Overview

Greg Robertson sits down with Joe Kazzoun, CEO of Remine, for a wide-ranging conversation on real estate technology, forms, MLS dynamics, and Remine’s path forward under new ownership. Joe walks through his career across brokerage tech, transaction management, and proptech, then digs into lessons learned from Instanet, Lone Wolf, Dotloop/Zillow, and his return to Remine. The discussion focuses on software bloat, member benefits vs. direct sales, and how Remine is simplifying its product strategy to regain stability and growth. 

Key Takeaways

• Joe Kazzoun’s career arc spans brokerage tech, transaction management, and proptech leadership, shaping his pragmatic view of software in organized real estate. 
• The forms and transaction management market became fragmented due to MLSs seeking control over technology choices rather than relying solely on association member benefits. 
• Dotloop’s success highlighted the power of direct-to-agent sales, strong customer support, and simplicity over feature overload. 
• Software bloat—especially in MLS environments driven by committee decisions—often hurts usability more than it helps adoption. 
• Remine struggled under MLS ownership due to governance complexity and delayed cost-cutting, leading to a public sale process. 
• Remine’s acquisition by Place (Ben Kinney & Chris Suarez) stabilized the company, reduced redundancy, and moved it toward break-even. 
• Going forward, Remine is focusing on clarity: prospecting, public record/tax data, simple MLS search, and Docs+—not trying to be everything at once. 
• Remine is re-positioning its tax and public records tools as a standalone value for MLSs, alongside continued sales to MLSs, associations, and directly to agents and teams.

Links:

LinkedIn

Email: jkazoon@remine.com

Sponsors

Trackxi – Real Estate’s #1 Deal Tracking Software

Giant Steps Job Board – Where ORE gets hired

Production and editing services by:

Sunbound Studios

Greg sits down with returning guest Annie Ives, CEO of CLAW/The MLS™, to discuss major industry changes following NAR policy shifts, the rise of MLS-only memberships, exclusive-listing strategies, and the rapid growth of CLAW’s in-house technology products including Vesta Plus, Checkmate, Showing software, and MarketSnap. Annie also shares insights on managing a high-end market, delivering strong customer service, and the future role of MLSs in a shifting industry.

Key Takeaways

• NAR’s policy changes are already increasing MLS-only membership interest, especially in California’s Thompson state environment.
• Annie expects MLS-only membership to rise from ~15% to potentially 25–30% as agents look to cut costs.
• While affiliation with a REALTOR association increases credibility and prestige with potential sellers, associations may face pressure to restate their value proposition as non-dues revenue becomes increasingly important.
• CLAW is launching a new listing status: MLS Exclusive — allowing listings to remain off-market-facing while still visible to MLS members.
• MLS Exclusive listings accrue no DOM and no public price-change history while in that status.
• CLAW continues to grow its in-house technology stack, including:
  • Vesta Plus MLS platform
  • Checkmate compliance software (now used by ~200k agents)
  • Showing software
  • MarketSnap analytics
• Annie credits their success to customization, rapid iteration, and client-driven feature development.
• She predicts MLSs will increasingly become technology companies, especially as revenue from dues becomes less stable.
• Future industry direction remains uncertain, but Annie emphasizes persistence, adaptability, and building strong teams as core to longevity.

Links:

Vesta Plus – Request a demo

Sponsors

Trackxi – Real Estate’s #1 Deal Tracking Software

Giant Steps Job Board – Where ORE gets hired

Production and editing services by:

Sunbound Studios

Overview

Greg Robertson sits down with Michael Wurzer, CEO of FBS (Flexmls), right after CMLS 2025 in Toronto. They reflect on the state of the MLS industry, FBS’s growth and culture, and how AI, standards, and industry consolidation are shaping the future of organized real estate.

Key Takeaways

• FBS growth & longevity
  • FBS is now the #2 MLS system vendor with near-100% retention.
  • Employee-owned culture drives long-term stability and customer focus.
• Industry leadership
  • Wurzer has been influential in pushing APIs, RESO standards, and long-term tech adoption.
  • Stresses that standards work is critical and shouldn’t be overshadowed by hype around AI.
• AI & MCP
  • New protocols like MCP let large language models connect directly to MLS APIs.
  • This evolution validates years of investment in standards and API development.
• Compass/Anywhere merger
  • Private listing networks challenge cooperation but face adoption hurdles.
  • Consolidation could create distractions; agent adoption remains the biggest barrier.
• CMLS 2025 reflections
  • Strong broker/MLS dialogue, with Craig Cheatham’s session a highlight.
  • Local broker engagement remains the most important success metric for MLSs.
• Source MLS revival
  • Effort to clearly brand MLS-sourced listings and improve analytics transparency.
  • Planned launch at the 2026 RESO/REset conference.
• Regionalization & data standardization
  • Florida coast example: six MLSs aligned on one entry system, eliminating duplicates.
  • Push for more regional cooperation to solve overlapping market disorder.
• Vendor vs. MLS-owned tech
  • MLSs entering the vendor space still face the same integration and sustainability challenges.
  • Wurzer argues FBS, as an employee-owned vendor, shares MLS values and long-term commitment.
• Future concerns & opportunities
  • Biggest worry: MLSs losing focus on standardizing data formats regionally.
  • Supports potential CMLS–RESO merger if it leads to stronger professional staffing and delivery of promised value.

