Where Real Estate Gets Its Dirt

Zillow gets in to the agent website game.

If I were a agent website vendor I might have pooped a little in my pants after reading the press release Zillow issued this morning. The gist of it is this, a WordPress based full IDX website with a CRM for only $10.00 bucks a month. $10.00 bucks! That will cause some pricing pressure out there where typically these sites run from $29.95 to $49.95 per month.

Some thoughts:

First off the landing page is great. -They do a quick video using animation to drive home their value proposition. And surprise, it’s done very well.

There’s also a quick link to see example sites (Spoiler: They look better than most agent websites I’ve seen)

When you are ordering they have a Facebook Connect link. I don’t think I would ever use this but I know a lot of people will. Smart.

The whole process of ordering an agent website is great. Contrast this to something like Homes Connect, where I’m faced with a confusing product matrix and must speak to a sales person to order product. And I have no idea how much Homes Connect is going to charge me. Zillow process makes it transparent and simple.

Homes Connect Landing Page
Zillow Landing Page

Instant satisfaction. In less than 2 minutes I’m on my site customizing. 2 minutes!

Admin of Zillow Premier Agent Website

Plus the agent gets a domain registration and their integrated CRM included with the site. And you get Diverse Solutions IDX solution, which is top notch. Did I say $10 bucks a month?

Of course there will be challenges. I still don’t think Zillow have a full understanding of how difficult it will be to support agents (hot mess). And there is still a lot of animosity towards Zillow from the agent community.

I’m very interested to see how this plays in the market place, but my initial thoughts is that they have a hit on their hands.

Full Press Release Below:
______________________________________________________________
Zillow Launches Premier Agent Websites

Customized, easy-to-build IDX-powered personal websites for real estate agents at $10 a month

SEATTLE, May 31, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Zillow, Inc. (NASDAQ: Z), the leading real estate information marketplace, today announced the launch of Premier Agent Websites, which allow real estate agents to quickly and affordably create a custom WordPress®-powered website for their personal brand and business. Premier Agent Websites include the option of an internet data exchange, or IDX, feed of local MLS listings and cost just $10 a month for agents not currently subscribed to Zillow’s Premier Agent advertising program. Subscribing Zillow® Premier Agents get a website for free.

“It’s incredibly important for real estate agents to have a Web presence, but building and maintaining a custom website with local IDX feeds is often time consuming and complex,” said Jay Thompson, director of industry outreach and social media at Zillow. “We created this product for the tens of thousands of agents in our Premier Agent program, as well as any agent who wants an easy and affordable website for only $10 a month.”

Premier Agent Websites are designed for agents who do not have their own website, wish to improve on their current website, or are looking for a more affordable custom website solution. Built on the WordPress platform, Premier Agent Websites can be created quickly without the need for Web expertise, and content can be updated easily at any time. Key features include:

Local, map-based IDX property search of multiple listing service-listed homes. An additional MLS fee may apply.
A personalized domain name of the agent’s choosing, at no additional cost.
A variety of templates, themes and colors.
The ability to add custom, local content such as a personal blog, video, real estate data and mortgage widgets, photo slideshows, and school information.
Integration with Zillow’s free customer relationship management platform to manage leads and customer contacts coming from the website.
Search engine optimization.
This announcement continues Zillow’s expansion of the Zillow Premier Agent program to include a wide variety of marketing and business services for real estate agents. The company’s fall 2011 acquisition of Diverse Solutions, a provider of MLS listings feeds for agent websites, allowed Zillow to accelerate this important initiative to help real estate agents better market their business online.

For more information, visit http://www.zillow.com/agent-websites. To learn about the Zillow Premier Agent program, visit http://www.zillow.com/advertising/agent-advertising.

About Zillow, Inc.
Zillow (NASDAQ: Z) is the leading real estate information marketplace, providing vital information about homes, real estate listings and mortgages through its mobile applications and websites, enabling homeowners, buyers, sellers and renters to connect with real estate and mortgage professionals best suited to meet their needs. More than 32 million unique users visited Zillow’s websites and mobile applications in April 2012. Zillow, Inc. operates Zillow.com®, Zillow Mortgage Marketplace, Zillow Mobile, Postlets® and Diverse Solutions™. The company is headquartered in Seattle.

