“We will never sacrifice service to our existing customers to growth. We just won’t. Our first priority is taking care of our customers.”

Merri Jo Cowen is the CEO of Stellar MLS, the third-largest regional MLS in the US with nearly 60K members in 16 REALTOR Associations throughout Central and Southwest Florida and Puerto Rico. Formerly known as My Florida Regional MLS, the organization’s recent rebrand is inspired by its reputation as the country’s most customer-focused MLS and intention to design a curated experience for each subscriber. Merri Jo’s resume also includes a 6-year run as CEO of Northern Nevada Regional MLS, and in her 35-plus years in the industry, she served as president of CMLSand played an integral role in the development of the CMLXprofessional accreditation program.

Today, Merri Jo shares her journey from entering listing input at the Reno Board of Realtors to CEO of Stellar, offering insight around the challenges she faced in moving from NNRMLS to MFRMLS in 2008. She discusses her commitment to foster future industry leaders, her involvement in the MLS Grid, and her proactive approach to solving for front-end of choice. Listen in to understand how MFRMLS has grown under Merri Jo’s leadership—without sacrificing service—and learn how the organization is working to create a ‘curated customer journey’ for each of its members.

What’s Discussed: 

Merri Jo’s journey from entering listing input to MLS CEO 

Merri Jo’s commitment to foster future industry leaders

Merri Jo’s leadership in developing the CMLX program  

The challenges of moving from NNRMLS to MFRMLS

The experience of expanding Stellar to include Puerto Rico

What inspired the rebranding of MFRMLS to Stellar MLS

Stellar’s emphasis on creating a curated customer journey

Why Merri Jo sees value in being part of the MLS Grid

Merri Jo’s proactive approach to solving front-end of choice

Resources:

NNRMLS

CMLS

CMLX

Shelley Specchio

Chris Carrillo

Sean Murphy

T3 Summit

MLS Grid

Flexmls

Matrix

Remine

Cloud MLX

NAR Legislative Meetings

Rapattoni

Connect with Merri Jo:

Stellar MLS

Email: ceo [at] stellarmls [dot] com

“It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth” – Abraham Lincoln

First American Financial Corp. Leaked Hundreds of Millions of Title Insurance Records

“Earlier this week, KrebsOnSecurity was contacted by a real estate developer in Washington state who said he’d had little luck getting a response from the company about what he found, which was that a portion of its Web site (firstam.com) was leaking tens if not hundreds of millions of records. He said anyone who knew the URL for a valid document at the Web site could view other documents just by modifying a single digit in the link.”

UNFKNBLVBL

Rather than trying to predict the future of real estate and act accordingly, Gene Millman is working to collaborate with brokerages to create the future together. He comes to MLS leadership from a unique perspective, leveraging his experience running a brokerage to find ways to say YES to his members and champion the industry as a whole.

Gene is the CEO of Northern Nevada Regional MLS. With 32 years of experience in the real estate industry, he served as an agent, broker-manager and broker-owner before making the transition to MLS executive. Greg has held key leadership roles with various local, regional and state associations, and his recognitions and honors include Realtor of the Year for the Delaware Association of Realtors and Hall of Fame Inductee at the New Castle County Board of Realtors.  

Today, Gene explains how serving on the board at TREND introduced him to the MLS world and how working on consolidation ignited his passion for the space. He introduces us to his mission to partner with brokers and create a future together. Gene also offers his predictions around the potential iBuyer market share and shares his take on portals as a broker versus MLS exec. Listen in for insight on creating culture within a team and securing buy-in for your vision—and learn how Gene’s background as a broker influences his approach to running an MLS.

What’s Discussed: 

How serving at TREND introduced Gene to the MLS world

How MLS consolidation ignited Gene’s passion for the space

The differences among governance models from MLS to MLS 

Gene’s approach to running the MLS to serve the brokers

Why Gene doesn’t believe that the MLS is under threat 

The MLS’s responsibility to secure data, give brokers control

Gene’s aim to partner with brokers + create a future together

How a market correction may impact views toward the MLS

Gene’s take on portals as a broker-owner vs. MLS executive

Gene’s predictions around the potential iBuyer market share

The value in creating culture + getting buy-in for your vision

Resources:

T3 Summit

TREND MLS

Connect with Gene:

Northern Nevada Regional MLS

Gene on LinkedIn

Where to listen:

Listing Bits is also available on Apple iTunes or Google Play

Can anyone confirm this? Looks like their OpCity acquisition might be taking primary focus.

