File this under Satire…
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Nextdoor launches. Includes Rich Barton of Zillow on board of directors.
“Before I built a wall I’d ask to know
What I was walling in or walling out,
And to whom I was like to give offense.
Something there is that doesn’t love a wall,
That wants it down.”
Excerpt from “Mending Wall” by Robert Frost
Know Thy Neighbor, is what Nextdoor, a new social network site that is launching today, wants you to take to heart. I admit being new to my neighborhood I have only made causal contact with my own neighbors (polite waves in the driveway). But Nextdoor wants to change all that. By setting up a neighborhood website you can engage with your neighborhoods online. So instead walking over and asking for a cup of sugar, you can write a post asking them for a cup of sugar. Progress!
Part of me thinks this a great idea and part of me thinks its sad that we need to hunch over our computers inside the cocoon of our homes in order to interact with people who are literally right next door (no pun intended).
But I can say that many relationships I’ve made online have then led to IRL meetups that have turned out to be great. Then again Mr. Frost’s poem, I referenced at the beginning of this, post does end with the old English proverb…”Good fences make good neighbors”
Check out Gigaom for a good write up about the new site. And below is a video.
W&R Studios loses the hyphen, updates website, world peace achieved.
http://wr-studios.com is now, wait for it……. http://WRStudios.com
We have also updated the site and our blog Lightning|Twice (consider them a work in progress).
Only on Vendor Alley is this news. : )
Rhode Island State-Wide MLS thinks RETS IQ Contact ™ is wicked smart.
“greater control of the MLS listing database and RETS feeds.”
Seems to be a lot of hubbub in this space. RED has a solution with reDataVault, I believe OnBoard Informatics has one (Listings 360 insight), so does Bridge Interactive Group (RETS IQ Contact™ Server) and I feel like I’m missing someone else. But I’m still not clear on the difference between each of their respective solutions and what main problems they are solving. Part of me hopes it could be some sort of “Data Socket” as Brian Boero suggested at CMLS 2011 and in a recent blog post.
We tried to do a panel with some of these player at the CMLS Listings Summit earlier this year but it was a bit confusing. I’d like to see the same thing again, somewhere.
That being said, I think Bridge Interactive does the best job explaining their value proposition, which is mainly due to focus. Their website is chock-full of good content and videos. And it seems that the only deals I see announced in this space is from Bridge. Here’s another:
________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Rhode Island State-Wide Multiple Listing Selects Bridge Interactive Group’s RETS IQ Contact™ Server
Atlanta, GA, October 14, 2011- Bridge Interactive Group (Bridge) announced today that Rhode Island State-Wide MLS selected Bridge’s Contact RETS server for greater control of the MLS listing database and RETS feeds.
“We chose RETS IQ Contact over other RETS servers for its advanced reporting tools, ability to control access to our listing database, ease of use, and affordability” says Mike Letendre, Chief Information Officer at State-Wide MLS. “We have had a very positive experience working with the Bridge staff during the transition to their Contact server, and look forward to a long working relationship with their team.”
Pace Davis, Bridge’s President, says “State-Wide MLS was looking for a robust solution to provide complete control of their listing data and RETS management. We are thrilled that they have chosen Contact as their solution, and are pleased to add Rhode Island State-Wide MLS to our growing list of clients.”
Bridge’s RETS IQ Contact is an MLS-level RETS data management tool that provides detailed control and use reporting for MLS RETS access. RETS IQ Contact has the most comprehensive RETS usage reporting in the industry. Contact stores each and every RETS action then presents that data in several easy-to-read, analytical reports. Contact enables MLS staff to review real-time queries, the number of listings, amounts of data requested and much more. Executive-level summary reports are presented in clear, graphical detail allowing the MLS Administrator or Executive to quickly review and monitor activity on the RETS server. In addition, Contact makes troubleshooting RETS simple. Help Desk or Administrative staff can easily identify failed queries and identify the problem, such as a misspelled word or an improper character. Failed queries are displayed in red which makes them easy to identify and therefore, quicker to manage.
About Bridge Interactive Group
Bridge Interactive Group specializes in providing cutting edge technology and
services to the real estate industry. Bridge offers solutions for listing syndication
control, RETS data usage and monitoring, account management and billing, and
add/edit functionality via its RETS IQ product suite. Bridge technologies are used
by MLS System Vendors, MLSs, Brokers, and more than 280,000 agents. For
more information about Bridge Interactive Group, please visit www.retsiq.com, or contact Turan Tekin at: phone- 404.310.6475, email- turan at retsiq dot com
CMLS Brings It!
There are two upcoming events that if you haven’t already heard about you should definitely check out:
October 31st, 2011
CMLS Brings It – The Impact of the Proposed IDX Rule Changes
Online Meeting regarding the NAR PAG Report on IDX from all angles and share your thoughts with your peers. Hosted by CMLS and featuring Bob Bemis, ARMLS; Matt Cohen, Clareity Consulting; Jim Harrison, MLS Listings; John Rees, Esq.; Greg Manship, Intermountain MLS; Cathy Holefelder, Heartland MLS and other invited guests, this WebEx will lay out the possible rule changes and the impact on MLSs.
November 9th, 2011
CMLS Brings It to the Table- Branding the MLS
CMLS is bringing another timely topic to the Table at NAR’s Annual Conference- Join us as we explore the Challenges and Opportunities for the MLS industry as regards Branding the MLS Data to reflect Value and Accuracy in the marketplace.
Today’s WTF Friday Edition: First American offers to buy back CoreLogic
“CoreLogic, whose stock is down about 40% since the split, said in late August it was forming an independent committee to explore strategic options, including a possible merger or a sale.
The timing of that announcement, coming amid a difficult real estate market and a rocky stock market, isn’t the best, according to a First American Financial filing made with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday.
A deal “could result in a sale of the entire company at a price that would not be beneficial to (First American’s) long-term shareholders,” the company said in the regulatory filing.”
My take on this is that First American doesn’t want someone else to own the company.
Via the Orange County Business Journal
Interview with Matt Cohen on new IDX policy changes.
I’m in Minneapolis this week and had a chance to hook up with Matt Cohen. There is a lot of discussion going on regarding the IDX PAG recommendations. You can read Matt’s comments on this subject on his blog here.
I haven’t done any interviews of this type before (so pardon my flubs) but Matt was kind enough to share his thoughts with me about these upcoming policy changes. Enjoy.
Occupy MLS
Dear people of the MLS,
I just purchased the domain name:
www.OccupyMLS.com
You’re welcome.
gr
Pat Bybee resigns from Metrolist.
I can’t imagine not having Pat in the industry. Hopefully she’s got something already lined up.
http://insiderealestatenews.com/2011/10/bybee-resigns-from-metrolist/
Batman, Real Estate Agent
The real reason Batman hung up his cape and became a REALTOR.
Don’t forget to follow him at @BatmanREAgent
