Where Real Estate Gets Its Dirt

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

See you in Tucson

#clareity

Signal by 1000watt – Be there!

Have you bought your tickets to 1000watt’s Signal conference yet? I’ll be there. I went last year too, when it was held at Gilley’s in Dallas, TX. Great content, great people. This year’s Signal conference will be held June 2-4 in Denver, CO. I think for any MLS organization that wants to fire up a creative spark, or to do some professional development for their marketing and training departments, it would be money well spent.

I also hear they are also going to add a special breakout session for MLS. I’ll report more on that as we get closer to the conference.

In the meantime, they are holding a live webinar tomorrow that’s an exclusive preview of the event, hosted by Brian Boero, Marc Davison, and Jessica Swesey. They will walk through:

  • What this year’s program is designed to do (and why it matters now)
  • A look at the speaker lineup and the talks they’re most excited about
  • The hotels they recommend (and why proximity matters)
  • How to make the most of your time in Denver

That’s live tomorrow, March 6th, 12PM PT. Register for the webinar here. Buy tickets to the event here.

See you there!

Download a flat image to make your own graphic here.

MLS Reset Update Video!

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 Denée’s last year, I thought it was a lost opportunity to really push back on Craig. But Denée 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 Denée’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.

FBS [Sponsor]

My thanks to FBS for their sponsorship of Vendor Alley.

FBS has had a lot of exciting news recently. They recently announced a new partnership with Northwest Ohio Real Estate Information System (NORIS).

Here’s what NORIS CEO had to say…

“After a thorough evaluation of MLS platforms, Flexmls stood out as the one that will allow us to elevate our service to members,” said Megan Foos, CEO of NORIS. “Its seamless integration across devices, ease of use and customization options are exactly what our members need to better serve their clients and stay ahead in a fast-paced market.”

They also announced a pretty slick integration with Zillow...

“This integration introduces innovative functionality that simplifies and enhances the process of importing high-value, critical listing media into the MLS. This collaboration represents a shared vision between FBS and Zillow: to improve the agent experience and showcase the value of the MLS.”

FBS will have a full crew next week at the CMLS conference, be sure to look out for Michael, Dave, Matty, Kim, plus Allie and Tom.

My thanks again to FBS for sponsoring Vendor Alley this month!

MARIS selects REcore dashboard, Navigator by Lundy adds 3 new clients

Momentum Builds with MARIS Adoption of REcore Dashboard and New Navigator by Lundy Deals

“REcore, the leading provider of MLS SaaS solutions and data licensing, today announced a surge in adoption across its product ecosystem. MARIS (Mid-America Regional Information Systems) MLS has selected the REcore dashboard, a customizable MLS and association workspace, to power a unified and user-friendly experience for its members. At the same time, Navigator by Lundy, a member engagement and discovery tool distributed by REcore, has been adopted by Heartland MLS, Greater Alabama MLS, and the Minneapolis Area REALTORS®.“

I think I remember something about these guys being on a boat next week. 🚢

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

Sponsored By ICE