Where Real Estate Gets Its Dirt

Lundy partners with RECore to bring Navigator AI to MLSs

REcore and Lundy Partner to Bring Navigator AI to MLSs Nationwide

“REcore already serves MLSs with tools that simplify compliance, track member issues, and streamline operations. Navigator fits naturally into this ecosystem—helping staff and members get the answers they need, when they need them. As an exclusive reseller, REcore will bring Navigator to a broader market faster, while Lundy continues to focus on building and evolving the product.”

Navigator AI is a great product. Justin and his team have been in this space of awhile and know the pain points that MLS and association have regarding support, rules, and data. Like a lot of AI tools it seems like magic. I think the possibilities are endless. I’m sure Katie Smithson of RECore would love to give you a demo.

Afordal, from RatePlug lets anyone get in to the all-in-one game

RatePlug launches Afordal, the first integration of home search, mortgage rates, pre-approval and special financing options.

RatePlug Launches Afordal: First Integration of Home Search, Mortgage Rates, Pre-approval and Special Financing Options

“Afordal solves one of the biggest pain points in residential real estate: aligning what homebuyers want with what they can afford,” said Brad Springer, Co-President of RatePlug.

He adds, “Afordal unites home search and financing to give buyers a clear path forward, allowing professionals to engage their customers more effectively.”

With Rocket buying Redfin and Mr. Cooper and Lower acquiring Movoto, the trend is clearly toward an “all-in-one” platform driven by mortgage. From what I gather, Afordal lets agents, brokers, and loan professionals create an IDX website based on affordability (see what they did there?). It also comes with a CRM, a Homebot-style drip nurturing campaign, and some social media campaign management.

Brad Springer has been in the industry for a while, and it’s great to see that he and his team are still innovating

Join us for a live edition of the Industry Relations podcast on Friday, June 6th at 10AM PT

Here’s the Link=> https://www.youtube.com/live/go8TxG4fpnI

See you at the Thrive Broker Summit

I’m really excited to be attending and speaking at CRMLS’ Thrive Broker Summit, in my home town of Huntington Beach! It kicks off this Sunday, with the main event starting on Monday the 9th. I’ll be joined on stage by Keith Robinson of NextHome and co-host of the popular Real Estate Insiders Unfiltered podcast.

This will be the first time Keith and I break free from the shackles of our podcast co-hosts—Rob Hahn for me (Industry Relations), and James Dwiggins for him.

Our session is titled ‘Three BIG Questions, Answered.’

We’re bringing the heat, the honesty, and a whole lot of fun!

T3 Sixty says Bright MLS is #1

Bright tops 2025 MLS rankings

Who’s No. 1? For the first time since T3 Sixty began its rankings, there is a new player in the top spot: Bright MLS, with 101,000 members. Bright has moved into the position formerly occupied by California Regional MLS, which drops to No. 2 with 99,000 members, followed by Central Florida-based Stellar MLS with 81,453.

The shift at the top aligns with the bigger picture nationally, where every part of the country saw a drop in the total number of MLS subscribers — except the South Atlantic region (up 0.4%). That area is covered in part by Bright MLS and has seen ongoing population growth.”

The difference in subscriber count is just 2,100. I’ve said this before, but what Clint Skutchan does with T3 Sixty is an incredible asset to the industry. The RE Almanac sits on my desk and serves as an important reference every week.

Industry Relations Podcast: Buyer’s Market Fever Dream

In this episode of Industry Relations, Rob and Greg run a thought experiment: What if we’re entering a true buyer’s market? They walk through ten major industry topics—from antitrust litigation to portals, AI, and MLS relevance—and analyze how each might shift if buyers suddenly gained the upper hand. Along the way, they debate policy, technology, and market psychology, drawing connections between historical trends and current market signals.

Watch us on YouTube!

