Bob Bemis Joins Zillow

Robert Bemis Joins Zillow as Vice President of Partner Relations

Veteran real estate industry executive to help develop and strengthen industry partnerships

SEATTLE, Feb. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Zillow, Inc., the leading real estate information marketplace, today announced real estate industry veteran Robert (Bob) D. Bemis is joining Zillow® as the company’s vice president of partner relations. Bemis brings nearly 25 years of experience in the real estate industry and will be responsible for creating new partner relationships with real estate brokers, agents and multiple listings services (MLSs). Most recently, Bemis was chief executive officer of Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service, Inc. (ARMLS), one of the largest and most influential MLSs in the nation.

The addition of Bemis to the Zillow team, combined with the acquisition of Diverse Solutions(TM) in November 2011, advances Zillow’s goal of helping real estate agents grow and market their business.

“We are honored to have one of the most esteemed and well respected executives in the real estate industry join our team. Bob’s deep industry knowledge will help Zillow engage with brokerages and MLSs in a mutually beneficial way,” said Spencer Rascoff, Zillow CEO. “Bob’s role will benefit the entire industry by bringing better communication and cooperation as well as help improve Zillow’s product development initiatives.”

“I am looking forward to the challenge of building bridges to Zillow’s current and potential partners in the industry, including MLSs, Associations of REALTORS®, brokers, agents, appraisers, title companies, mortgage lenders and other service providers. I intend to foster a spirit of cooperation that has sometimes been missing in the dialog between licensed practitioners, their support organizations and the rest of the industry,” said Bemis. “This is a very exciting opportunity to make a major contribution to the continuing success of an industry that I have been a part of for nearly 25 years.”

Bemis joined ARMLS as CEO in October 2007, and immediately began an aggressive program of expanding the product options and raising the quality of customer service and support offered to ARMLS’s nearly 30,000 real estate agent practitioners. He is a regular participant on national panels and forums dealing with real estate issues and serves on the National Association of REALTORS® MLS Issues and Policy Committee. Bemis also serves as a director on the board of the Council of Multiple Listing Services and is the interim president of the MLS Domains Association, an organization seeking to acquire the Dot.MLS top level domain for exclusive use by MLS systems. He was named one of the 100 Most Influential Real Estate Leaders by Inman News® in 2011.

Prior to ARMLS, Bemis was vice president of customer care for Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, the nation’s largest MLS system. He also was director of marketing and product management for Interealty Inc., a leading provider of information technologies and MLS systems to the real estate industry, which was acquired by CoreLogic®. Past real estate industry positions include director of information services for the Chicago Association of REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service and a real estate sales agent with Coldwell Banker® in Glenview, Ill.

A Midwest native, Bemis has a Bachelor of Arts in Speech and Communications from The Ohio State University. Before his real estate career, he spent 20 years in the television broadcasting industry, managing broadcast station operations in Columbus and Cincinnati, and studio and mobile production companies in Indianapolis and Chicago. Among his major accomplishments, he counts a regional Emmy® award for excellence in television directing from the Midwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television and Arts and Sciences.

Bemis and his wife will relocate to the Pacific Northwest and be based at Zillow’s headquarters in Seattle.

WAV Group to Host Webinar on “Non Dues Revenue for MLS”

CMLS business partner member, WAV Group, will be hosting a webinar on Non Dues Revenue for the MLS.

To find out more visit:  http://waves.wavgroup.com/2012/02/06/non-dues-revenue-for-mls/

CMLS 2012 President to Speak at Florida REALTORS Gathering

CMLS 2012 President, Greg Manship (Intermountain MLS), will be speaking at the Florida REALTORS gathering tomorrow.  See attached agendas for the Multiple Listing Administrators Exchange  and the MLS Practices Forum.

If you’re at the Buena Vista Resort in Lake Buena Vista, FL, make sure to say hi to Greg and hear what’s new with CMLS!

January 2012 MLS Practices Agenda

January 2012 MLS Administrators Exchange Agenda

CMLS Sends Letter to MLS Issues and Policy Committee

Hello Fellow CMLS Members!  First, our thanks for your participation on our web meeting on the recommended changes to IDX Policy.  The call was a huge success and we look forward to hosting future on-line meetings on important topics.  Below you will find a link to the letter that has been sent to the MLS Issues and Policy Committee, sharing the feedback from the call and our recommendations.

Please review the letter and post your comments to continue the conversation.

Many Thanks,
Merri Jo

Merri Jo Cowen, 2011 CMLS President

IDX PAG to MLS Policy from CMLS- 11.2.11

CMLS IDX Webinar Follow-up

Thanks to all who attended our first CMLS Brings It webinar this Monday.

You may listed to a recording of the webinar by clicking here, http://youtu.be/XGxD92Mt_Bs , or view the following documents:

CMLS Webinar – IDX Challenges Solutions Full Presentation

CMLS IDX Challenges Solutions 103111 – Chat Log

Twitter feed CMLS IDX PAG

Watch for more to come from CMLS on this issue!

As always, we welcome your comments below.

Cameron Paine Suggests National MLS Listing Portal

Here’s an article that was written by one of our members, Cameron Paine of CTMLS:

We Need One MLS Website

Forward

The purpose of this white paper is to raise awareness that the MLS industry needs one national MLS public website to be competitive online. While there has been some debate over the years, the evidence supporting the benefits of MLS public websites has become overwhelming for even the most hardened skeptics. Still, there are flaws in both the idea and the execution by MLSs (including mine) that limit the potential of MLS public websites to truly compete – and win – in the search engines of Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc.

However, when considering this issue one question kept coming up: “Why would banks continue to invest millions into Zillow when Zillow has yet to turn a profit?” According to Zillow, by August of 2007 they had $87 million in funding. According to CNN Money, in the IPO earlier this year Zillow sold 3.46 million shares – trading today (October 26, 2011) at $25.59. Here comes the interesting part: Again, according to CNN Money, the underwriters of the IPO were Citigroup, Allen & Co., Pacific Crest Securities, ThinkEquity and First Washington Corp. The answer may be that the bank’s interest isn’t just in the public website – it’s the MLS subscription model. Remember, we’re 800+ MLSs, with no real capacity or leadership to mount a coordinated response to a common threat. Yet, with more than 1 million subscribers nationwide paying a monthly/bi-annual/annual fee of [insert your MLS fee here] we are a big, fat, tempting target.

Don’t think for one second that the wealth potential has been missed by Wall Street; for anyone who thinks a national MLS is too big to work consider the fact that several non-broker/non-MLS national sites already accept direct listing entry. If I were them, I’d cut a deal with the large parent corporations that own many of the top nationwide brands to “reverse the stream” by mandating listing entry directly into the national site then passing data downstream to the MLS. It makes the broker/agent life easier because they have one listing entry regardless of how many MLSs they might belong to. Brokers, in turn, save time and money by having one common data feed for their national brokerage websites. The fact is that national sites already have as much or more information than many MLSs and my guess is that the national site(s) would provide some sort of profit sharing or subscription fee split with participating brokers. Ultimately, the only question remaining for brokers and agents will be, “Why do we pay for an MLS?”

Article

The most obvious flaw in the MLS public website presence online is that with more than 800 MLSs (probably half of which have public websites) we are too diffuse to have any real impact on the national scale. Think 800+ people in a gigantic war canoe all paddling in different directions and you will have some idea of our industry’s online effectiveness. There are a few notable exceptions like the Houston Association’s HAR.com, but they have local success because they were early to market and were funded aggressively. HAR was able to establish dominance before the entry of Zillow, Trulia, Yahoo, etc., into their market and has done a good job of maintaining local dominance. For MLSs not in HAR’s position, it’s an uphill climb against well established, very well-funded competition.

We are the source of the data, the most accurate real estate information on the planet. Why aren’t we winning?

We need to stop paddling in different directions and take concrete steps towards improved cooperation within our industry. Consolidation is part of the answer, but I think cooperation needs to come first. We need to take a hard look at our future and realize that while we’re arguing, the competition has been eating our lunch. Think about the vast amounts of collective money being spent by every MLS that built and now maintains their own individual MLS public websites. There are 800+ MLSs, maybe 400 of which have public websites. Let’s say the public websites average $10,000 a year in expenses, that’s a total of $4 million a year being spent on 400 different MLS public websites. What if we were instead spending $4 million a year to convince the public to visit one MLS public website that we all share?

When you Google “CT homes for sale,” 6 of the top 10 organic search results are non-broker or MLS websites. Assuming that most users never look past the first page of search results, it is clear that non-brokerage/non-MLS companies control fully 60% of the lead traffic in Connecticut. To anticipate the follow-up question, yes, Google searches for specific towns have similar results; I will bet you that your town’s search result is the same.

The Connecticut MLS recently completed a total redesign of our website www.CTreal.com. We’ve done some very cool things and we did them for less than $40,000, which is pretty inexpensive. I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished, but I would trade it in a heartbeat to be more competitive with the non-MLS/non-broker sites currently dominating our market – I hope that every MLS would be eager to do the same. The point is simple: Separately, MLSs don’t have enough resources to compete successfully with the Zillows, Trulias, or Realtor.coms of the world.

How can we possibly compete…?

The way we’re doing things today, we can’t. We can continue to tread water, cheering our few success stories as shining examples of what could have been done – if we had been as smart, as convincing, and as early to the market as Bob Hale. Sadly, it is just a matter of time before even those limited successes will be swamped by the sheer quantity of money available to non-MLS/non-brokerage sites.

I propose the creation of a single national MLS public website that participating MLSs would fund instead of their own individual sites (alternatively, the few MLSs that DO dominate their market area could do both, with the cost for participation in the national MLS site at a reasonably affordable $10,000). The combined resources would go much further and the combined traffic would significantly benefit organic search results. CTreal.com earns around 20,000 visitors per month, so assuming the 400 other MLS public sites average out about the same (some are better, some are worse), we’re talking about 8 million visitors per month. Now that’s a number we should be able to get behind.

There are many details that need to be addressed, specifically: Who controls the site, how much would it cost to participate, how would it accept data, what would it be called, the web address, and many more. I have opinions on some and have a rough outline prepared, but it’s the “big idea” the MLSs need to sort out first, before getting in the weeds. The best organization suited to begin this discussion may be the Council of MLSs – but only if they can overcome the tired, old-guard impulse to try and crush anything that isn’t the status quo. Otherwise, we will find that while we’ve been arguing about whether or not we should start talking, the decision will have been made for us.

Tell us what you think  by using the comments section below!

CMLS2012

Make sure you’ve marked your calendars and are saving the date for CMLS2012, in Boston, September 26-28.

You don’t want to miss this!

Today’s the Day! 4pm Eastern Call re: Proposed IDX Changes

Join us for a one-hour Online Meeting regarding the NAR PAG Report on IDX from all angles and share your thoughts with your peers. Hosted by CMLS and featuring Bob Bemis, ARMLS; Matt Cohen, Clareity Consulting; Jim Harrison, MLS Listings; John Rees, Esq.; Greg Manship, Intermountain MLS; Cathy Holefelder, Heartland MLS and other invited guests, this WebEx will lay out the possible rule changes and the impact on MLSs.

