Where Real Estate Gets Its Dirt

CMLS 2025 Recap – Hot and sticky

I needed the whole weekend to recover from a long week and long flight to Toronto and back. It was great to see so many friends in the same place. The conference itself was CMLS’ largest attendance. We’re back baby! Overall my “hot” take away was the venue itself was probably the worst ever. Which is unfortunate for the CMLS crew to deal with. Between limited air conditioning, muggy rooms, slow and non working elevators and a maze like venue layout that included a lot of stairs and a bridge, things couldn’t have been worse. Every one on the stage had a light sheen of sweat from the humidity of the room, and I don’t think anyone’s hair behaved except maybe for Adrese from Zillow. 😉

I will say however I did love the lobby bar layout, so there’s that. But where did all the bourbon go??

My “sticky” take is on the VERY positive side, I think the content of the conference was probably the best in a long time! The panels and talks were very relevant and actionable. Craig Cheatham made another appearance, with another long list of grievances, including what restaurants MLS execs choose to go to dinner. At least he didn’t have a deadline or countdown this time. With it being DenĂ©e’s last year, I thought it was a lost opportunity to really push back on Craig. But DenĂ©e has a lot more tact than I do.

Loved seeing AnneMarie DeCatsye get the 2025 Shuttleworth MLS Executive of the Year. Also great was Merri Jo Cowen entering the CMLS Hall of Fame. Well deserved Merri Jo! She has truly been a fountainhead of leaders in the industry.

I also had a blast at the RETechnology party, “Turn It Up Toronto! “ Great to have live music, a super fun Photo Booth and a great crowd. Everybody was there. Many thanks to Victor and Marilyn and all the sponsors! If you see any videos of me on the dance floor delete them immediately.

Wrapping up I think the elephant in the room is, what happens next? With DenĂ©e’s departure and rumors of a merger with RESO the future is a bit muggy as well. Time will tell, but I’ll keep my dancing shoes ready.

See you in Houston.

No extra queso for you!

See you at CMLS!

Ohan and I will be attending the CMLS Conference in Toronto next week. I will also be moderating a panel on “Bold Leadership, No Excuses” Wednesday morning. Reach out if you want to meet!

Set sail at CMLS

Well, I now know what everyone at CMLS will be posting on Instagram. Looks like Lundy, Perchwell, and REcore are hosting an evening on a boat! The cruise starts at 6:30PM on Monday, September 22nd.

I’m told they have a few more invites left. If you are interested reach out here => CMLS Sunset Cruise

SCOOP: CMLS rebrands annual conference – Open House

I love the vibe of this. Here’ a sneak peak of their new website.

“The name captures the spirit of what our event has always been:
– A celebration of our role in sustaining a healthy housing market.
– A place where the MLS community comes together to discuss the issues that matter most.
– A welcoming environment to meet peers, ask hard questions, and share bold ideas.”

See you there!

Denne Evans to step down as CEO of CMLS

Denee Evans to Step Down After 10 Transformative Years Leading CMLS

“Leading CMLS has been the honor of a lifetime,” said Evans. “Together, we’ve built something lasting—an organization that supports, elevates, and connects the MLS community like never before. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished and confident in what comes next. While I’ve decided not to renew my contract at the end of the year, I remain fully committed to supporting a smooth transition and continuing our momentum through 2025.”

It’s amazing to look back over the past 10 years and see everything that’s happened in our industry. Denee certainly had her work cut out for her. I imagine this will be a well-deserved break for her and her family.

But as we all know, this is the “Hotel California”, so I’m sure we’ll see Denee again.

Thank you, Denee, for all you’ve done for the industry.

Rene Galicia named COO of CMLS

Council of Multiple Listing Services Announces Rene Galicia as Chief Operating Officer

“He brings extensive expertise in business operations, legal counsel, and strategic industry leadership from his previous role as Executive Vice President, Policy Counsel & Strategic Partnerships. With a proven track record in real estate and MLS, Rene has driven operational excellence and policy innovation across several high-impact roles. Most recently, he led customer engagement (support, training, compliance, and shareholder relations) and policy initiatives at Bright MLS, earning recognition as a HousingWire Vanguard and RISMedia Newsmaker for his transformative contributions to the industry.”

