
Mark Lamb
Director of Investor Relations
Market Leader, Inc.
425-952-5801
markl [at] marketleader [dot] com

Source: Market Leader, Inc.

When patents attack….

I love This American Life. This latest episode is a must listen. It’s about patents. With the NAR CIVIX settlement wrapping up and now this, the story is very timely. To me this is the biggest issue facing the technology industry and independent software developers are the biggest target. Gulp!

Nice scoop @rqd !

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