Sponsors

Trackxi – Real Estate’s #1 Deal Tracking Software

Giant Steps Job Board – Where ORE gets hired

Production and editing services by:

Sunbound Studios

Greg Robertson sits down with Andy Taylor and Greg Fischer from RetroRate to discuss assumable loans and their potential to reshape real estate transactions. They explore the history and career paths of both founders, the challenges of discoverability in MLSs, and how RetroRate aims to make assumable loans more visible and accessible for agents, buyers, and sellers.

Key Takeaways

• Backgrounds of the founders:
  • Andy Taylor: From gaming at EA, to Apple, to Redfin, to startups like Approved and Credit Karma.
  • Greg Fischer: From brokerage and realtor.com to innovative consumer tools like Doorsteps and Doorsteps Swipe.
• RetroRate’s mission:
  • Helps real estate professionals identify and transact on assumable loans.
  • Assumable loans can drastically reduce monthly payments compared to current market rates.
• Market potential:
  • 22–25% of homes on the market have an assumable loan, yet less than 1% are marketed that way.
  • Properly marketed assumable loans can increase sale prices and attract more buyers.
• Challenges:
  • Discoverability in MLSs—fields exist but are often unused or misunderstood.
  • Educating agents and consumers on how assumables work.
  • Equity gaps require creative solutions (cash, piggyback loans, or policy changes).
• Tools & partnerships:
  • RetroRate offers an agent-facing platform, MLS integrations, and a Chrome extension (“RetroRate VHS”) to overlay assumable loan info on Zillow, Redfin, and Realtor.com.
  • Engaging with MLSs and realtor organizations to standardize data fields and improve adoption.
• Call to action:
  • MLSs, brokers, and agents should connect with RetroRate to make assumable loans more visible and usable for clients.

Links

• RetroRate
• Contact: andy@retrorate.com | greg@retrorate.com

Sponsors

Trackxi – Real Estate’s #1 Deal Tracking Software

Giant Steps Job Board – Where ORE gets hired

Production and editing services by:

Sunbound Studios

In this episode of the Listing Bits Podcast, Greg Robertson sits down with Dalip Jaggi, co-founder of Revive, to discuss his entrepreneurial journey and how Revive is helping homeowners maximize the value of their properties. Dalip shares how his early background in tech led him to real estate, the challenges and lessons of scaling a business, and Revive’s unique approach to empowering homeowners through renovation and financial solutions.

Key Takeaways

• Dalip’s background: from web development and running an agency to launching Revive.
• Early exposure to real estate tech through working with “Rich Uncles” and scaling investment platforms.
• Why Dalip sold his agency and shifted focus to solving one problem deeply.
• Revive’s mission: helping homeowners build wealth through smarter real estate decisions.
• Flagship program: Renovate to Sell, which funds and manages home renovations to maximize sale price.
• Additional equity-extraction program for homeowners needing faster liquidity.
• Difference between Revive and competitors like Plunk and Curbio: Revive acts as a third-party facilitator, not a general contractor, offering oversight, funding, and design support.
• Challenges and opportunities of scaling in California versus national expansion.
• Importance of focusing deeply in one market before expanding.

Connect with Dalip

• Revive Real Estate
• Instagram: @revive.realestate
• Dalip Jaggi Instagram: @dalipjaggi

Sponsors

Trackxi – Real Estate’s #1 Deal Tracking Software

Giant Steps Job Board – Where ORE gets hired

Production and editing services by:

Sunbound Studios

In this episode of Listing Bits, Greg Robertson sits down with Rich LaRue, Designated Broker for HomeSmart Arizona and VP of Corporate Brokerages for HomeSmart’s Western region. Rich shares his background in real estate, thoughts on exclusive listings and MLS rules, and his perspective on the evolving role of associations, NAR, and vendors in the industry.