Developing….

UPDATE: Inman News has more details. Realtor.com Lays Off Arizona Sales Team, consolidates in California.

The Department of Justice Demands CoreLogic Turn Over Documents and Answer Questions

“Anyhow, we move on to the Schedule to see what the DOJ wants CoreLogic to produce. I won’t quote the entire wall of text, since you can read the CID yourself above. But it seems pretty clear what the DOJ is after, isn’t it?
The first major area is whether MLS members can search for properties based on amount or type of cooperating commission offered. The DOJ seems very interested in whether MLS subscribers can search by commission amount, or type, and if not, why not. The DOJ wants every email or letter between CoreLogic and its customer MLSs that pertain to how much a member can and cannot search by commission amount or type.”

Rob Hahn

I think Rob does a better job than I could of breaking down the CID (he also has a copy of the report to read).

It’s hard for me to decide if this and the Moehrl v. NAR lawsuit are actually going to amount to anything. I’ve been in this business for close to 27 years and I’ve seen lawsuits come and go. The industry just adapts.

Rob and Greg have often said that Redfin is the most important tech-centric brokerage that no one is talking about. Well, that is about to change with the company’s unveiling of Redfin Direct, a service allowing consumers to buy properties without representation. What’s behind Glenn Kelman’s move to give customers another ‘layer of choice’? And how might the real estate industry respond?

Today, Rob and Greg are discussing the big players who spoke at the T3 Summit, from Rich Barton to Gary Keller to John Peyton. They describe the pervasive nature of brokerages talking strategically about competing with iBuyers and tech as well as the buzz around Art Carter’s call for a new type of organizational structure around the MLS. 

Greg speaks to the way ‘GFK’ won the room at T3 with his humor and authenticity, and Rob asks about the impetus behind Redfin Direct and how the industry might respond. Listen in for insight around how the program puts Redfin on the radar in a way it hasn’t been before and learn how Redfin Direct might work in conjunction with Redfin Now and the brokerage’s title and mortgage programs.

Program Note: This was recorded before RE/MAX and Redfin announced they had dissolved their partnership

What’s Discussed: 

Greg’s insight on the big players who spoke at the T3 Summit

Art Carter’s call for a new type of MLS organizational structure 

The pervasive nature of brokerages addressing iBuyers + tech

How Glenn Kelman ‘won the room’ with his authenticity at T3

The stark contrast between Redfin and Compass’ mission

Greg’s take on Redfin Direct + the potential industry response

The impetus behind Redfin Direct and how it was announced

How Redfin Direct supports its title + mortgage programs

How Redfin Direct puts the company on the industry’s radar

Connect with Rob and Greg:

Rob’s Website

Greg’s Website

Resources:

Mike Simonsen, Rob Hahn & Gahlord Dewald Talk Millennials

The T3 Summit

Redfin’s Q1 Earnings Release

Glenn Kelman on Listing Bits EP045

Bill Wendel on Twitter

‘Redfin Direct Offers’ on Bubble Info

Greg’s Blog on Redfin Direct

Andrea Riquier’s Interview with Rob on MarketWatch

Our Sponsors:

Cloud MLX

The Red Dot

“That program goes against every value RE/MAX has had for more than 45 years,” Contos said in the letter announcing the end of the partnership. “I feel very strongly and passionately about that, as does our Board of Directors and my leadership team.”

Redfin itself, however, said it would still employ buyers’ agents and had no plans to cut them out of deals.

“Redfin understands this concern, as we employ thousands of licensed professionals and believe the vast majority of homebuyers need professional advice, and will happily pay for it,” the company said in a statement, announcing the end of the partnership.

“But we also have a duty to get as many offers for our customers’ listings as we possibly can, and to give those listing customers the best value,” the statement continues. “We believe in consumer choices; our mission is to redefine real estate in consumers’ favor.”

It seemed improbable from the start. Adam Contos, an ex law enforcement officer now turned CEO (who, I am told, like many former law enforcement officers still carries a gun day to day) and Glenn Kelman, a University of California Berkeley grad who proudly flies his “freak flag”.

When I first heard about the partnership I thought it was incredible. In a increasingly divided world these two companies found a way to work together, to leverage each other strengths. In my recent interview with Glenn Kelman, CEO of Redfin his praise of RE/MAX agents came through loud and clear.

What a shame. There was so much potential in this partnership. Both companies took a chance. But, in the end both companies stood firm on their respective missions.

Respect.