Where Real Estate Gets Its Dirt

ICE [Sponsor]

The world envies our MLS system. Let’s remember why.

In April, Lucie Fortier wrote a blog that, at the time, felt like a measured observation. Now it reads like a prescient warning.

Her argument was simple. The MLS is the engine room of American real estate. Portals, AI tools, and PropTech platforms run on MLS data. Agents, brokers, loan officers, appraisers and more operate within an ecosystem the MLS makes possible. Without comprehensive cooperation, none of it works.

Anyone following industry news this spring knows that argument was just put through the wringer.

Why the system is worth protecting

The American MLS system is rare. In most countries, real estate data is fragmented, unreliable or unavailable to the average consumer. What exists here is the result of decades of cooperation among professionals who understand that a shared system serves everyone better than a fragmented one.

That’s not a small thing. It’s the foundation that everything else is built on. And it doesn’t maintain itself.

What this moment is about

New tools and platforms are only as good as the data powering them. That data lives in the MLS — and the organizations investing in it are the ones that will matter on the other side of whatever comes next.

Lucie’s full piece is worth your time. Read it here.

ICE [Sponsor]

The ICE MLS Conference: what we heard, what we learned, and what’s next

On May 4-5, ICE brought the MLS community together in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. for two days of sessions, hands-on training and candid industry conversation.

Here’s what stood out.

Some assumptions got challenged

I presented a session called What If We’re Wrong? Five Assumptions that Could Break the MLS and it didn’t offer tidy answers. It offered better questions. 

I also moderated the Ask Me Anything session with ICE leadership. An open, off-the-cuff discussion where attendees could ask anything about product vision, upcoming enhancements and what’s next for the platform. 

Amy Gorce and Lucie Fortier kept that energy going during their fireside chat about the evolving role of the MLS, where data accessibility is headed and what organizations need to be thinking about right now. 

Paragon Connect: the real-world view

We spent a lot of time at the conference deep diving into Paragon Connect, specifically what it looks like to evaluate, transition, train and get your membership to use it.

Stacy Herbel, Briana Therrien and Shaina Kelly shared what a successful transition looks like from the inside, including back-end evaluation, change management, cross-MLS documentation and training rollout. Their message was simple: the MLSs that do the preparation work don’t regret it.

Sara Fogg, Brian Alford and Denise Ware took a more hands-on approach, detailing admin tips, field rules and custom reporting. The kind of session where notetaking was essential.

There was also a Train-the-Trainer track covering property search, the Collaboration Center, LIM and EasyCMA. Attendees who completed both sessions walked away with a Train-the-Trainer certificate.

ICE also shared what’s coming on their roadmap, plus a look at features from 2025 that a lot of users still haven’t discovered.

The energy in the room was hard to put into words, so we’ll let the video do the talking.

Watch the ICE MLS Customer Conference recap — you might spot yourself.

What the numbers say

The post-conference survey results saw 82% of respondents rating the conference “Extremely Satisfied” and 98% giving it a 4 or 5 out of 5. Every single respondent said they’re likely or very likely to attend next year. 

The survey comments said it best:

“This was the best conference I have attended in 15 years.”

“The quality of the content and agenda scheduling at the conference was excellent.”

“I have been excited to partner with ICE since the start, but this conference got us even more excited to see what the future holds.”

If Paragon Connect has been sitting on your to-do list, this conference was a good reminder that it’s worth moving up.

Learn more about Paragon Connect

Many thanks to ICE for sponsoring Vendor Alley this month.


Cotality [Sponsor]

Trust, But Verify: What Homebuyers Really Want from AI

According to Cotality’s recent “Trust, but verify” report, 75% of homebuyers already assume AI is working behind the scenes—whether they’re browsing listings or applying for a mortgage. But just because it’s there doesn’t mean they fully trust it.

There’s actually a growing gap between using AI and trusting it. In the U.S., confidence in AI to help find a home has taken a sharp dip. Instead, buyers are increasingly turning back to human experts to double-check those make-or-break decisions.

Buyers want speed—but not at the expense of certainty

AI is clearly helping. It makes things faster and surfaces information quickly. But when it really counts, buyers want to know the information is accurate—and they still want a human “second look”. That’s where tools like Cotality’s Realist® property intelligence platform come in, helping real estate professionals confirm the details. That human layer—verifying and applying information—is what turns uncertainty into confidence.

The takeaway for the industry

AI isn’t going anywhere, but it’s not the whole answer either. The future of real estate is a mix of both—smart technology paired with trusted data and real human expertise.

Read full survey findings here

Cotality [Sponsor]

Floor plans—from scan to listing-ready in MINUTES

AI is opening up new possibilities in real estate—and at Cotality, it’s built directly into everyday workflows to improve listing quality, strengthen marketing, and give agents more time back.

Cotality’s new CorePlans™ is a great example. It lets agents automatically generate detailed floor plans, room dimensions, and descriptions directly from their iPhone Pro. 