~ Overview of PAG report and proposed changes
~ The Social life of a listing – today and in the future if the rules change; understanding current social media, how RSS feeds work, what the impact might be on MLSs
~ Challenges – what would the responsibilities of the MLS be if new Rules are adapted – from legal view and from MLS Executive perspective
~ Possible Solutions, implementation ideas and your comments

Before the call, be sure to check out these items:
IDX PAG Report- August 2011
IDX PAG Policy Revisions 10 6 11
What is RSS?
Vendor Alley Interview with Matt Cohen re: Policy Changes

No pre-registration needed, just sign in on October 31^st at 4 pm eastern using the link and phone info below. If you have thoughts or concerns to share prior to the meeting, please feel free to send an email to info@councilofmls.com

Go to https://mfrmls.webex.com/mfrmls/j.php?ED=156386827&UID=488595217&PW=NMTYyNWQ5YTZi&RT=MiMxMQ%3D%3D

Audio conference information

To receive a call back, provide your phone number when you join the meeting, or call the number below and enter the access code.

Call-in toll-free number (US/Canada): 1-877-668-4493

Call-in toll number (US/Canada): +1-408-600-3600

Toll-free dialing restrictions: http://www.webex.com/pdf/tollfree_restrictions.pdf

Access code:737 962 330

CMLS2011 Speaker Presentations

Speaker presentations will be available here as they are submitted.  If you have questions, or if you don’t see a presentation you are interested in, email Sarah @ councilofmls.com

CMLS_Brian Boero

CMLS_Keynote- Brian Taylor

CMLS_P_I_T- Brian Taylor

CMLS_Close- Brian Taylor

CMLS- Mobile Agent- Krisstina Wise

Only Five Days Until the CMLS Call on IDX Rule Changes

Join us for a one-hour Online Meeting regarding the NAR PAG Report on IDX from all angles and share your thoughts with your peers. Hosted by CMLS and featuring Bob Bemis, ARMLS; Matt Cohen, Clareity Consulting; Jim Harrison, MLS Listings; John Rees, Esq.; Greg Manship, Intermountain MLS; Cathy Holefelder, Heartland MLS and other invited guests, this WebEx will lay out the possible rule changes and the impact on MLSs.

~ Overview of PAG report and proposed changes
~ The Social life of a listing – today and in the future if the rules change; understanding current social media, how RSS feeds work, what the impact might be on MLSs
~ Challenges – what would the responsibilities of the MLS be if new Rules are adapted – from legal view and from MLS Executive perspective
~ Possible Solutions, implementation ideas and your comments

Before the call, be sure to check out these items:
IDX PAG Report- August 2011
IDX PAG Policy Revisions 9 27 11
What is RSS?
Vendor Alley Interview with Matt Cohen re: Policy Changes

No pre-registration needed, just sign in on October 31^st at 4 pm eastern using the link and phone info below. If you have thoughts or concerns to share prior to the meeting, please feel free to send an email to info@councilofmls.com

Go to https://mfrmls.webex.com/mfrmls/j.php?ED=156386827&UID=488595217&PW=NMTYyNWQ5YTZi&RT=MiMxMQ%3D%3D

Audio conference information

To receive a call back, provide your phone number when you join the meeting, or call the number below and enter the access code.

Call-in toll-free number (US/Canada): 1-877-668-4493

Call-in toll number (US/Canada): +1-408-600-3600

Toll-free dialing restrictions: http://www.webex.com/pdf/tollfree_restrictions.pdf

Access code:737 962 330

Rhode Island State-Wide Multiple Listing Selects Bridge Interactive Group’s RETS IQ Contact™ Server

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Rhode Island State-Wide Multiple Listing Selects Bridge Interactive Group’s RETS IQ Contact™ Server

Atlanta, GA, October 14, 2011- Bridge Interactive Group (Bridge) announced today that Rhode Island State-Wide MLS selected Bridge’s Contact RETS server for greater control of the MLS listing database and RETS feeds.

“We chose RETS IQ Contact over other RETS servers for its advanced reporting tools, ability to control access to our listing database, ease of use, and affordability” says Mike Letendre, Chief Information Officer at State-Wide MLS.  “We have had a very positive experience working with the Bridge staff during the transition to their Contact server, and look forward to a long working relationship with their team.”

Pace Davis, Bridge’s President, says “State-Wide MLS was looking for a robust solution to provide complete control of their listing data and RETS management.  We are thrilled that they have chosen Contact as their solution, and are pleased to add Rhode Island State-Wide MLS to our growing list of clients.”

Bridge’s RETS IQ Contact is an MLS-level RETS data management tool that provides detailed control and use reporting for MLS RETS access.  RETS IQ Contact has the most comprehensive RETS usage reporting in the industry.  Contact stores each and every RETS action then presents that data in several easy-to-read, analytical reports. Contact enables MLS staff to review real-time queries, the number of listings, amounts of data requested and much more. Executive-level summary reports are presented in clear, graphical detail allowing the MLS Administrator or Executive to quickly review and monitor activity on the RETS server. In addition, Contact makes troubleshooting RETS simple. Help Desk or Administrative staff can easily identify failed queries and identify the problem, such as a misspelled word or an improper character. Failed queries are displayed in red which makes them easy to identify and therefore, quicker to manage.

About Bridge Interactive Group

Bridge Interactive Group specializes in providing cutting edge technology and

services to the real estate industry. Bridge offers solutions for listing syndication

control, RETS data usage and monitoring, account management and billing, and

add/edit functionality via its RETS IQ product suite. Bridge technologies are used

by MLS System Vendors, MLSs, Brokers, and more than 280,000 agents.  For

more information about Bridge Interactive Group, please visit www.retsiq.com, or contact Turan Tekin at: phone- 404.310.6475, email- turan@retsiq.com

#  #  #

CMLS Brings It to the Table- Branding the MLS

CMLS Members Only
Sheraton Anaheim
November 9, 2011
11:30am lunch
12:30 – 5pm workshop

CLICK TO REGISTER

CMLS Brings It – The Impact of the Proposed IDX Rule Changes

Join us for a one-hour Online Meeting regarding the NAR PAG Report on IDX from all angles and share your thoughts with your peers.  Hosted by CMLS and featuring Bob Bemis, ARMLS; Matt Cohen, Clareity Consulting; Jim Harrison, MLS Listings; John Rees, Esq.; Greg Manship, Intermountain MLS; Cathy Holefelder, Heartland MLS and other invited guests, this WebEx will lay out the possible rule changes and the impact on MLSs.

~  Overview of PAG report and proposed changes
~  The Social life of a listing – today and in the future if the rules change; understanding current social media, how RSS feeds work, what the impact might be on MLSs
~  Challenges – what would the responsibilities of the MLS be if new Rules are adapted – from legal view and from MLS Executive perspective
~  Possible Solutions, implementation ideas and your comments

No pre-registration needed, just sign in on October 31^st at 4 pm eastern using the link and phone info below.  If you have thoughts or concerns to share prior to the meeting, please feel free to send an email to info@councilofmls.com

Go to https://mfrmls.webex.com/mfrmls/j.php?ED=156386827&UID=488595217&PW=NMTYyNWQ5YTZi&RT=MiMxMQ%3D%3D

Audio conference information

To receive a call back, provide your phone number when you join the meeting, or call the number below and enter the access code.

Call-in toll-free number (US/Canada): 1-877-668-4493

Call-in toll number (US/Canada): +1-408-600-3600

Toll-free dialing restrictions: http://www.webex.com/pdf/tollfree_restrictions.pdf

Access code:737 962 330

Peter Shuttleworth Named First CMLS Hall of Fame Award Recipient

Peter Shuttleworth Named First CMLS Hall of Fame Award Recipient

Morrisville, N.C. (October 21, 2011) – The Council of Multiple Listing Services (CMLS) recently inducted industry veteran and CMLS charter member, Peter Shuttleworth, into the Hall of Fame at the Annual Conference on October 6 in Tucson, Ariz. He became the first person to receive the CMLS Hall of Fame designation, which was established earlier this year to recognize outstanding individual contributions made through dedicated service to the association and the industry.

“We are so very excited that Peter is our very first inductee into the CMLS Hall of Fame – the standard to receive this award has been set by his amazing contributions to our industry,” said Merri Jo Cowen, CMLS president.

Peter Shuttleworth is the executive vice president of Multiple Listing Service and president of WIREdata Corporation in Milwaukee, Wis. Although Shuttleworth, an army veteran, began his career in information technology and management, he has spent the past 27 years devoting his expertise to the real estate industry. He has devoted a considerable amount of time working within the National Association of Realtors (NAR) on their education, policy and technology committees and was the first chair of the MLS Executives Group, a key forum for MLS Executives, AEs and brokers/agents at each national meeting. He served two terms on the NAR board of directors and continues to participate in discussions, both formal and informal, about the industry. In addition, he has worked with the International Real Property Foundation in several countries to present industry best practices, the challenges of exclusive contracts, offers of compensation and the benefits of good market data.

Along with his recent induction into the CMLS Hall of Fame, Shuttleworth is also the 2011 Wisconsin Realtors Association (WRA) Chairman’s Citation award recipient for contributions to the WRA and Realtors in Wis.

CMLS2011 in Three Minutes

CMLS Brings It to the Table: MLS Branding Workshop

MLS Branding Workshop

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

11:30am – 5:00pm

Sheraton Anaheim

Regent Room, Main Lobby Level

Workshop price per person – $59

Buffet lunch included

CMLS Members Only

Registration Now Open

MILE HIGH MOBILE; OVER 15,000 DENVER REALTORS® GO MOBILE WITH GOOMZEE

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Mike Sparr, CEO
Goomzee
406-542-9955
mike@goomzee.com

Melissa Olson, Marketing
Metrolist
303-850-9576
molson@metrolist.com

MILE HIGH MOBILE; OVER 15,000 DENVER REALTORS® GO MOBILE WITH GOOMZEE

Missoula MT – October 4, 2011 -  Goomzee, the leading mobile technology solution provider for real estate professionals nationwide, announced today their agreement with Metrolist, Colorado’s largest multiple listing service (MLS), to provide mobile property search and at-property lead capture tools to Colorado REALTORS®.  As part of the agreement, Goomzee will offer Metrolist subscribers its Mobile MLS technology, in addition to its industry-leading text message and QR code marketing suite, Realty Connect®.  Denver area home buyers will soon be able to access listing information, pricing and photos on their mobile phones while efficiently connecting with area real estate professionals.

Goomzee’s mobile marketing tools include text message call capture, QR code and branded mobile IDX.  The service allows agents to place codes on signs at the property and consumers can text in, or scan a QR code, and instantly receive home information, pricing and even photos on their cell phone.  The agent is notified of buyer interest and can follow up to provide more responsive customer service.  According to the company, over 200,000 real estate professionals in the United States already have a Goomzee account, growing from 100,000 agents this same time last year.

“We’re excited to offer Goomzee’s mobile technology in the new Metrolist Marketplace, an online one-stop-shop coming soon,” says Patricia Bybee, President and CEO.  “Mobile technology is a must-have to reach today’s tech-savvy homebuyers and we look forward to making this available.”