Rene is a great addition to the team! His wealth of legal and MLS experience will no doubt make an impact as CMLS moves into the future. Congratulations to Rene and the entire CMLS organization!

Peter Shuttleworth RIP

Peter, sans red suspenders, I believe in 2011.

Word spread over the weekend, that we lost Peter Shuttleworth. Mike Wurzer, CEO of FBS, wrote a great post about Peter you can read here. Below is an excerpt:

“A lot of people throw the term partnership around easily but Peter was very intentional and selective when he used that term, which is one of the many reasons CMLS honored him by naming their annual MLS Executive of the Year Award after him (PDF). In creating the award, CMLS wrote: “Peter’s motto of, ‘You should always have a seat at the table to listen, participate and help shape ideas’ is an ideal that all MLS Executives should desire. When Peter retired he left a legacy of integrity, professionalism and resoluteness to serve as the standard for any MLS Executive to aspire to be.” Well said, CMLS!”

I like that word “resoluteness”. It means a strong determination to achieve or persevere something through challenges. With things being as they are now, I believe resoluteness is something we can all aspire to.

I have my own story about Peter and how he helped me. This was back in the days when CMLS was known as Northwest Council of MLS. “Northwest Council”, as we all called it, had two conferences a year. Perhaps it was because I would sit in on a lot of the meetings, or would love to discuss all things MLS in the lobby bars of these events, Peter once asked to speak with me. He told me there was an opening for a “business representative” on Northwest Council’s board and he thought I would be a great candidate.

I was accepted, and was the business representative for Northwest Council for about 10 years. It opened a whole new world for me.

Thank you Peter. Rest in peace.

“What is an MLS?” Part 2

I wanted to follow up on a previous post I wrote where I asked,

What would you say if someone asked, “What is an MLS?”

At that time I wrote:

“I’m struck by how difficult this question is to answer—even for myself, someone who writes a blog and co-produces a couple of podcasts in the industry. Part of the challenge, I think, stems from the recent settlement changes; we’re still working to define and understand the evolving role of the MLS.”

I received great feedback from the post, some of which I summarized in this Google Doc.

I then took those responses and fed them in to Chat GPT and asked for a two sentence response and a short paragraph. Here’s what it fed back:

“Two-Sentence Definition

An MLS (Multiple Listing Service) is a professional network where real estate agents and brokers share detailed property information to connect buyers and sellers. It ensures accurate, up-to-date listings and promotes fairness and efficiency in the home-buying process.

Short Paragraph Definition

A Multiple Listing Service, or MLS, is a trusted platform where real estate professionals collaborate to share accurate property details and market data. It acts as a centralized hub, allowing agents and brokers to connect buyers with homes and sellers with qualified buyers. By fostering transparency, fairness, and efficiency, the MLS streamlines the often complex process of buying and selling homes, making it easier for everyone involved.”

I then asked Chat GPT what it thought a Multiple Listing Service (MLS) not taking in to account the prompt I just fed it. Here’s what it said:

“A Multiple Listing Service, or MLS, is a trusted platform where real estate professionals collaborate to share accurate, up-to-date property listings. It connects buyers, sellers, and agents efficiently, ensuring transparency and fairness in the home-buying and selling process.”

I think the last one is my favorite of them all. What do you think?

CMLS takes a stand on CCP

CMLS urges NAR to keep Clear Cooperation in new letter

“The debate over NAR’s Clear Cooperation Policy is intense and complex,” CMLS CEO Denee Evans said in an open letter Friday afternoon. “Our position is measured and simple: CCP should remain in place. Modifications should preserve the spirit and effect of the policy. The CMLS Board of Directors has arrived at this conclusion after careful consideration of the objections to CCP.”

Bravo!

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