The Zillow logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=10012

Zillow.com, Zillow and Postlets are registered trademarks of Zillow, Inc. Diverse Solutions is a trademark of Zillow, Inc.

WordPress is a registered trademark of WordPress Foundation Non-Profit Public Benefit Corporation.

(ZFIN)

SOURCE Zillow, Inc.

Memorial Day


“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.”
– General George Patton

Road warrior…

Rex Marr just attended his 44th NAR Midyear Conference & Expo. Shouldn’t NAR give him a medal or something? Or maybe a new liver?

Best wishes Rex, we are all thinking about you.

Errol Samuelson shows us how its done.

This is a cyclical business. You don’t want to burn any bridges. I think a lot of vendors don’t fully appreciate this notion. Two examples come to mind. When ARG pulled their listings from Zillow and Trulia you immediately saw that the You Tube site, where ARG posted a video, was filled with comments from Trulia and Zillow reps denouncing the move and going in to full on spin mode. Zillow took it a step farther by contacting ARG clients directly (through mail).

A few months ago ARMLS decided to move from iMapp to Realist. The members didn’t like the decision, a great thing for iMapp you would believe? Nope. iMapp decided to fan the fire instead of playing the role of peacekeeper. They might have won all or part of the business back but their actions made it almost impossible for ARMLS to do so.

Not exactly shining moments for any of these companies.

Now lets take a look at this recent hub-hub with Edina deciding to remove their listings from Realtor.com. Personally this move from Edina is a head scratcher. I think they have some valid points regarding accuracy, non-mls data commingling, branding and lead forms. But none of these concerns are a factor for Edina’s listings on Realtor.com. (My prediction is that they will be back on Realtor.com before the end of the year.)

But maybe this nonsense can serve as a “teachable moment” for the rest of us. The lesson today comes from Errol Samuelson from MOVE, Inc. His response to Edina is exactly how to handle the situation. If you haven’t read it yet go read it now.

Here’s an excerpt:

“However, these things said, I want to be absolutely clear: we respect Edina Realty’s decision.
We’re not going to play games with their agents, or try to compromise their standing with consumers in their market.”


Bravo.

The cure for conference call hell?

Hate conference calls as much as I do? Check out ÜberConference. It’s from the guys who did Google Voice (Grand Central). The video below is great. I dare you not to see something that has happen to you on a conference call.

They are still in beta but you can sign up with the link below for advanced access:

ÜberConference Sign Up Link

Agent Reboot hits the OC

I’m in Washington DC for NAR Midyear meetings and “raising professional standards” is a topic that keeps coming up. One of the ways that can help is education. Inman News has been putting their “Agent Reboot” roadshow for the past few years and it keeps getting better and better. The event is always highly rated by agents. I was speaking to Katie Lance, Social Media Director and Contributing Editor at Inman News, she says this year’s event is focusing on strategy, more live demos and less slide decks.

Next week the Agent Reboot roadshow stops in my home town of Orange County. Click on the link below for more details:

Agent Reboot – Orange County
Wed. May 23rd
8am to 3:30 pm (continental breakfast included)
$49 when they register online, $99 day of the event

The Orange County Association of REALTORS is the exclusive sponsor of the Orange County event.

If you’re an MLS or Associaiton and you are looking for ways to help your agents step up their game through education, check out the city list below and find out when Agent Reboot will be stopping by your home town.

Agent Reboot City List

MRIS and MFRMLS choose reDataVault

This is the first press release from RED that, to me, really clarifies what reDataVault does, and how it can help MLS providers.

“reDataVault addresses the real estate industry’s pressing need to simplify, standardize and streamline the MLS listing data licensing process by offering a document workflow system for all licensing-related documents and contracts (e.g., IDX and broker participation agreements). The system also offers automated dashboard alerts and unlimited cloud-based document storage and retrieval for 24/7 access.”

It’s interesting to see how vendors are all approaching these challenges differently. But I’m still confused to the differences between, Clareity SAFE Syndication, OnBoard’s Listing360Insight, (does FBS’ new Spark platform fall in to this category?”. Somebody should make a chart.

