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.
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If you haven’t taken a serious look at Paragon Connect lately, you’re making a decision based on outdated information.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.
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 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.
They’re not sitting at a desk all day. They’re in the car, at a showing, walking a property, or juggling three conversations at once. The MLS has to keep up with that.
That’s where products like Paragon Connect come in.
ICE is leaning into a more flexible, mobile-first MLS experience, something that lets agents search, manage listings, and collaborate without being tied to one device. It’s built around the idea that work happens everywhere now, not just in the office.
And when it’s off, everything downstream feels it. Pricing gets shaky. Comparables get questionable. Agents spend more time double-checking than moving deals forward.
VestaPlus is focused on cleaning things up, catching errors earlier and tightening data before it spreads. It’s the kind of work that sits in the background but makes everything else run better.
My thanks to VestaPlus for sponsoring this month’s Vendor Alley.
VestaPlus MLS is an all-in-one MLS system. With greater mobility, flexibility, speed, and innovation than other “big MLS” vendors.
Take your association and MLS to the max.
Customized to work the way real estate professionals work. Whether it’s desktop or mobile, with VestaPlusTM MLS, you have an intuitive MLS system that’s agent-proven and loved by consumers.
My thanks again to VestaPlus for sponsoring this month’s Vendor Alley.
Nobody gets into the MLS business because they love compliance. It lives in policy manuals and staff workflows…invisible, until something breaks.
A broker questions inconsistent enforcement. Bad data circulates. Two similar listings get treated differently, and suddenly…boom… everyone has an opinion.
The real risk isn’t a single bad listing. It’s the slow erosion of confidence in whether enforcement is fair, consistent, or even possible at scale.
That’s why I paid attention when ARMLS chose CheckMate. ARMLS isn’t prone to shiny-object decisions — when they adopt operational infrastructure, it’s deliberate and worth understanding why.
What CheckMateoffers: daily listing scans instead of periodic sweeps, AI-assisted photo review, centralized violation and fine tracking, and configurable rules aligned to each MLS’s specific policies.
None of that is flashy. That’s the point.
Consistency protects credibility. When enforcement feels predictable, complaints go down. When data quality improves, confidence in the marketplace follows.
Compliance done well fades into the background. Done poorly, it becomes the headline.
Most MLS leaders would strongly prefer the former.
My thanks to VestaPlus for sponsoring this month of Vendor Alley.
My thanks to VestaPlus™ for sponsoring Vendor Alley this month.
VestaPlus continues to push practical innovation in MLS technology with tools that help MLSs and agents work more efficiently and deliver better service to their members and clients. They offer a full suite of MLS solutions, including the VestaPlus™ MLS system, MLSGo™ mobile app, MarketSnap™, ShowingsPlus™, SearchPlus™, and CheckMate™ compliance software, all built with an emphasis on speed, usability, and real-world workflows.
This month I want to spotlight CheckMate™, their AI-powered compliance platform that’s gaining traction nationally with MLSs of all sizes. CheckMate not only flags potential listing policy issues, it uses machine learning and automation to help teams maintain data accuracy and streamline compliance workflows, reducing manual work while keeping listing data cleaner and more reliable.
If you haven’t looked at their stack recently, now’s probably a good time.
My thanks again to them for sponsoring Vendor Alley.