“I’m excited to work with Metrolist and their 16,000 real estate professionals in the Denver area,” states Mike Sparr, Goomzee CEO and founder.  “As more MLS’s help mobilize their agents, it’s exciting they continue to select Goomzee as their preferred mobile technology partner.  We now service many of the largest MLS markets in America but  as a Montana-based company this partnership is even more exciting since Metrolist is one of the largest solution providers in the Rockies.”

Mobile technology continues to grow in importance in the real estate industry.  According to Pew Research Centers, 92% of smart phone subscribers cite text messaging as the most important feature of their mobile device, and Internet browsing has grown to 84%.  According to the company, Goomzee’s mobile technology suite delivers a complete mobile offering for real estate agents, brokers, franchises and MLSs that reaches the most mobile devices including standard phones, smart phones and tablets with the technology that delivers results.

ABOUT GOOMZEE
Goomzee provides mobile technology tools that allow real estate agents to deliver property information to a buyer’s cell phone while they are standing at the property or on the go and helps convert more leads into sales.  With the company’s industry-leading product suite, Realty Connect, Text Message and QR Code marketing, and Mobile Property Pages, are automatically generated and reusable. The suite also includes Mobile MLS and Branded Mobile IDX features. Goomzee’s products seamlessly integrate with MLS property listing databases to provide accurate, relevant information for the real estate professional and their clients.  To learn more, visit us online at www.goomzee.com or contact us toll free at 1-855-GOOMZEE.

ABOUT METROLIST
Metrolist is the largest MLS in the state of Colorado, supporting the largest network of REALTORS® with the most comprehensive database of real property listings. Realtor owned since 1984, Metrolist provides leading technology solutions to real estate agents and brokers to better serve buyers and sellers. More information about Metrolist is available at www.metrolist.com.

###

Bay East Association of REALTORS® Partners with ReachFactorTM to Go Beyond Agent Ratings

Bay East Association of REALTORS® announced today a partnership with agent reputation innovator ReachFactor^TM to help its agents showcase their performance, shorten sales cycles, and generate high quality inbound leads for free. ReachFactor will be integrated into Bay East’s intranet and become available to members in October, 2011.

ReachFactor is a patents-pending technology that allows real estate agents to display factual information about their client reviews, current activity, and/or peer network strength so consumers can find them and make a quick, anxiety-free decision. The technology requires almost no work on the part of the agent.

“ReachFactor presents a very unique way agents can engage consumers and improve their business,” states Tricia Thomas, CEO Bay East Association of REALTORS®. “ReachFactor is a comprehensive agent rating system — agents can use whatever facets of the system they feel showcase their strengths best and ReachFactor automates much of the outreach.”

ReachFactor’s expanding feature list allows agents to:

• Collect and display verified client reviews
• Automatically showcase screenings, showings, open houses, and other daily activities
• Demonstrate the size and ‘reach’ of their marketing network
• Connect with consumers through social media and search

“Our partner program has arrived and we’re excited that Bay East Association of REALTORS® officially kicks it off,” states Suresh Srinivasan, CEO of ReachFactor. “I feel strongly that we and REALTOR® Associations share a common goal, which is to satisfy an unmet consumer demand for information, but do it by empowering brokers and agents with a system that fairly credits them for all their hard work. We look forward to partnering with real estate organizations around the nation.”

About Bay East Association of REALTORS®
Since 1947, the Bay East Association of REALTORS® has been providing association and MLS services to real estate professionals in the San Francisco East Bay. Agents, brokers and appraisers who belong to the Bay East MLS have access to comprehensive property information for homes in Castro Valley, San Lorenzo, San Leandro, Hayward, Newark, Union City, Fremont, Sunol, Pleasanton, Dublin and Livermore. Serving over 5,000 MLS users, the Bay East Association of REALTORS® offers, education programs, professional development, and emerging technologies that enable agents and brokers to provide quality real estate service.

About ReachFactor
ReachFactor is a patents-pending reputation platform for use by real estate agents to build a bona fide reputation and engage more buyers and sellers. Prospective home buyers and sellers who browse real estate agent profiles on ReachFactor are rewarded with a rich, facts-only database of client reviews, activity metrics, and summary of the marketing strength of real estate agents around the nation. ReachFactor was launched in September 2010. For more information, visit: www.reachfactor.com

## END ##

The Countdown Begins

The Countdown Begins

Merri Jo Cowen, 2011 CMLS President

If you have ever attended a CMLS conference, you know the value and I suspect you have a healthy respect for the conference hosts and planners.  If you’ve never really given that any thought, consider this:

• 536 (and growing) registrants as of today
• Two hotels to house everyone
• *Special events – Welcome Reception, Old Tucson Studios Hootenanny, and a Poolside dinner
• A golf event
• Three receptions/dinners, two breakfasts and two lunches…and breaks
• Badges, programs, signs, bags and other “bling”
• A CMLS2011 mobile app- visit www.cmls2011.com from your smartphione and download the app

…..are you impressed yet?  If not, consider this:

• 30 generous sponsors
• 50 amazing opportunities to learn about new products in the Exhibit area

Still not enough?  How about this:

• An agenda with 15 opportunities to learn and question – featuring  45 speakers & panelists
• Over the Top Speakers like Brian Boero of 1000 Watt Consulting, Bob Hale of HAR, Mark Lesswing of NAR, Curt Beardsley from Move/Realtor.com, Krisstina Wise from The Good Life Team, Jay Thompson (the Phoenix Real Estate Guy), Tracy Weir from Inman News – just to name a few.
• MLS Industry Consultants from Clareity, Pranix, Management Advisors, WAV Group and Focus Forward
• A legal update from prominent experts:  John Rees, Brian Larson & Chris Osborn
• New CMLS Leadership Announced, special recognition
• Next Steps for CMLS – we’re not just a conference anymore!

If you’re not out of breath and duly impressed by now, I throw up my hands and give up!  We can’t wait to see all of you next week!  On-line registration is closed BUT there is still room (and hotel rooms) to attend – you’ll be able to register on-site beginning on Wednesday, 10/5/11.  This is not the conference to miss! 

I’d like to add my personal thanks to each of our 30 sponsors – beginning with FBS – the Diamond Sponsor this year; our Platinum Sponsor, LPS; the Gold Sponsors – Homes Media Solutions and Realtor.com.  Check out the impressive list of our CMLS industry partners who are supporting CMLS on the conference website, www.cmls2011.com.  CMLS is the place to be – where else can you experience the level of networking among peers, business partners and industry experts that the annual CMLS conference provides? 

As you enjoy the conference, please say “thanks” to Phil Tedesco &Team Tucson and co-host Wes Wiggins – this is one tough job and they have done an amazing job.  See you in Tucson!  Merri Jo

Merri Jo Cowen, 2011 CMLS President

CMLS2011 Conference Attendees to Experience Transitions

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                                                 CONTACT:                

Philip Tedesco

CEO

(520) 382-8773

CMLS2011 Conference Attendees to Experience Transitions

Tucson, AZ– (September 30, 2011) – Cooler temperatures, gorgeous sunsets and breathtaking scenery will greet the CMLS 2011 Conference attendees in Tucson, Arizona. The weather is beginning its transition from summer to fall in the Old Pueblo.

The theme for this year’s CMLS2011 Conference so happens to be “Transitions.” As the weather drops from the high 90s to high 80s, Conference attendees will learn about the important issues facing the MLS industry today.

Those attending CMLS2011, hosted by Tucson Association of REALTORS®, October 5-7 at the Westin La Paloma, should plan for weather in the high 80s with night time lows in the lower 60s. Rain showers appear to be taunting us in the forecast, so pack that umbrella.

Feel like shopping? Take the 10-minute shuttle from La Paloma to La Encantada, an upscale shopping and dining destination featuring, Tiffany & Co., Pottery Barn/Williams-Sonoma and Co and Louis Vuitton. Feast on tacos from Blanco’s or creamy and refreshing gelato from Frost, both locally owned.

See the charm of the desert and its beauty at Sabino Canyon, located just 6 miles from La Paloma.  Bring your water, sunscreen, and hiking shoes to explore the trails of the lush, scenic Canyon. Sabino Canyon also offers a narrated, educational 45-minute, 3.8 mile tour into the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains. Don’t forget the camera!

CMLS2011 Conference registration hours are: Tuesday, October 4 from 3-5pm; Wednesday 7-10am, 3-8pm; Thursday 7am- 5pm and Friday 7am – Noon.

Get a discount on transportation from the airport to the hotel from Arizona Stagecoach. They accept advance reservations either by calling us at 520-889-1000 or 877-782-4355 or on our website at www.azstagecoach.com, using the code MLS11.

Those interested in more information about CMLS2011 are directed to http://www.cmls2011.com or to Philip Tedesco at phil@tucsonrealtors.org or 520-382-8773.

Council of Multiple Listing Services (CMLS) is the premier forum and resource for Multiple Listing Service associations.

The Multiple Listing Service (TAR/MLS), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Tucson Association of REALTORS®, is a reliable, cooperative real estate database of listing and sale information in Southern Arizona.

# # #

The CMLS2011 Conference and Expo Goes Mobile!

Mobile Real Estate is proud to announce the mobilization of theCMLS2011conference. You can download the App by texting CMLS to 88500 or Scan the QR Code at the end of the release. The conference mobile website is available on all mobile web enabled devices and offers all attendees the ability to easily stay connected, directly from their mobile devices. Attendees can view the convention site  for the ability to view the schedule, speaker’s bios, exhibitor & sponsor information, location details and connect directly to all CMLS’s social networking links.

“It is an honor to be the technology sponsor to the CMLS2011 Conference. MLS’s are the technological starting point for the Real Estate industry and to be chosen to showcase our technology at this event is advantageous.  Mobile Real Estate looks forward to adding the most up to date technology to this event, to enhance the conference in every aspect. We are thrilled to partner with CMLS and look forward to the event.” said John Lim, President of Mobile Real Estate

In addition to providing the mobile website for the event, Mobile Real Estate is also providing an IntelliCode™ account for each exhibitor and sponsor participating in the Conference, regardless of the company’s sponsorship level. This technology will provide companies like the Xplode Conference Series, a sponsor at the CMLS2011 event, the ability to create a Text and QR Code for use at their respective booth. Unlike traditional QR Codes, campaign designers not limited to delivering one piece of content.  With IntelliCode™ you can present new or different content with each scan or text.  The mobile web builder within the IntelliCode™ builder makes it easy for anyone of any technology level, to put together professional quality mobile marketing concepts, in minutes.  Attendees are encouraged to participate in scan to win drawings, sign up for more information, and a view of show special pricing. The delivery method to all mobile web enabled devices allows everyone with mobile web capabilities to partake in these show features.

As the Technology Sponsor for the event, Mobile Real Estate is looking forward to helping companies market themselves on the number one growing marketing platform in the world. “I am looking forward to creating a campaign specific to this event, to help gain traction and encourage interaction with each of the attendees I come into contact with at the CMLS2011 Conference.” said Matt Fagioli, Xplode Conference Series founder.