Leveraging LiDAR technology and Cotality’s proprietary CoreAI, agents can create ANSI-compliant floor plans in minutes—eliminating the traditional 24–48 hour processing turnaround— with 99.96% accuracy. Fully integrated into Matrix™, everything uploads with one tap, with room dimensions and descriptions automatically added to the listing.

According to a 2025 WAV Group study, 85% of buyers find floor plans extremely valuable. They are the new essential marketing standard that buyers expect. 

There’s a clear gap between what buyers want and what most listings deliver. CorePlans help close that gap. 

Available first to MLSs with the new Matrix Listing Manager, then rolling out to additional providers that meet requirements. Want to learn more? For more information, reach out to your Cotality rep to schedule a demo or visit cotality.com.

Cotality [Sponsor]

Camp Cotality 2026 is heading to Montréal!

” At Cotality, we’re more than just a technology provider—we’re your partner in navigating the ever-evolving MLS landscape. Our goal is simple: helping multiple listing organizations deliver more value to their members and tackling the market’s biggest challenges with you.

Our MLS partnerships and collaborations truly come to life at Camp Cotality, our annual user conference, coming in June!

Join us in Montréal | June 21–24

Camp Cotality promises three days of insight, innovation, and connection. Here’s what you can expect:

  • A first look at our upcoming AI-driven innovations.
  • Collaborative sessions to help define the future roadmaps for Cotality RES solutions.
  • Direct access to our executive team, product, and service leaders.
  • Peer-to-peer networking and shared learning with MLS leaders.
  • And plenty of camp-style fun!  

Who should attend?

Camp Cotality is an invitation-only event for our Real Estate Solutions clients, including MLS and association staff, committee members, and leadership. 

Reach out to your Cotality representative to learn more.

We look forward to seeing you in Montréal! “

Cotality [Sponsor]

We talk a lot about data in this industry. Less about what it takes to actually make it usable.

Cotality is working on that layer, bringing together property data, analytics, and risk signals (like climate) into something operators can actually make decisions on.

That’s not easy, especially when the inputs are all over the place.

But as the conversation shifts more toward risk, insurance, and long-term property value, that kind of insight starts to matter a lot more.

If you haven’t checked them out, it’s worth a look: Cotality

Many thanks to Cotality for sponsoring Vendor Alley this month.

ICE [Sponsor]

Doubletake: It’s time to take another look at Paragon Connect

If you haven’t taken a serious look at Paragon Connect lately, you’re making a decision based on outdated information. And in an industry where we love to complain about vendors not keeping up, we should probably hold ourselves to the same standard.

So let’s do a doubletake.

What’s actually changed?

Paragon Connect has become a full-featured, browser-based platform built for how agents actually work today — on any device, without the headaches of legacy desktop installs.

The transition is real — but worth it

Getting agents to update their habits is basically an Olympic sport. But the MLSs that have gone through it will tell you the same thing: the preparation matters more than the platform. Back-end system evaluation, solid documentation, cross-MLS help guides, accreditation-aligned training — do the work upfront and the landing is worth the effort.

The bottom line

Platforms matter. User experience matters. And sticking with “good enough” because the alternative feels risky is how you end up behind the curve.

Paragon Connect has put in the reps. It deserves a fresh set of eyes.

Go take another look. You might surprise yourself.

See you in Florida!

ICE [Sponsor]

The world envies our MLS system — Do we appreciate it enough?

Every portal, every AI tool, every slick PropTech platform? They all run on MLS data. Strip that away and you’ve got a very expensive app that shows nothing. The MLS is the quiet engine room of American real estate — and at a time when the industry is navigating more change than ever, that foundation matters more, not less.

Lucie Fortier makes that case better than most in her latest piece. Worth a read. 

ICE [Sponsor]

ICE Is Bringing Paragon MLSs Together This May — And You’re Invited

If your MLS runs on Paragon, clear your calendar for May 4–5.

ICE is hosting the ICE MLS Customer Conference at the Sawgrass Marriott in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL — an invite-only gathering built exclusively for Paragon MLS professionals. No fluff, no filler. Just two days of real conversations, hands-on training, and the kind of peer networking that actually moves the needle.

The speaker lineup alone is worth the trip:

  • James Dwiggins, CEO of NextHome, sits down with Lucie Fortier for a candid fireside chat
  • Greg Robertson What If We’re Wrong? Five Assumptions that Could Break the MLS
  • Amy Gorce of REDistribute breaks down the complexities of data licensing and distribution

Add in live product demos, evening social events at one of Florida’s most iconic resorts, and a room full of your MLS peers — and this one’s a no-brainer.

This event is exclusive to MLSs on the Paragon platform, so spots are limited to your community.

👉 Register here: https://mortgagetech.ice.com/event/ice-mls-customer-conference#overview

See you in Ponte Vedra Beach. 🌴

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

Sponsored By ICE