Key Takeaways

• Rich LaRue oversees over 12,500 agents across Arizona, California, Colorado, and Texas, with more than 40 years in the business .
• On exclusive listings: HomeSmart’s stance is client-focused—market broadly unless specific client needs dictate otherwise .
• LaRue acknowledges MLS rules can feel restrictive but stresses the need for common guidelines and transparency with clients .
• Predicts exclusive listing programs may be a short-term fad, with market cycles determining their relevance .
• Believes associations and MLSs may eventually separate, but stresses the ongoing local value associations provide, especially around advocacy and forms .
• Notes the recent push for MLS-only membership options and the challenges of balancing form libraries, branding, and NAR’s influence .
• Advises vendors to be patient—sales cycles are long, especially in today’s market—and to focus on helping agents articulate their value to clients .
• Highlights Raise, a product that helps agents track and communicate their value, as a timely and effective tool for buyer representation .

Links

Rich LaRue on LinkedIn

Sponsors

Trackxi – Real Estate’s #1 Deal Tracking Software

Giant Steps Job Board – Where ORE gets hired

Production and editing services by:

Sunbound Studios

Greg Robertson sits down with Michael Lucarelli, CEO and co-founder of RentSpree, to explore how RentSpree streamlines rental transactions for agents, landlords, and tenants. They discuss RentSpree’s growth, integration with MLSs and Associations, the role of rentals in agent business, and the increasing importance of data-driven tools for tenant screening and rental management. Michael also shares thoughts on how the rental ecosystem can be improved through standardization and better agent education.

Key Takeaways

• RentSpree’s Purpose: Simplifies rental workflows by offering a one-stop shop for applications, tenant screening, rent payments, and more.
• MLS Partnerships: RentSpree is integrated with over 300 MLSs, enabling rental tools directly within agent workflows.
• Agent Opportunity: Rentals are an underused income source for agents; RentSpree helps make them more manageable and profitable.
• Tenant Screening: The platform provides comprehensive tenant screening through credit, criminal, and eviction background checks.
• Data Ownership: RentSpree emphasizes agent ownership of renter relationships and their associated data.
• Market Trends: Institutional investors and consumer pressure are pushing the rental market toward transparency and modernization.
• Standardization Need: The rental process lacks uniformity; RentSpree aims to bridge gaps through tech and partnerships.
• Agent Education: There’s a need for more training and awareness among agents about how to handle rentals efficiently and professionally.

Links

RentSpree

LinkedIn

RentEdge

Sponsors

Trackxi – Real Estate’s #1 Deal Tracking Software

Giant Steps Job Board – Where ORE gets hired

Production and editing services by:

Sunbound Studios

In this episode of Listing Bits, Greg Robertson sits down with Todd Carpenter, SVP of Industry Relations at Styldod, to talk about the evolution of real estate technology—from mortgage lead gen to photo AI. They dive deep into how Styldod uses artificial intelligence to help agents with virtual staging, automate compliance workflows, and extract property data directly from listing photos. Todd also shares his career journey through early online mortgage startups, NAR, and RE.net culture to where he is today—working on AI-powered tools designed to modernize listing input and photo compliance for MLSs.

Key Takeaways

• Career Journey – Todd shares his path from growing up in real estate, to working in mortgage tech, to leading social media strategy at NAR, and now serving at Styldod.
• Photo Compliance and Automation – Styldod’s AI can detect and automatically correct issues like branding, people, pets, or license plates in listing photos based on MLS rules.
• Data Extraction from Photos – The AI identifies room types, finishes, and furniture to help pre-populate listing details and property descriptions.
• AI-Powered Listing Input – Discussion on how AI can assist in streamlining listing input and future MLS integrations without replacing MLS platforms themselves.
• Visual Staging and Marketing Add-ons – Styldod enables decluttering, virtual staging, and style customization through a seamless workflow integrated into MLS photo upload processes.
• Product and Pricing Models – Overview of different pricing approaches for MLSs, agents, and brokers—either as direct charges or revenue-share options.
• Reimagine.AI – Styldod’s consumer-facing product with over 2 million users, offering swipe-based before-and-after image tools.
• AI Search and Industry Disruption – Todd and Greg speculate on how on-device AI and generative agents may reshape search, SEO, and real estate monetization in the future

Contact Todd

Email: todd@styldod.com

LinkedIn

Links:

Reimagine

Styldod

Our Sponsors

Trackxi – Real Estate’s #1 Deal Tracking Software

Giant Steps Job Board – Where ORE gets hired

Production and editing services by:

Sunbound Studios