John Lim, founder of Mobile Real Estate and its sister company Mobile Card Cast adds, “We have helped several Conferences and Expo’s in and outside the Real Estate industry offering this technology to their vendors, and have seen a great deal of use and adoption of the features. Our mission is to see that Mobile is being done right and we are happy to share our technology and knowledge with other vendors to ensure this. Mobile continues to be the fastest growing sector worldwide. Mobile Real Estate and Mobile Card Cast effectively keep up with and stay ahead of the rapid changing technology curves.”

About Mobile Real Estate, LLC.

Mobile Real Estate is the real estate industry’s leading mobile solutions provider.  Their cutting edge platform is both easy to use and easy to integrate for real estate agents, brokers and real estate related firms.  The Mobile Real Estate Mobile Marketing Solution allows real estate professionals to reach consumers via all of today’s most popular mobile mediums including text message lead generation, QR Codes, Mobile Websites including Mobile IDX, and Downloadable applications.

To find out more about Mobile Real Estate visit www.mobilerealestateid.com

CMLS2011 Conference and Expo Goes Mobile!

SAVE THE DATE- Adjust Your NAR Travel Plans!

CMLS is proud to announce the next workshop in the “CMLS Brings It to the Table” series.

You don’t want to miss this!

MORE INFORMATION

CMLS2011 Conference Attendees to Visit Historic Tucson Venue

Those interested in more information about CMLS 2011 are directed to http://www.cmls2011.com or to Philip Tedesco at phil@tucsonrealtors.org or 520-382-8773.

Council of Multiple Listing Services (CMLS) is the premier forum and resource for Multiple Listing Service associations.

The Multiple Listing Service (TAR/MLS), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Tucson Association of REALTORS®, is a reliable, cooperative real estate database of listing and sale information in Southern Arizona.

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Top MLS Companies to Sponsor and Exhibit at CMLS2011

Those interested in more information about CMLS 2011 are directed to http://www.cmls2011.com or to Philip Tedesco at phil@tucsonrealtors.org or 520-382-8773.

Council of Multiple Listing Services (CMLS) is the premier forum and resource for Multiple Listing Service associations.

The Multiple Listing Service (TAR/MLS), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Tucson Association of REALTORS®, is a reliable, cooperative real estate database of listing and sale information in Southern Arizona.

# # #

This just in from RETechnology

PRESS RELEASE

DOWNLOAD HERE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

CONTACT:      Emily Williams

805 709-6696

Emily@retechnology.com

RETechnology’ s Success Tracker™
Launched at MRIS to Build Premium Revenues

RE Technology, Inc., (RET) the provider of the largest real estate technology portal in the United States today, has announced the launch of Success Tracker™ designed to help every MLS in North America to create and implement recurring non-dues revenue streams.  MRIS, the largest MLS in North America in terms of sales generated, has signed on to be the first customer.

Success Tracker is designed to work with RET’s Success Store™, a plug-and-pay e-commerce solution that enables MLSs to market online products and services along with core MLS subscription fees.

Given the way that business is conducted today (and tomorrow) MLSs must utilize many approaches to generate interest and demand for their premium (e.g. non-core) product offerings.  Websites, Blogs, social media sites, system home pages and member resource directories are gaining momentum to accomplish this goal.

Premium products (such as e-signatures, agent websites, social media tools, etc.) are also marketed on shareholder association websites, and through directory pages on RETechnology.com.  Some MLSs are using video demonstrations, live webinars and office visits and trying as many methods as they can to figure out the best methods for selling premium products.  John L. Heithaus, CMO of MRIS states: “Currently, it is difficult, if not impossible, to know which of these efforts are paying off and driving the most purchase conversions. Success Tracker™ contributes to solving that problem for us.”

MRIS (Metropolitan Regional Information Systems) is the first MLS to deploy Success Tracker™.  MRIS will be able to monitor promotional channels and identify which sources are creating the most leads.  By embedding a simple tracking code on every page that promotes non-dues revenues, Success Tracker™ helps MLSs better target and deploy marketing investments.

Using RE Technology’s Success Tracker™, MRIS now has visibility into their eCommerce sales funnel. They are able to run reports that track websites where product information is viewed, the number of times the product information is viewed, and the click-through rates to their online store. Combining Success Tracker™ with their transaction reports allows MRIS to measure conversion rate by product, and by promotional avenue and media source.

“Selling products online is a science,” says Heithaus, and there are many industry best practices inspired by world class companies like Amazon.com that we can put to work here.” RET has deployed the first solution we have seen and reviewed that meets and exceeds our needs and I am very optimistic as a result. “

 
By providing premium services, the MRIS is adapting to meet the needs of customers backed by the service and support their subscribers are accustomed to receiving from MRIS. Success Tracker™ enables this effort in a rapid and cost-effective manner.

About Success Tracker™

Success Tracker™ is an exclusive offering made available to RE Technology MLS and Association partners. Success Tracker™ interfaces with existing MLS eCommerce solutions as well as RE Technology, Inc.’s Success Store.  Contact Victor Lund, RET’s CEO, at victor@retechnology for more details.

About RE Technology, Inc.

RE Technology, Inc. provides MLSs and Associations with a curriculum of daily technology training and education articles to support the development of agent and brokers. The curriculum is designed for integration into the MLS system and the company currently supports Rapattoni, LPS, CoreLogic, Tarasoft, Discover MLS, DynaConnections, FBS, Solid Earth, and Stratus. Today the curriculum reaches 700,000 agents through MLS partnerships generating over 1 million visits per month. RE Technology is offered as a free benefit to MLS subscribers. Visit the site at retechnology.com.

About MRIS

MRIS is real estate in real-time™, enabling its customers to list and sell nearly $100 million in real estate each day and nearly $100 billion in listings and closed sales in 2010. A leading developer of real estate information technology, MRIS connects its customers with timely, accurate and actionable data with a growing portfolio of technology solutions, including broker and agent software products and an industry-leading consumer portal, HomesDatabase.com. MRIS also showcases unique homes and offers tailored community information through its online television network, mrisTV.com. Behind the scenes, the CURE Solutions Group subsidiary of MRIS provides back-end technology to other MLS systems through CURE, a proprietary solution. MRIS serves real estate professionals spanning a 22,000 square mile section of the Mid-Atlantic region, including Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and markets located in Pennsylvania, Delaware and West Virginia. Visit MRIS at www.mris.com. MRISblog.com and mrisTV.com, “Like” MRIS on Facebook.com/MRISonFB and follow us on Twitter, @MRIS_REal_News.

1000Watt Consulting’s Brian Boero Speaking at CMLS 2011 Conference

The big hitters in the Multiple Listing Service industry will be in Tucson for this year’s CMLS 2011 Conference, hosted by Tucson Association of REALTORS®.  Brian Boero of 1000Watt Consulting, Bob Hale, chief executive officer of the second largest local REALTOR® association in the country and Mark Lesswing, senior vice president and chief technology officer for the National Association of REALTORS® will all be speaking at the Conference.

Taking place October 5^th-7^th at the Westin La Paloma in Tucson, CMLS 2011 will be the Multiple Listing Service meeting of the year. Representatives from around the country will be descending on the Old Pueblo for an agenda packed with the latest industry information. Topics include syndication and the latest and greatest in IDX. Attendees will learn what keeps some of the strongest names in the industry, Brian Larson, Curt Beardsley and Rebecca Jensen, awake at night.

Boero is a technology evangelist and Internet expert, having spent eight years working at Inman News, where he served as executive producer of ten Real Estate Connect conferences and managed their editorial staff.  After Inman, he was CEO of VREO, Inc., where he created and marketed Real Estate Dashboard®, a software application that addresses paperless, mobile real estate.

Attendees will hear how Hale turned the Houston Association of REALTORS® website, HAR.com, into a household brand in the greater Houston area and the most frequently visited website for Houston real estate.  Inman News honored Hale with its 2008 Innovator of the Year Award. He has also earned recognition from the National Association of REALTORS®’s REALTOR® Magazine, as one of the 25 Most Influential People in the American real estate industry in both 2003 and 2006.

Listed in the International Who’s Who of Information Technology and the National Register of Who’s Who in Executive and Professions, Lesswing brings with him a wealth of experience. In 1988, he began working with object-oriented programming, and in 1992 he launched a consultancy. He has worked for large database vendors such as Sybase (as a startup) and Oracle, and spent a summer in Europe setting up operations for a vendor.

Those interested in more information about CMLS 2011 are directed to http://www.cmls2011.com or to Philip Tedesco at phil@tucsonrealtors.org or 520-382-8773.

Who’s Coming? (Part II)

We’ve had quite a few people register for CMLS2011 within the past week!

The list we posted last Friday is now outdated.  Click to download the CMLS2011 regsitration list as of 9.15.11

Don’t see your name on the list?  Then we don’t know you’re coming- register today!

Brian Taylor to Deliver Keynote Address at CMLS2011 Conference

This year’s “can’t miss” keynote address at the CMLS2011 Conference, hosted by the Tucson Association of REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service (TAR/MLS), will be delivered by Brian Taylor.

Taking place October 5^th-October 7^th at the Westin La Paloma in Tucson, CMLS2011 will be the Multiple Listing Service meeting of the year, with representatives from around the country descending on the Old Pueblo for an agenda packed with the latest industry information.

Brian brings over 20 years of personal development, sales training, and coaching experience to the table, including working as a master trainer for Tony Robbins and a certified time management trainer for Steven R. Covey. Additionally, he has engaged in one on one strategic development sessions with such influential people as Jim Rohn and has personally trained with the likes of Deepak Chopra, Brian Tracy, Mark Victor Hansen, and John Gray just to name a few. With depth and breadth of knowledge not often seen; the energy of thirty Red Bulls and the ability to slice through traditional coaching mumbo-jumbo like a chef’s most trusted blade, he will educate, inspire and propel you.

Brian’s keynote address will kick off what will be one of the best real estate conferences of the year. Those interested in more information about CMLS2011 are directed to http://www.cmls2011.com or to Philip Tedesco at phil@tucsonrealtors.org or 520-382-8773.

Who’s Coming?

Are you wondering who is already registered for CMLS2011?  Well, you are not alone.

Click to see the list of conference registrants as of 9.8.11

Don’t see your name?  Get registered today by clicking HERE.

Have a question about registration?  Click on “Contact CMLS” in the top left corner of your screen.

CMLS2011 Conference Registration and Exhibitor Hours

So many of you are attending CMLS2011 in Tucson and are certainly wondering when to check in for the event.

First, make sure you’ve checked out the most recent agenda, posted under “agenda” in the top right section of www.cmls2011.com.

Then, note the following hours:

REGISTRATION
Tuesday, Oct. 4          3 – 5 pm
Wednesday, Oct. 5    3 – 8 pm
Thursday, Oct. 6        7 am – 5 pm
Friday, Oct. 7              7 am- Noon

FOR EXHIBITORS
Wednesday, Oct. 5     6 – 8 pm  (setup 3 – 5 pm)
Thursday, Oct. 6         7:30 am – 5 pm
Friday, Oct. 7               7:30 am – 1 pm (breakdown 1 – 4 pm, just in time for the big closing night event around the pool!)