Links

The U.S. Housing Market Has Nearly 500,000 More Sellers Than Buyers—the Most on Record. That Will Likely Cause Home Prices to Fall

Key Takeaways

  • Antitrust & Legal Landscape – Discussion of how a buyer’s market might (or might not) affect current and future antitrust lawsuits in real estate.
  • Government Regulation – Exploration of potential political reactions, including pressure on corporate landlords, affordability policy, or even renewed interest in rent control.
  • Tech-Enabled Brokerages – Examination of whether brokerages like Redfin, Compass, and eXp gain or lose advantage when the market shifts toward buyers.
  • iBuyers & Institutional Activity – Rob and Greg assess whether a buyer’s market helps or hurts companies like Opendoor and investor-focused strategies.
  • Portals & Exclusive Inventory – Deep dive into how platforms like Zillow and Homes.com may adapt, and whether exclusive listings could gain ground.
  • AI & Automation – Consideration of how AI could enable cheaper, more scalable buyer representation services—and who might benefit.
  • Consumer Trust – Debate over whether a buyer’s market could rebuild trust in the industry or simply reduce agent count, leaving higher-quality professionals.
  • DIY Real Estate – Why self-service homebuying remains unlikely to surge, even with market power shifting toward buyers.
  • Industry Consolidation – Prediction that competitive pressure could drive further brokerage and vendor consolidation.
  • MLS & Association Relevance – Analysis of whether MLSs become more or less important in a buyer’s market, especially in the context of exclusives and policy enforcement.

Connect with Rob and Greg

Rob’s Website https://notoriousrob.substack.com/

Greg’s Website https://www.vendoralley.com/about-2/

Our Sponsors:

Cotality https://www.cotality.com/

Notorious VIP https://notoriousrob.substack.com

The Giant Steps Job Board https://vendoralley.jobboard.io/

Production and Editing Services by Sunbound Studios

SCOOP: CMLS rebrands annual conference – Open House

I love the vibe of this. Here’ a sneak peak of their new website.

“The name captures the spirit of what our event has always been:
– A celebration of our role in sustaining a healthy housing market.
– A place where the MLS community comes together to discuss the issues that matter most.
– A welcoming environment to meet peers, ask hard questions, and share bold ideas.”

See you there!

NorthstarMLS adds UtahRealEstate.com’s reDataExport tool

UtahRealEstate.com’s Newest Company, reDataExport, Signs NorthstarMLS as its First Customer

“Founded in January 2025 by UtahRealEstate.com, reDataExport aims to transform real estate data distribution by providing an efficient platform to supply real estate information to those who need multiple listing service (“MLS”) data for research, statistics, and analytics. MLSs across the nation often receive requests from government agencies, universities, economists, and research companies that need access to specific MLS data for market research and legislative analysis. With the reDataExport product, NorthstarMLS will be able to license data to these types of entities and provide the data without having to give full access to their MLS system, ensuring the confidentiality and data integrity of the MLS system”

Love these types of solutions. Simple, solves a problem, and easy to implement. I bet it’s pretty inexpensive too. Might be an easy way for others to support MLS led tech. I’m sure either Brad or Casey would love to chat.

Ocusell and Restb.ai partner to enhance FMLS listings

Ocusell Partners with Restb.ai to Enhance FMLS Listings with Built-In AI

“This partnership embeds Restb.ai’s advanced computer vision technology directly into Ocusell, giving agents and brokers powerful time-saving tools while maintaining the highest standards of accuracy and reliability,” said Hayden Rieveschl, CEO and Founder of Ocusell.”

This space is heating up.

Omni Lobby Bar After Party – UPDATE

I have 2 vendors that have graciously offered to pick up the first round at our meet up this Sunday Night (9PM – Last Call) at the Omni Shoreham in DC.

So get there early before their tab runs out! And don’t forget to thank Katie Smithson from REcore and Justin Lundy from Lundy!

Here are the details in case you missed my first post.

“I’m inviting everyone to meet up at the Omni Hotel’s Marquee Lounge, Sunday night (6/1/25). Anywhere from 9 PM on, just get there before last call (Midnight), and let’s all raise a glass together in a place we have enjoyed each other’s company for so long!”

Turn out was great last year. See you there!

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