Full Press Release Below
————————————————-

Metropolitan Regional Information Systems (MRIS) and MY Florida Regional MLS (MFRMLS) Select Real Estate Digital’s reDataVault 
 
Service Gives Industry Professional Organizations (MLSs, Associations and Brokers) More Control Over Use of Licensed Listing Data
 
5.11.2012 – Aliso Viejo – Today, Real Estate Digital (RED) announced that MRIS, which serves more than 42,000 real estate professionals across the Mid-Atlantic region, including Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and parts of Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and MFRMLS, Florida’s largest MLS with over 32,000 members, have both signed agreements for reDataVaultTM, the industry’s leading real estate MLS data license management system.
 
reDataVault addresses the real estate industry’s pressing need to simplify, standardize and streamline the MLS listing data licensing process by offering a document workflow system for all licensing-related documents and contracts (e.g., IDX and broker participation agreements).  The system also offers automated dashboard alerts and unlimited cloud-based document storage and retrieval for 24/7 access. 
 
“MRIS is deeply committed to a secure and robust environment for our Brokers’ data,” said John L. Heithaus, Chief Marketing Officer, MRIS. “RED’s reDataVault meets and exceeds our requirements thus far.  We’re very pleased with the first generation of the product and look forward to the next generation of tools and resources to manage our most vital asset.”

“We are thrilled to be working with the professionals at Real Estate Digital. Implementation of reDataVault has been a great team effort. The new system offers us many advantages beyond simple document management and helps our staff better serve our members’ future need for properly licensed MLS data,” said Deanna Rogers, Vice-President of Business Development, My Florida Regional MLS.

According to Ira Luntz, Senior Vice President at Real Estate Digital, “data is one of the most valuable assets in the industry.  With reDataVault’s MLS-branded web portal, MLSs can upload and store agreements between Brokers and vendors, view account summaries and track all of their licensing and data transactions in detail.”

About Real Estate Digital
Real Estate Digital is the leading provider of integrated technology, media and data solutions to real estate franchisors, brokerages, agents and MLS organizations and associations. Some of its offerings include rDesk® Websites, Real Estate & Living Media®, reDataVaultTM, TransactionPoint®, DocCentralTM, FormCentralTM, MLS Portal, Neighborhood and School Reports, rDesk® CRM, rDesk® CMA and rDesk® IDX. The company has relationships with over 400 MLS organizations, 350 broker companies, nearly 60 settlement services companies and more than 250,000 real estate professionals. Visit us on the web at www.realestatedigital.com, and follow us on Twitter: @re_digital and “Like” us on Facebook.com/redigital.
 
About MRIS
MRIS is real estate in real time™, enabling its customers to list and sell nearly $100 million in real estate each day. In 2011, the company facilitated $33.6 billion in cooperative broker sales. A leading systems developer and integrator of real estate information technology and databases, MRIS connects its customers with timely, accurate and actionable data with a growing portfolio of technology solutions. This includes broker and agent software products, an industry-leading consumer real estate portal, HomesDatabase.com and many others. MRIS also showcases unique homes and offers tailored community information through its online television network, mrisTV.com. Behind the scenes, the CURE Solutions Group subsidiary of MRIS provides back-end technology to other MLS systems through CURE, a proprietary solution. MRIS serves nearly 45,000 real estate professionals spanning a 22,000 square mile section of the Mid-Atlantic region, including Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and markets located in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Visit MRIS at MRIS.com, “Like” us on Facebook.com/MRISonFB, and follow us on Twitter, @MRIS_REal_News.
 
About My Florida Regional MLS
Headquartered in Orlando, FL, My Florida Regional MLS (MFRMLS) is Florida’s largest multiple listing service (MLS) company with over 32,000 members in 13 central and southwest Florida counties. Owned by 15 shareholder Realtor® boards, MFRMLS offers a comprehensive suite of productivity and marketing tools to professionals in the real estate industry. To complement its core residential offerings, MFRMLS operates a commercial information exchange, called My Florida Commercial Real Estate, located at www.MFCRE.com.  MFRMLS also operates the consumer home and property search website www.MyFloridaHomesMLS.com.  For more information, please visit www.MFRMLS.com.