Announcement from the CMLS Nominating Committee

The CMLS general membership will elect three delegates to serve on the Board of Directors for three-year terms beginning October 6, 2011, and continuing through the CMLS Annual Conference in 2014.

The CMLS Board of Directors currently consists of nine regular (MLS) directors and two business partner (vendor) directors.

The Nominating Committee is charged with certifying to the general membership a list of candidates who have been nominated to serve as directors for three-year terms set to expire in the Fall of 2014.

The three open positions are for regular (MLS) members in good standing.

CMLS regular members who have an interest in contributing their time and expertise to the Board of Directors should submit their name to Sarah Carlton, CMLS administrator.  You may nominate yourself, someone else or be nominated by another CMLS member. 

Each nominee will receive an information sheet to be completed no later than Tuesday, August 9, so prompt response is essential.

2011 Nominating Committee:

Chair

Melanie Blakeney, Memphis Area Association of REALTORS MLS

Committee Members

Monica Beck, Northwest Multiple Listing Service

Shelley Specchio, Northern Nevada Regional MLS

MLS Domains Association Issues Update

Bob Bemis, President of MLS Domains Association (and CEO of ARMLS) sent out an update on the status of the .MLS initiative.  It is posted below:

ICANN decision means .MLS will happen Q1 of 2012

In June 2011, the board of directors of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) met in Singapore to consider the status of the new top-level domain effort. ICANN is the international organization responsible for managing top-level domains or “TLDs” (such as .COM, .US, etc.) on the Internet. Some national governments opposed certain proposed ICANN policies leading up to Singapore, and there was speculation that ICANN might further delay the application window (which was originally expected to open early in 2010). But ICANN adopted the final version of its Applicant Guidebook and announced that the application window would finally open in the first quarter of 2012. (See the more detailed timeline in the sidebar at the right.)

Like many companies and non-profits planning to apply for new TLDs, MLS Domains Association has been forced to stand on the sidelines, monitoring developments, conserving its financial strength, and preparing to act once ICANN announced a firm schedule.

This apparent dormancy can now come to an end: ICANN’s actions in Singapore allow the Association to move onto the field of play, and the Association’s focus now is to select its technical partners for operating the .MLS registry, secure support from industry sponsors, and launch a new membership drive and member retention effort. All this should lead to an application to ICANN in the first quarter of 2012 and operation of .MLS sometime in 2013.

What is ‘MLS’ worth in the mind of consumers?

One premise of the MLS Domains Association’s efforts is that consumers know what “MLS” and “multiple listing service” mean, that they trust MLSs as reliable, neutral sources of listing information, and that they will recognize and value sites on the .MLS top-level domain or “TLD.” The board of directors of MLS Domains Association has decided to commission research to assess the truth of that premise.

The board has retained WAVGroup to provide qualitative and quantitative data to demonstrate the brand value of MLS for consumers and to better understand the connotations of the MLS brand to consumers and how it affects their perception of data quality and overall site integrity. The project will involve two different surveys: One will assess the attitudes of a randomly selected panel of consumers. The other will survey visitors to MLS web sites. WAVGroup will also assess the use of “MLS” as a keyword for search using Hitwise.

The Association will send a separate invitation to all member MLSs with consumer-facing websites to participate by placing a ‘button’ with an embedded link on the home page of their consumer-facing sites asking consumers to participate. The survey will be live from August 22 until September 21.

WAVGroup and the Association expect to announce some or all of the results before the CMLS conference in Tucson in early October.

Please agree to cooperate with the survey when you receive your invitation. The results will be important to the future success of the MLS Domains Association!

Real estate industry commentators support new TLDs and .MLS concept

As a result of the recent ICANN decision to open the application process for new top-level domains by the first quarter of 2012, leading industry observers are beginning to take notice of the revolutionary changes this action will bring to real estate marketing.

Phil Butler, in Realty Biz News, explains it this way: We “will be able to park a domain out there branded like never before. Instead of a dot com, or dot net, even a dot biz domain suffix, many businesses will register domains like dot coke, dot pepsi, dot apple, and so on. As you can see, the leveraged position and brand protection here is enormous.” Butler continues, “Like so many other traditional business niches, real estate has lagged a bit in adopting proper strategies for utilizing the so called ‘conversation’ – engaging in a two way dialogue digitally… ‘Dot Branding’ is a term real estate brokers and investors need to learn, or ask their attorneys about.”

In a Real Estate Technology blog, Victor Lund (the WAV Group), comments: “This new ICANN initiative will represent one of the most significant evolutions of domain names since the inception of the Internet.” Seasoned Association Executive Belton Jennings advises that “One small step the industry COULD take right now would be to wholeheartedly embrace the .mls domain idea.”

And intellectual property attorney and legal counsel for CMLS John Reese says, “There are at least two significant implications for brand owners and others doing business in an online world. Businesses need to seriously consider either banding together with others to develop a community or generic domain name, such as financial institutions adopting the gTLD .bank.”

Or MLS organizations, by adopting .MLS as the brand for real estate information that is accurate, timely, and unbiased. As always, if you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Association at info [at] MLSDomains [dot] org.”

Legal Seminar Offered

CMLS is very pleased to announce the addition of a one-day seminar specifically tailored to MLS legal counsel.

DOWNLOAD Legal Seminar registration form

~Held in conjunction with the CMLS2011 conference, seminar will take place on Oct. 5, 2011

~Registration for CMLS2011 and this legal seminar are separate, to register for CMLS2011, visit www.cmls2011.com

~CLE pending

~Space is limited and the seminar is open only to those individuals with a license to practice law.

~Agenda to include:
Presentation on patent issues, including an overview of patents, how to respond to demand letter, and how to deal with infringement and indemnification issues
Presentation on industry self-regulation and dealing with antitrust laws and developing technologies
Discussion on data licensing, including critical terms in license agreements
Discussion on  the business and legal issues around listing syndication, including the business objectives and operational issues
Working lunch with expert guest speaker
MORE- including social media and blind spots

DOWNLOAD Legal Seminar registration form

What’s on the Agenda?

Many of you have been chomping at the bit to get a peak at the lineup for the CMLS2011 annual conference in Tucson, Ariz.

Guess what?
The draft agenda is now available for download.

CMLS 2011 Agenda

If you haven’t signed up for THE CONFERENCE, do so now by visiting www.cmls2011.com

Videos from CMLS Workshop Posted

The videos from the very popular CMLS special workshop on Data Integrity Issues & Syndication have now been posted.

Click on the link below to view them:

http://councilofmls.com/resource-center/

CMLS Workshop Gets Results!

CMLS is pleased to report that Trulia, one of the participants in our recent workshop, “Data Syndication and Licensing: Do You Know Where Your Data Is?”, has made several changes to their website, based on feedback they heard from workshop attendees. We commend Trulia for taking the words they heard and turning them into action – to the benefit of our brokers.

Lloyd Graves, Trulia’s Director of Industry Business Development, who was on two workshop panels, told us, “We were very pleased to have participated in the CMLS workshop and we look forward to participating and supporting future CMLS events. Trulia is constantly looking for ways to improve our site for both consumers and real estate professionals. We always listen to new ideas and when we hear good ideas, we gladly turn them into reality. We are pleased to report several changes that were motivated by comments we heard at the CMLS workshop”.

Per Trulia, the recent changes include:
o Display of multiple agents. Trulia now provides listing agents the ability to assure that they are the only agent displayed to consumers by simply claiming/verifying their listings – for free. When the listing agent does this, no other agents will appear. Check it out here: www.trulia.com/agents/

o In the cases where a listing agent hasn’t verified/claimed their listing, Trulia will continue to provide consumers with multiple choices to request listing information.

o Listing agents are ALWAYS #1. Even when there are multiple agents for consumers to choose from, Trulia is changing the order in which they appear so that the listing agent will always be on top.

o Direct MLS Data trumps 3rd party syndicators of non-MLS Data – Trulia is amending their display algorithms so that when Trulia receives listing data directly from an MLS, the MLS’s data will trump any data received from 3rd party syndication platforms.

o Verifying and correcting errant listings to match MLS data – Trulia Direct Reference is now live and actively identifying and correcting inaccurate listing data Trulia receives from 3rd party syndicators. Contact us at TrulilaDirect@trulila.com if you would like to see how easy it is to make this great new free service available to your MLS.

CMLS is stepping up and the successful workshop in DC is just the beginning. Providing opportunities for our members and our industry partners to converse and collaborate definitely provides results, as evidenced by Trulia’s recent changes. If you would like more information about any of the changes mentioned above, please contact Lloyd Graves at Lloyd@trulia.com, or Mark Weiss at Mark@trulia.com.

Special Member Benefit: I am pleased to invite you to the Inman Data Summit

by Merri Jo Cowen, CMLS President

Notice Dates:  July 25-26

I’m pleased to announce that CMLS has negotiated a special member benefit for you: an invitation to the Inman Data Summit, July 25-16, in San Francisco.

As many of you know who attended our data syndication and listing workshop at NAR in May, there are many make-or-break issues confronting our membership. I think it’s imperative that MLS executives and our affiliated brokers have a strong voice in the conversation about listings, syndication and content ownership, particularly at events like the Inman Data Summit.

I am committed to ensuring that CMLS continues to help steer the dialogue, which is why I am serving on the board of advisors for the Inman Data Summit.

It’s also why CMLS agreed to sponsor Inman’s invitation-only event, in exchange for participation in the development of the conference content, as well as a special invitation for our members (at a discounted rate). Special activities include:

• Hard-hitting general sessions, moderated by experts in the industry and vetted by the board of advisors and Inman’s editorial team in advance. Every speaker will be prepared for high-level discussions with the audience, allowing one-on-one interaction and learning.
• Working breakout sessions that will give you personal interaction with your peers and enough time to engage them on the issues important to you
• CEO-only networking event after the event, permitting you to unwind with your peers and discuss the content of the Summit in an intimate environment

As part of our sponsorship, I have negotiated a substantial discount on the conference fee of $899.  As a member of CMLS in good standing, you can attend the Inman Data Summit for just $649 — a $250 savings. And if you bring a top lieutenant, he or she may attend for just $574 — a $125 savings. To accept this invitation and process your conference fee, please click on this link:

https://register.inman.com/register/MOmUAT
And enter promo code = IDSCLMS1

To invite your colleague, simply complete your registration online, then follow the instructions onscreen to send your invitation.

Please know that this is the very best rate available to attend this important conference. If you are already attending Connect, I hope you will consider adding this program to your agenda. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect, network and contribute!

I look forward to seeing you in July.

Franchisor Display of IDX Listings – How are you handling it?

Hello Fellow CMLS Members,

There are many benefits to being a member of CMLS and the opportunity to network and share ideas is just one of them.

