Where Real Estate Gets Its Dirt

Ben Graboske leaving ICE?

Word on the street is that Ben Graboske may be leaving ICE. Can anyone confirm this?

Ben is an OG in the industry and responsible for one of the smartest acquisitions in the industry, acquiring Tarasoft (which became Matrix) while he was at CoreLogic, which is now the largest MLS vendor in North America.

After moving to Black Knight he transformed their MLS solutions team and appointed Lucie Fortier as EVP of Data and Analytics and the MLS team. I had a great time interviewing Ben and Lucie on my Listing Bits podcast last year.

Not sure if this was his plan from the beginning? I can’t imagine help shepherding the protracted ICE deal along was fun. Maybe a new venture? Who knows??

Exciting news from ICE [SPONSOR]

We are thrilled to announce that Leesa Baker has joined our team as the new Director of Sales! We’re confident that she’ll bring tremendous value to our team and customers with her extensive experience and success in the MLS industry. 

Join us in welcoming Leesa to ICE MLS Solutions!

Paragon Suite from ICE [Sponsor]

My thanks to ICE for sponsoring this month’s Vendor Alley!

Paragon offers App Suite
Easy-to-use apps make the MLS experience even easier

With the ICE Paragon Connect App Suite MLS members have access to both full MLS functionality and amplified agent-client collaboration.

The App Suite consists of:

The mobile app for agents: This app enables agents to access the full power of Paragon Connect with the simplicity of an app-based interface.

The mobile app for consumers: Agents and their clients benefit from connection, collaboration, and robust search capabilities powered by the Collaboration Center.

With fast, simple and on-the-go interfaces, the App Suite from ICE Paragon Connect improves communication – making the real estate process more productive and collaborative.

Learn more about the App Suite from ICE Paragon Connect. [https://www.icemortgagetechnology.com/products/paragon-connect-app-suite]

Paragon Suite from ICE [Sponsor]

Paragon offers App Suite
Easy-to-use apps make the MLS experience even easier

With the ICE Paragon Connect App Suite MLS members have access to both full MLS functionality and amplified agent-client collaboration.

The App Suite consists of:

The mobile app for agents: This app enables agents to access the full power of Paragon Connect with the simplicity of an app-based interface.

The mobile app for consumers: Agents and their clients benefit from connection, collaboration, and robust search capabilities powered by the Collaboration Center.

With fast, simple and on-the-go interfaces, the App Suite from ICE Paragon Connect improves communication – making the real estate process more productive and collaborative.

Learn more about the App Suite from ICE Paragon Connect. [https://www.icemortgagetechnology.com/products/paragon-connect-app-suite]

Paragon Suite from ICE [Sponsor]

My thanks to ICE for sponsoring this month’s Vendor Alley

Powerful communication notification with the all-new Collaboration Center in the Paragon suite from ICE

Powerful communication notification helps agents stay in constant communication with clients, so they can be there for buyers and sellers at every step of the real estate transaction.

Agents stay updated on favorites, dislikes, possibilities, comments, and new searches with the Client Communication dashboard. Transparent contact info. – with profile picture – helps agents remain just one click or tap away via text, call, or email. Users also remain current on listing comments, unread messages, and the full message history … putting the client’s needs first, always.


Learn more about the all-new Collaboration center in the Paragon Suite.

Paragon Connect [Sponsor]

My thanks to Paragon Connect for sponsoring Vendor Alley this month. 

Continuing this is their list of the top 10 topics to review when making the decision on an MLS platform for your members:

How to choose the right MLS platform for you  

The top 10 “must-haves” when considering a front end for your members 

Last week you learned how fast CMAs, simple client collaboration and effective property watches can help you find the right MLS for your members, now onto the next three topics.

  1. Advanced mapping 

Helping guide buyers to their future neighborhood is key to a successful real estate transaction. The best MLS has advanced mapping tools that provide a visual representation of property listings on a map interface. This visual aid helps users understand the location of properties in relation to amenities, schools, transportation, and other important landmarks – because when buyers can see the possibilities, everything feels more real for them. Armed with MLS and public records data, agents can make more informed decisions when marketing or searching for properties.  

  1. Speech-to-text  

Real estate agents are busy, and the last thing they have time for is manual data entry. Look for a MLS platform that has speech-to-text fields enabled for your most common tasks to save you time and effort every day. If your mobile MLS doesn’t allow this functionality, you’re missing out. 

  1. Power sharing  

Get your homes in front of buyers, so you can get buyers into homes. Gain exposure for your listings with power sharing, so your properties can show up on as many channels as possible. The right MLS promotes sharing listings the way your client prefers via email, text message, and social media.

See you next week for more top “must-haves” as we count down to number one.

If you’re looking for an MLS that offers these capabilities and much more, discover Paragon Connect.

Paragon Connect [Sponsor]

My thanks to Paragon Connect for sponsoring this month’s Vendor Alley. Paragon Connect is the latest and greatest version of the popular Paragon MLS system. In my podcast with Lucie Fortier at ICE we talked about how they started by adopting the Material UI design system, created by Google, and reimagined an MLS system. Check out the video below for a peak of its clean interface.

Learn about Paragon Connect’s new all-in-one dashboard, power and near me search, and many other features at this website. My thanks again to Paragon Connect.

Paragon Connect [Sponsor]

My thanks to Paragon Connect for sponsoring this month of Vendor Alley. I had a chance to talk to Lucie Fortier and Ben Graboske on my Listing Bits podcast late last year about the journey to bring Paragon Connect to market. It was a great conversation that you listen to it here.

Learn about Paragon Connect’s new all-in-one dashboard, power and near me search, and many other features at this website. My thanks again to Paragon Connect.

Sponsored By MLS Reset