Comments on: The MLS moment

By: Season’s Readings – 10 jolts from 2009 to jump start your 2010 | 1000Watt Consulting

Sun, 10 Jan 2010 08:48:22 +0000

[...] The MLS moment [...]

By: Portland Condo Auctions

Portland Condo Auctions — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 22:44:32 +0000

I have worked with many MLSes to try to get RETS feeds. I understand the expense but sometimes the fees are insurmountable and the red tape is thick. There are some MLSes that don’t work with vendors at all. They need to get it together, and some data consistency would be nice too. The RETS standard still does not make their db schemas interchangeable.

-Tyler

By: Keahi Pelayo

Keahi Pelayo — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 10:39:54 +0000

In Honolulu, there are more elegant solutions than the MLS, but, as a broker, the MLS is still the best. May it survive and prosper.
Aloha,
Keahi

By: Moving To The UK

Moving To The UK — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 03:48:57 +0000

Its a very nice blog.
Thanks.

By: Brian Wilson

Brian Wilson — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 08:40:44 +0000

I agree that the MLS's could dominate locally in terms of internet traffic but as an agent, I think the real question if they should.

The best example of an MLS who has gone public-facing is HAR. Yet look at their hypocrisy... they open up their members' listings in the name of customer service and transparency but then make it near impossible for their own agents to work with the MLS IDX feed. They have become a self-serving bureaucracy instead of a local trade organization.

I do not know how an MLS resists the temptation of self-interest over representation once they achieve market leverage using their member's data. We'll see what happens with MRIS.

By: Brian Boero

Brian Boero — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 08:00:48 +0000

@Jeff
We'll be at the NAR shows, and will most likely be at AEI as well. Hope to see you there.

By: Jeff Allen

Jeff Allen — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 07:19:17 +0000

Fantastic presentation.

Compared to the alternatives, MLS data is the cleanest, richest, most reliable data on the housing market available. MLS's and Associations need to do a better job of leveraging that. It's a golden egg that many of us sat on, unawares, for too long.

Analyze it. Make sense of the market. Tell your members what their world looks like in greater detail than Zillow or Trulia can.

Will you be at any other NAR events this year? Maybe AE Institute in March?

By: Al Cerritelli

Al Cerritelli — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 06:29:52 +0000

For what it's worth, here in Northestern Ohio, we are combining the databases of the two major MLS's – NORMLS & CRIS, depsite the politics and territorialism that ruled the past. No more dual membership fees – so agents are saving money and getting more! Keep your fingers crossed – cutover is Jan. 28th…

By: Richard Silver | Toronto Real Estate Blog

Richard Silver | Toronto Real Estate Blog — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 04:34:20 +0000

You are absolutely right Brian, plus the MLS has the credibility in the marketplace with the Consumer and it is the Consumer that drives our marketplace.

The MLS must position itself as the funnel of the data with a "Members First" attitude, reducing costs at the same time as it increases service. It must be service based rather than profit based.

By: Brian Boero

Brian Boero — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 17:32:54 +0000

Greg:

We are quite aware of the tension that exists between MLSs and many of their broker customers, particularly on the public-facing site issue (though there are plenty of brokers who love the idea of their MLS feeding them free traffic through a public site).

As former tech vendors, we understand the absurdity of much of what goes into "protecting" broker data. In some cases, MLSs are protecting their members to death.

And $12,000 for a RETS feed from WFRMLS is indeed insane.

We agree with you: More value, new value, no new fees.

Hence the call to action.