I’m looking for your feedback on how you are handling the new IDX rule regarding an opt-in for brokers to Franchisor Sites. I suspect that I’m not alone in wondering what ideas are out there.  Brian Larson’s post on MLS Tesseract last week really spoke to the issues and had a few suggestions in the comments. If you haven’t read Brian’s post, go to www.mlstesseract.com and read through his comments and the postings below.  There are a few ideas posted there.  Ideas I have heard:  have the brokers fax an opt-in to your MLS and then you notify the respective Franchisors, do nothing and let brokers notify the franchisors, adding multiple fields to MLS systems and more.

MFRMLS is creating a simple tool in-house that will allow brokers to log in and opt in to franchisor sites, all or individual selections.  One point of clarification I’d like to share. I had “heard” that NAR had changed its thoughts on requiring selective opt-in in addition to a “select all” option.  I verified with NAR today that they have not changed their stand – Brokers may choose to “opt-in” to all Franchisor sites but must have the option to be selective in choosing which Franchisor site their listings can appear on.  Our next challenge:  Who are the Franchisors who are currently displaying/indexing IDX info on their corporate sites?  Does anyone know for sure?

Merri Jo Cowen, CMLS 2011 President

Please use the comments section below to share your approach on the new rule and any resources you have found for Franchisor contacts.

Trulia Publishes White Paper on Listing Syndication

Just released this week, click on the link below to view Trulia’s White Paper, “Syndication: Identifying and Eliminating Inaccurate Listing Data.”

Trulia’s- Syndication: Identifying and Eliminating Inaccurate Listing Data

Have you seen Clareity’s and WAV’s White Papers, posted earlier on the CMLS blog?

Data Licensing Workshop Schedule Released

CMLS’s highly-anticipated workshop on data syndication and licensing is on the horizon.

The event, set to take place in the Monroe room at the Washington Hilton next Tuesday, May 10, has been booked to capacity since less than a day after the registration opened.

Whether you a registered attendee or not, CMLS wants to know:
What one question would you like to have answered during this session?
Post your questions in the comments field below, or email directly to Sarah at info@councilofmls.com

Data Syndication and Licensing:
Do You Know Where Your Data Is?

8:00-8:30 a.m.
Registration

8:30 a.m.
Workshop Begins with a welcome from CMLS President Merri Jo Cowen

8:45 a.m. -9:15 a.m.
A Conversation about Licensing and Syndication:  Shelley Specchio and Amy Geddes

9:15  -10:15 a.m.
Panel Discussion on syndication, content on portals, branding listings moderated by Greg Manship and Greg Robertson
Panel includes representatives from:  Zillow, Point2, Threewide, Trulia, Homes.com and Realtor.com

10:15  – 10:30 a.m.
Break

10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Emerging Solutions panel hosted by Marilyn Wilson
Hear from representatives of: Trulia, LPS, OnBoard, CoreLogic, Bridge Interactive, Clareity, the Data Co-op, Threewide and Move

11:30 a.m. – Noon
Working lunch provided by CMLS

Noon – 1:00 p.m.
Open Discussion – questions to/from audience and speakers facilitated by Bob Bemis

1:00 p.m.
Closing Session – building resources for CMLS members by Merri Jo Cowen

1:30 p.m.
Workshop Ends

Attendees should be prepared with questions and suggestions to share in the “tweet-talk” throughout!
What is “tweet-talk”?  A short concise question or comment – 23 seconds or less – to keep the conversation moving and give everyone the chance to participate in the conversation.

Multiple Listing Issues & Policies Committee IDX Policy Consideration

Being considered at the Multiple Listing Issues & Policies Committee May 12 meeting – information about the challenges to the IDX rule that allows for franchisers to index listings for their franchise website.

We welcome your comments.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD- IDX Policy Consideration

CMLS Shares MLS Issues and Policies Committee Workgroup Report

Multiple Listing Issues and Policies Committee shared the attached report from the IDX Workgroup on expanding IDX to include RSS feeds, social media sites and mobile..  Please take a moment to read and familiarize yourselves with the workgroup’s recommendations.

CMLS welcomes your comments and discussion below.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD- IDX2011WG Report

Get Ready to Pull Up a Chair

Going to be in DC for the Mid-Year Meetings?

CMLS is offing a FREE workshop re: Data Integrity Issues

Data Syndication and Licensing

Do you know where your data is?

In recent weeks, there has been a great deal of energy surrounding data licensing and syndication issues. Join CMLS as we to bring these issues to the table to discuss them in an open forum designed to:

• Identify the Issues,
• Ask vendors to respond, and
• Investigate solutions to the benefit of the industry overall.

Where is your listing data going? How did it get there? Why isn’t it correct?

This is your opportunity to voice concerns and ask questions directly to the data brokers.  Hear what challenges your peers are facing.  Be introduced to emerging solutions. Help CMLS build a resource to help you help your brokers navigate these issues.

CMLS is bringing it to the table on Tuesday, May 10, 8:30am to 1:30pm, at the Hilton Washington in DC.

This workshop is FREE, Lunch is included. Seating is limited to the first 100 eligible* registrants.

Registration and more information will be available next week.  Watch your inbox for your chance to reserve your seat “at the table!”

*Registration is limited to no more than two representatives per CMLS member organization.  To check your organization’s status, contact the CMLS office.

Property Indexing White Paper Released

WAV Group recently released a property indexing white paper to explain NAR’s policy on indexing listings. The paper provides an overview of indexing, the process used by search engines to catalog information on the internet.

Click HERE or on the image below to download the paper for free.

For more information from WAV Group on the paper, click HERE.

Prior Art and Help From the Industry

A few weeks ago I reported that CIVIX-DDI, LLC (CIVIX) filed several lawsuits asserting patent infringement by at least National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) and Homestore, Inc., which was in the same action filed December 6, 2005 and was settled in January, 2010, MidWest Real Estate Data, LLC (MRED), which was filed on August 4, 2010, and Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, Inc. (MRIS), which was filed on August 30, 2010.  The MRIS and MRED cases are now moving forward, and the MRIS case, which is on a fast track, is scheduled to go to trial by the middle of next year.

There are two relevant patents asserted in the MRIS and MRED cases.  In technical language, they are essentially for a system and a method for remotely determining the position of a selected category of items of interest in a selected geographic vicinity from a database.  The system or method includes a database for storing information about items of interest, including, a geographical position and at least one associated category with spatial detail defining a geographic position.  It also includes a plurality of remote ports, such as personal computers, for accessing the database through the Internet.

In English, this means that CIVIX is claiming that they have enforceable patents for an online system that allows multiple users, such as MLS subscribers, to locate homes in a certain geographic area, together with information about the home, such as the local school district in which the home is located, and display photos or other graphical displays of the homes.

In order to have an enforceable patent, the inventor must be the first to create the invention.  In patent terms, the invention must be novel.  If there was prior art in existence before the time the invention was made, the invention may not qualify for the novelty element of a patent.  Prior art is the body of knowledge available at the time an invention is made, including the systems, technologies, or products employing the same methods as those claimed in the patent.  One of the strategies being employed in the MRED and MRIS cases is to establish that there was prior art, or in this case, there were systems in use prior to the time of the inventions set forth in the CIVIX patents, and therefore the inventions are not novel or they are obvious.  If the inventions are not novel or they are obvious, the patents should be held to be invalid.  The effective filing date of both patents is January 11, 1995.  MRIS, MRED, and their respective legal counsel will be looking for any prior art that existed  before that date, and will certainly appreciate any help from the MLS industry in establishing such prior art systems.

Two examples of potential prior art, or systems that existed prior to 1995, are the T-III Real Estate Systems touch screen consumer kiosk.  Through the kiosk and the use of a wide area network, buyers could search listings, including photos, maps, and full public records information, view electronic fact sheets, and obtain printed information.  See specification sheet and information.  A second example of prior art is a patent issued on July 16, 1991 for a method for locating available real estate properties for sale using a database of properties in a central location and remote stations.  The system employed drill-down mapping.  See the patent at http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=5032989.PN.&OS=PN/5032989&RS=PN/5032989 .

There are many reasons MLSs need to be aware of these cases, but there are two in particular.  First, MLSs can provide information regarding the existence of prior art.  Although the identity of prior art could have a direct positive impact on each MLS, the second reason is more directly applicable.  The scope of the claims in these patents is very broad.  Although MRIS and MRED have been included in lawsuits, there is nothing to suggest the CIVIX will not pursue other defendants and other lawsuits.  If an MLS is using a system that fits within the broad claims of the patents, there is always the risk of being sued.

For MLSs that license vendor and other online systems for their own use, and use by their subscribers, it is critical to review the applicable license agreements to determine if the vendor will indemnify the MLS, and its subscribers, for any patent infringement claims.  If there is indemnification coverage in the license agreement, then at least the MLS can have some assurance that it has indemnification protection.  However, it is not the end of the discussion.  Many vendors are thinly capitalized and do not have the resources to pay for the defense of a patent infringement case, and if damages were awarded, it is highly unlikely they would have the financial ability to pay the damage award.

If a vendor or other license agreement does not have indemnification language, then the options are fairly limited.  The MLS is on its own to protect itself, and if applicable, its subscribers.  If there is concern that the system being licensed to the MLS may fall within the patent claims, and the patents have not been proven to be invalid, the MLS may want to look for another system, and discuss with the vendor or licensor an early termination of the license agreement for the potentially infringing system.  Another option may be to limit the use of the system in such a way that it is not potentially infringing.

Patent infringement needs to be taken seriously.  Unfortunately it is very difficult to identify patents that may be problematic, and then determine if a system in use is potentially infringing.  MLSs need to exercise caution in using systems, negotiating license agreements, and consider providing assistance in finding prior art.

If you are aware of any prior art, please email Russ Bergeron, chief executive officer of MRED, at russ.bergeron@mredllc.com.

John H. Rees

Callister Nebeker & McCullough

10 East South Temple

Suite 900

Salt Lake City, UT 84133

801.530.7388

jhrees@cnmlaw.com

CMLSers Make the List

100 Most Influential Real Estate Leaders: 2010

An Inman News Special Report

Inman’s annual list of the 100 Most Influential People in Real Estate, recognizes those power brokers, thought leaders, experts, insiders and visionaries who influence the real estate industry through many means.

We are thrilled to see so many CMLS board members, speakers & supporters on this list- Bravo!

Save the Date!

The CMLS 2011 Annual Conference will be held in
Tucson, Ariz., Oct. 5-7.  Mark your calendar and
plan to attend this sure-to-deliver event!

The People’s Choice

Inman News wants you to pick one individual who you think has made an impact on the real estate industry.

Click HERE and  scroll through the alphabetical list of reader nominees to make one selection.

We are excited to see the list include many CMLSers- Directors, members, speakers, fans!