Great Cloud CMA review…

Sorry for the shameless plug but wanted to point out a great Cloud CMA review on GeekEstateBlog. The reviewer is Daniel Beer who is an active agent at Santaluz Real Estate, he focuses on real estate in San Diego. Here’s an excerpt…

“Cloud CMA is by far my favorite new toy I have come across, not just this year, but in the last several.

Why? Because it gives me two things I desperately want. Efficiency (time) and professionalism. In an industry that sometimes stinks of cheese, Cloud CMA reports look great, professional, and best of all, they take only minutes more than printing out a sad little basic CMA from your MLS. The extra minutes look like hours to your clients, making you look like a superstar.”

You can read the whole post here:

How Cloud CMA Helped Me Win Over A Home Seller

Rapattoni tests new tablet interface.

I’m just catching up from traveling this week and caught this news from Monday. Looks like Rapattoni is testing a “touch-based” tablet interface in a few markets right now. I’m not clear whether this is a native app or not. Perhaps someone from Rapatoni can clarify in the comments.

One of the challenges I think with these new touch based devices and MLS systems is searching. Typically MLS systems are all about searching and filling out forms. Typing on a tablet can be cumbersome. Rapattoni’s use of the draw feature really does tackle of lot of this issues. The video is worth a watch (click the above image). Nice job!

iMapp and Discover MLS partner to take on Corelogic in Miami

It was only a matter of time. With CoreLogic existing MLXchange MLS system only being able to work on Internet Explorer and their new Fusion MLS system not able to work on mobile devices like the iPad it looks like Miami agents have had enough.

This move seems to be unprecedented. The Miami Association of REALTORS is now paying for two different MLS solutions. This isn’t a vendor just setting up a free MLS system in hoping to gain traction, their getting paid.

I’m told that the Discover iMapp solution will be different than any of their other installations.

This is setting up to be The Showdown In The Sunshine State!. The real question is will the iMapp/Discover MLS solution gain enough traction and be able to push CoreLogic out and become Miami’s single solution? What about Greater Fort Lauderdale REALTORS? RMLS? They all must have similar issues.

One thing is for sure, mobile matters.

Full Press Release Below:

MIAMI Association of REALTORS® Selects Discover/iMapp
as Alternative MLS Application

TAMPA, FL — May 7, 2012 — iMapp® and Discover MLS today announced that the MIAMI Association of REALTORS®, the largest REALTOR® Association of the National Association of REALTORS®, have signed an agreement to launch Discover iMapp, the new initiative merging MLS and tax data into a unified, property-centric application.
“Our members demand the best tools available and Discover iMapp gives them a powerful, easy way to access the MLS on any computer, including Mac and iPad, on any browser and the ability to effectively use their mobile devices and stay in contact with their clients.” said Teresa King Kinney, CEO of the MIAMI Association of REALTORS®. “We are excited to be the first association in the country making this powerful benefit available to our members. They deserve the best and it’s our job to make sure they always get it.”

Keeping Agents at the Forefront
Existing MLS software providers have been slow to embrace mobile technology while consumer access to listing data has skyrocketed. By putting agents first, Discover iMapp emphasizes the MIAMI REALTORS’® role as the leading source for real estate information and marketing tools for agents, brokers and their clients.

“Our REALTOR® subscribers are used to having iMapp running on their iPads and all other mobile devices.” said Bill Rovillo, CEO of iMapp. “Now they can share MLS and any public record data with consumers from a single, mobile solution using trusted, MIAMI Association of REALTORS® data.”

Strong Demand From Associations

“The MIAMI Association of REALTORS® saw our presentation for the first time just three weeks ago.” said Bret Wiener, CEO of DiscoverMLS. “They instantly recognized the value to their members and approved the product for launch.”
Discover iMapp includes a real-time client portal with a live-chat feature that allows agents to interact with their clients, react to feedback on properties and instantly modify results to include the dynamic changes that often occur in the challenging search process. Discover iMapp is optimized for mobile and runs on all major web browsers, freeing users from PCs and allowing agents to use their preferred devices.

Roll-out Scheduled for Summer, 2012

The MIAMI Association of REALTORS® anticipates having the Discover iMapp System running with their existing MLS data in Summer 2012. An implementation team and work group will guide the launch and work with iMapp and Discover MLS to insure a smooth transition for all MIAMI REALTORS®.

Sponsored By Paragon Connect