CMLS Welcomes New Members

CMLS membership continues to grow.  The following companies have become CMLS members in last 60 days:

Regular Members

• MLSOK – Oklahoma City, OK – Dawn Kennedy
• Multilist of Springfield Realtors, Inc. – Springfield, MO – Rose Hughes
• SAR MLS, Inc. – Dillon, CO – Andrew Biggin
• South Broward Board of Realtors – Pembroke Pines, FL – William “Bill” Valdez
• South Central Wisconsin MLS- Madison, WI – Patty Stuard
• Western Upstate Multiple Listing Service- Anderson, SC – Peggy Hill

Business Partner Members

• a la mode – Oklahoma City, OK – Alonso Portillo
• AOS Real Front Desk – Bellbrook, OH – Douglas Freed
• Data Intelligence Corporation – Atlanta, GA – Gavin Kleinknect
• iKenex, Inc. – Rochester, MC – David Borillo
• Kurio, Inc. – Maple Ridge, BC – Roger Clark
• Leap Real Estate Systems – Chicago, IL – Craig Sparling
• MainRhode Real Estate Search Technologies LLC – Newport, RI – John Rowles
• RatePlug, LLC – Naperville, IL – Brad Springer
• PivotLink – San Francisco, CA – Mimi Ting
• Real Estate Industry Solutions – Orlando, FL – Joe Ballarino
• VHT, Inc. – Rosemont, IL – Jeffrey Harris

CMLS has welcomed 56 new members this year!

Repeat After Me, “What I Heard You Say Was…”

Take a tip from your favorite waiter or waitress: 85 percent of customers like their order to be repeated back to them, according to a study, because it makes them feel like they’re being heard.  It also gives you the chance to make changes or corrections, but the most important effect is that it validates what you’ve said.
Use this as a guide to everyday conversations.  Don’t parrot back people’s words all the time, of course, but do paraphrase them often enough to show you value what they’re saying.

Boero and Hahn Deliver at Closing Session of CMLS 2010 Conference

LISLE, IL–(Marketwire – October 5, 2010) –  Day Two of the CMLS (Council of MLSs) 2010 conference, hosted by Midwest Real Estate Data LLC (MRED), ended on Friday just as it began — with presentations and provocative questions and maybe even a few answers about the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to multiple listing services (MLSs) and the real estate industry in general.

The first afternoon appearance was by Brian Boero of 1000Watt Consulting, who was charged with the responsibility of presenting to the attendees a list of “Sites that you have never heard of, but . . .” Boero did indeed introduce many interesting Internet destinations, but only after giving some general advice to the MLS industry. Promising he is “here to provoke us,” Brian contends that the industry’s major players are very much in a standoff and for progress to occur everyone must start pulling in the same direction. One way for this to occur is for a single data standard to be established, that being “the single most important thing.” He also expressed concern about MLS merely being a “dumb pipe,” i.e. just a conduit of information collected. Boero then proceeded to talk about a number of Internet sites he recommends, including campaignmonitor.com, yammer.com and factual.com.

After very interesting discussions regarding Data Standards and a roundtable of MLS CEOs from around the country, Rob Hahn a.k.a. Notorious R.O.B., took the stage for closing comments. Mr. Hahn, a prolific blogger, was deeply involved in the “back channel” conversations that were taking place on Twitter throughout the Conference. He first posed a question to the audience: “What do we know now that we didn’t know when we walked in the door?” Before proceeding further, he stated that MLS offers of cooperation and compensation lead to data accuracy which leads to compliance, creating the most reliable and complete database of property information. “MLSs do this better than anybody else,” he proposed.

Rob closed the Conference saying the industry has three decisions to make; it has to decide what it is, because it cannot be everything to everybody; it has to decide who it serves; and it has to decide what NOT to do, i.e. what business it is not in. Mr. Hahn finished by saying the industry must also “free the CEO,” meaning that the person in charge must be free to think strategically and do the right things from a business perspective.

The consensus in the hallways and at the Closing Dinner Banquet was that CMLS 2010 delivered in every way, presenting relevant topics and engaging speakers combined with plenty of opportunities for networking. CMLS 2010 truly lived up to its billing as THE MLS Conference of the year!

Those interested in more information about CMLS 2010 are directed to www.cmls2010.com.

Council of Multiple Listing Services (CMLS) is the premier forum and resource for Multiple Listing Service associations.

Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) is a real estate data aggregator and distributor that provides the largest multiple listing service in the country (by listing volume) to over 40,000 customers, with property information encompassing northern Illinois, southern Wisconsin and northwest Indiana.

More Patent Infringement Cases for MLSs

Developing and providing services in an online world can provide significant benefits to users, but they can also appear to be deceptively complex simple.  Notwithstanding the best efforts to conduct due diligence and understand the potential risks of launching a new service or feature, potential claims can still arise and cause expensive headaches.  Whether there is ultimately a successful infringement claim, the cost of litigation alone can be significant.  At a time when most MLS are trying to look ahead in a dynamic industry and in an incredibly difficult economy, another new potential claim has surfaced in the MLS world.

Several years ago Real Estate Alliance, Ltd. (REAL) filed patent infringement cases naming multiple parties in the real estate industry alleging infringement based on drill-down mapping features in MLS systems.  Now, CIVIX-DDI, LLC (CIVIX) has filed several lawsuits asserting patent infringement by at least National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) and Homestore, Inc., which was in the same action filed December 6, 2005, MidWest Real Estate Data, LLC (MRED), which was filed on August 4, 2010, and most recently Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, Inc. (MRIS), which was filed on August 30, 2010.  In the case against Homestore, Inc. and NAR, a stipulated dismissal of claims and counterclaims was filed on January 5, 2010.

In each of the complaints, CIVIX asserts patent infringement based on patents for location-based searching systems, services, and related products, a common feature in real estate searching applications.  In a July 22, 2010 demand letter from CIVIX’s legal counsel to MRED, CIVIX asserts that CIVIX has “consistently and successfully” litigated the CIVIX patents against “dozens of defendants” in federal courts.  The letter also references the settlement between CIVIX and NAR and Homestore, Inc., and states that “three years of litigation successfully concluded in a settlement and dismissal at the beginning of this year.”  How does litigation successfully end in a settlement, particularly one subject to confidentiality obligations?  Did one of the parties prevail?  In addition, the letter asserts that CIVIX has licensed dozens of location based search industry companies, “including many of the biggest names in search technology (including several real estate search systems).” 

 MRIS has not yet filed an answer, but MRED filed an answer and counterclaim on August 20, 2010 seeking a determination that the patents are invalid.  Among other claims, MRED raises several issues of prior art.

 Because the terms of the NAR and Homestore, Inc. settlement are confidential, we don’t know if NAR obtained a license or other right to use the patented technology on www.realtor.com, or if any settlement amount was paid.  The other cases are still pending.  These are cases worth watching, however.

For access to the patents, see http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=12&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=6385622&OS=6385622&RS=6385622

John H. Rees
Callister Nebeker & McCullough
10 East South Temple
Suite 900
Salt Lake City, UT 84133
801.530.7388
jhrees@cnmlaw.com

CMLS Welcomes New Members

CMLS membership continues to grow.  The following companies have become CMLS members in last 60 days:

Regular Members

• Connecticut Muliple Listing Service, Inc. – Wallingford, CT – Cameron Paine
• Greater Fairfield County CMLS, Inc. – Norwalk, CT – Donald Hull
• Greater Louisville Association of Realtors – Louisville, KY – Bill Hawes
• MLSOK – Oklahoma City, OK – Dawn Kennedy
• Multilist of Springfield Realtors, Inc. – Springfield, MO – Rose Hughes
• Realtors Association of Northeast Wisconsin MLS – Appleton, WI – Margery Chapman
• SAR MLS, Inc. – Dillon, CO – Andrew Biggin
• South Broward Board of Realtors – Pembroke Pines, FL – William “Bill” Valdez
• South Central Wisconsin MLS- Madison, WI – Patty Stuard

Business Partner Members

• a la mode – Oklahoma City, OK – Alonso Portillo
• Aumnia, Inc. – Newport Beach, CA – Devesh Khare
• Kurio, Inc. – Maple Ridge, BC – Roger Clark
• Loangevity – Telluride, CO – James Campbell
• RatePlug, LLC – Naperville, IL – Brad Springer
• PivotLink – San Francisco, CA – Mimi Ting
• Real Estate Industry Solutions – Orlando, FL – Joe Ballarino
• Rewards Call Center Solutions, LLC – Las Vegas, NV – John Giamo
• VHT, Inc. – Rosemont, IL – Jeffrey Harris
• Voicepad – Louisville, KY – Randall Standard

CMLS has welcomed 48 new members this year!

Future CMLS Conference Locations Set

CMLS is excited about upcoming conference locations and hosts:

• 2010     Chicago          hosted by MRED LLC
• 2011     Tucson           hosted by Tucson Association of REALTORS MLS
• 2012     Boston            hosted by MLS Property Information Network, Inc.
• 2013     Northwest region, city TBD          co-hosted by Intermountain MLS and Willamette Valley MLS
• 2014     Your City?

From the Nominating Committee

The votes have been tallied and the results of the CMLS 2011 Board of Directors election will be announced at the annual conference in Chicago next week.  Be there to see who the membership has selected!

Colorado “Greens” The MLS by John K. Stovall, Vice President for Business Development, EcoBroker International

The Colorado Governor’s Energy Office (GEO) recently instituted the Residential Retrofit Working Group to reduce the barriers to energy-efficient building and energy retrofits for existing residential properties. That group quickly realized that financing of these energy-efficient and/or “green” projects is crucial and not readily available. The state has substantial one-time Recovery Act funding (ARRA) to create incentives, but the GEO and the working group want to ensure that the financing tools continue to work after the Recovery Act money is gone. These desires quickly lead down a path quite familiar to real estate professionals. Financing requires willing lenders, lenders require appraisals to underwrite their loans, and appraisers need market data to support their valuation estimates. Residential appraisers look to the local market and Multiple Listing Services for that data. The working group quickly established an “Appraisal and MLS Subcommittee” to address the valuation challenge on a regional, but a statewide basis.

This subcommittee is comprised of appraisers, real estate brokers, lenders, representatives from Colorado’s two largest MLS systems, representatives from the US Green Building Council (USGBC-Colorado), a large local electric and gas utility, local and state government staff, builders, retrofit contractors, and the author of this article representing EcoBroker International.  I also serve on the working group at a national level that generated the www.greenthemls.org website with its associated tools. Bringing that experience and those examples to the subcommittee streamlined our process considerably. From mid-April to mid-July, the group developed a brief set of guidelines that the GEO could propose to the nearly 20 different MLS groups in the state.

Several key elements really assisted the cooperative spirit within the subcommittee. Colorado’s largest MLS providers, Information and Real Estate Services, LLC (www.ires-net.com) represented by CEO Lauren Emery and Metrolist, Inc. (www.metrolist.com) represented by Sr. Manager, Marketing and Sales, Melissa Olson immediately agreed with the need for “green” fields to make these property features and characteristics accessible to agents and appraisers. They were willing to assess the barriers to implementation and start the process of addressing those barriers. These MLS executives have also willingly begun to contact the other MLS organizations across the state to bring them into the process. Note that it is not a discussion at this point; it is an implementation process.  The Colorado GEO is also willing to help defray some implementation cost for smaller MLS programs with funding in the form of a grant.

With the willing cooperation of the MLS systems, the subcommittee discussed and identified the reliable and verifiable characteristics that could be included into data fields. The most prominent third party verified green building and energy performance certifications made the top of the list. The GEO is suggesting that MLSs collect data on HERS ratings including the index, ENERGY STAR® Qualified homes, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Homes certified properties, the National Green Building Standard-ICC 700 certified homes, and an open field for “Other” limited to third party certified programs. Colorado has had several successful programs such as Built Green® Colorado which may fit into this category.  In every case, the MLS is asked to capture the date of measurement or certification and listing agents are to upload copies of the confirming documents, whenever possible.

Colorado has abundant sunshine (the Chamber of Commerce made me put that in), so the GEO is also suggesting fields to identify homes that have solar PV (with the Kilowatts and the year installed) and Thermal Solar (the type and the year installed). In addition, there is a suggested check box to be labeled “Energy/Green Features Addendum” designed to alert agents and appraisers that the listing agent has included further features or documentation in an addendum. While everyone on the committee recognized that there are many more features that could be identified, all agreed that this is a good place to start capturing reliable objective data. The features list can be expanded in the future.

The subcommittee agreed that agents, lenders, and appraisers also need education to understand the proper use of these data fields. The group is drafting a training module for delivery live and via archived webinars. The training materials will be designed to adapt readily to the needs of different MLS systems that may implement these changes in different ways. EcoBroker and USGBC-Colorado are taking the lead in developing this training module to be ready as the first systems “go live” with these new data fields. The MLS providers or the REALTOR® Associations they serve will likely be the organizers of the training delivery. The materials will also include a glossary of the terminology describing these specific fields. The contractors and energy raters on the committee have helped to confirm the technical information required for accurate and objective representation.

The role of the GEO is critical because it reaches across the entire state and attracts the cooperation of diverse professional groups and interests. As a neutral facilitator, the GEO staff has organized the effort and coordinated this effort with many other projects of the Residential Retrofit Working Group. For example, in early August, the GEO sponsored an Colorado Energy Efficiency Finance Summit attended by several hundred lenders, contractors, appraisers, and real estate brokers. Lenders were informed of the availability of programs and loan types to support green building and retrofit projects. The results of the Appraisal and MLS Subcommittee work were reported to this group.

Clearly, the organizing force of the Colorado GEO and the cooperation of multiple stakeholders will move this project forward. The cooperation of Colorado MLS executives and boards is paving the way for consumers to get the benefits of accurate valuation whey they sell, buy, and improve energy-efficient and/or “green” properties. Capturing market information about the transactions involving these properties will allow appraisers and lenders to recognize the value of higher performing homes in appraisals and loans. The end result will be more economical, comfortable and safe homes marketed for their high quality features. Accurate representation with searchable market data will make this work.

Interested in Advertising Opportunities?

CMLS has mulitple advertising options for our Business Partner members.  Contact Sarah Carlton at the CMLS office today!

Annual Conference Set to Impress

Before you head to Chicago, make sure you’ve reviewed the agenda, scoped out the pre-registration list and packed accordingly.

Pre-registration is now closed, but onsite registration is available.

It’s the biggest CMLS event ever!  With over 475 pre-registered attendees, this is THE premier opportunity for MLSs to network and learn!

How Well Do You Juggle? Stay Sane When Multitasking

Like it or not, multitasking seems to be the wave of the future. Technology, along with staffing cutbacks, is making it possible-and necessary-for all of us to do more than one job at a time. Instead of fighting it, remember that flexibility and higher produc­tivity usually increase your employability. When multitasking, remember this basic advice:

· Get clear objectives. Ask your manager how your different tasks will be measured. Find out what your deadlines are. Juggling too many projects indefinitely can lead to confusion and burnout.

· Focus on your core competency. Multitasking may require you to learn new skills. Challenge is good, but don’t lose track of what you already do best. Exercising your established skills will help you maintain self-confidence and minimize stress.

· Don’t overdo it. If you stretch yourself too thin with too many different tasks, you’ll wear yourself out physically and mentally. Be aware of your limits, and apply some balance to stay sane.

Increase Computer Productivity

In a recent blog post, Ben Martin commented that he saw someone Tweet out that tabbed Internet browsers had revolutionized the way he works. And that was all the inspiration he needed to think about and post about a few computer skills he has learned to get the office work done as efficiently as possible.

Click here for Ben’s tips on how to get that computer work done, and FAST! These tips are for PCs.

MLS Domains Association Reclaiming “MLS” on the Internet Submitted by Bob Bemis, President, MLS Domains Association

Right now anyone can claim to be an MLS. Check out these sites: www.MLS.com, www.SuperMLS.com, and www.BostonMLS.com. None of them is operated by a multiple listing service. Third parties and brokers use “MLS” in their web addresses because consumers know and trust the term “MLS.” But what are consumers finding at these sites instead of accurate, real-time listing data? Often, they find inaccurate, outdated listing information.

What if there was a way for consumers to know they can trust the “MLS” websites they visit?

MLS Domains Association will help MLSs reclaim “MLS” on the internet by providing a new internet address – .MLS – as an exclusive address for genuine MLSs to host their sites. This makes possible web addresses like www.Chicago.MLS, www.Atlanta.MLS, and www.YourTown.MLS. The .MLS address will be available only to genuine MLSs. The term “MLS” can once again designate a source of information that consumers and professionals can trust on the internet.

The most common internet names end in .COM, .ORG, and .NET. These are called top-level domains, or TLDs. Almost every possible name to the left of the dot has been used, leaving it difficult for businesses to have relevant domain names. But in 2011, ICANN – the international organization that administers the internet naming system – is expecting the number of TLDs to expand by as many as 400 to 500. It’s likely there will be .LAW, .MED, and many other professional TLDs, like .MLS. This vast number of new TLDs will erode the dominance of .COM.

Recognizing the importance of this event, 15 leading MLSs in the U.S formed and funded MLS Domains Association as a non-profit association. The organization was created to obtain, manage, and promote the orderly use of the .MLS TLD. Only MLS Domains Association members can obtain .MLS addresses; only genuine MLSs can join the Association.

The ICANN expansion program is the largest change to the internet naming system in the last 15 years and it will have a significant impact on how consumers use the internet. Search engines will rank addresses at .MLS highly when consumers are searching for property in a particular area. Additionally, the MLS Domains Association is planning communication and marketing efforts to help ensure that consumers learn to check the TLD – if it’s a .MLS address, they’ll know they are dealing with a genuine MLS, not an imposter.
There are two choices of membership: Members with Founder status will begin claiming their domain names July 15 through August 15. All other members will be able to claim their domain names in September and October.

Even MLSs that do not have a public-facing listing website can still greatly benefit from a .MLS domain. Several of the MLSs that formed the Association do not display listings to consumers on the internet; they plan to use their .MLS addresses to host services for their participants and subscribers, to display open house directories, and to provide links out to broker IDX sites, among other things. Those MLSs want to be hubs of real estate information from which consumers can quickly reach brokers, adding value for their brokers and agents.

The Association needs the help of leading MLSs in the industry now to make the .MLS TLD a reality. To learn about becoming an Association member, which type of membership is right for your group, and what types of names are being selected, go to www.MLSDomains.org. There you’ll find a 10-minute video introducing the Association, suitable for showing to your board of directors. You can click on the “JOIN NOW” button to learn more; and if you would like to stay fully informed, click the “KEEP ME INFORMED” button to receive emails when new information is posted. You can also find out how to claim your .MLS addresses this summer. If you wait, another MLS may be able to claim the address you want.

MLS Rework By Victor Lund, WAV Group

As a consulting firm to real estate Multiple Listings Services (MLSs), WAV Group has seen many examples of excellence, mediocrity, and outright poor performance in the delivery of services to participants and subscribers.  MLSs come in all shapes and sizes, and a variety of structures.  There are small MLSs that deliver outstanding services to their members for a low fee, and huge MLSs that deliver poor services to their members for high fees.  There is no particular MLS business model that prevails – it all comes down to good management, board support, and a dedication to executing a strategic plan.

Recently I looked at a book called REWORK by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson.  These are the same guys who wrote Switch – How to Change Things When Change is Hard.  In the first book, they looked at the dual nature of people who are in management – the logical and the emotional.  In their new book, REWORK – they suggest that doing things the normal way may not be the right way.

REWORK inspires a variety of management concepts that may be helpful for MLSs to consider.

IGNORE THE REAL WORLD

Interesting concept, and here is an example:  I listened to an industry leader speak last year about mobile solutions for real estate.  The speaker proffered that mobile may be the most important initiative for MLSs to adopt.  The reasoning was that it is the fastest growing technology in the world.  I agree with the reasoning, but in truth, mobile, at least with today’s technology and smartphone penetration, is a “nice to have” for MLSs.  Furthermore, mobile MLS has been available in the majority of MLSs for a long time but rarely reached more than 10% adoption by agents.

Ignoring mobile solutions may seem like antiquated thinking, but why should an MLS invest in technologies that have so little adoption?  Maybe they should be asking different questions like “Why is it that these tools have so little adoption?”   or “Why is it that mobile MLS generally have pretty low satisfaction rates?”  Are we really tapping into the right type of mobile technologies that are experiencing explosive growth?  Should we be focused on offering mobile to consumers instead of agents since they seem to be more excited about it than agents are?

I suspect that if agents had to pay extra for mobile, the adoption rates would drop even further.  Offering solutions on the fringes of the MLS technology ecosystem may seem progressive, but in truth, they may be more of a distraction to building training solutions and help desk services on core systems that are the lifeblood of the MLS customer relationship.

Ask your customers where they want you to invest – mobile solutions or sending a trainer to their office, or answering the help desk phone on the first ring. Importantly, ask each and every customer what they want.

Today, customers like what they like and they don’t really care what other customers like. Maybe it’s time to offer custom solutions and custom services based on each customer’s need. A top producer, for example, likely has very different needs than a part-time who sells or buys 1 or 2 houses a year. Have MLSs adjusted their offerings considering these differences?  One audience might want 10 mobile apps while the other may barely have a cell phone.  Maybe contracts with service providers should consider these need differences and adjust payment methods and formulas accordingly.

WHY GROW?

Size does matter, or at least should if used effectively.  Economy of scale is a real factor, but in some larger MLSs we do not see a corresponding lower price or increased services. There are some great examples of MLSs that do, but an equal number of MLSs that do not.

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Is Your Information Safe?

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the copy machine. But, as as seen in the CBS video below, advanced technology has opened a dangerous hole in data security.

Is Your Information Safe?

Please remember to remove information from the hard drive of any computer, copier or scanner before recycling or selling.

Resounding Victory for CMLS at NAR Midyear

“NAR committee: MLSs should have option to require photos, disclosures”
Council of MLSs requested trade group’s support
WASHINGTON — Multiple listing services should have the option of requiring their members to submit photos with listings, Realtors serving on a policy committee recommended today at the National Association of Realtors Midyear Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo.
Although many MLSs have had mandatory photo policies in place for years, in recent months NAR had begun informing some that the trade group’s policies did not expressly grant them such authority.
The Council of MLSs, a group representing MLSs, Realtor associations and MLS vendors, maintained that while that might be the case, there was nothing in NAR’s policy prohibiting MLSs from requiring that photos and property disclosure forms be submitted with listings (see story).