Comments on: Why Can’t The Industry Response Effectively to Zillow? For the Same Reason Your Local PTA Ain’t Gonna Be Fielding a World-class Baseball Team Any Time Soon!

By: FBS Blog » Blog Archive » MLS Innovation (Revisited)

FBS Blog » Blog Archive » MLS Innovation (Revisited) — Sat, 12 May 2007 15:31:18 +0000

[...] In my post yesterday on MLS innovation (or lack thereof), I should have linked to Kevin Boer’s excellent analysis from a month or so ago. For those who haven’t read it, please do. [...]

By: Kevin Boer, Realtor, 3 Oceans Real Estate

Kevin Boer, Realtor, 3 Oceans Real Estate — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 17:14:48 +0000

Hi Greg,

Pru is not a big player here in the mid-Peninsula. Across the Bay they’re much bigger.

By: Greg Tracy

Greg Tracy — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 06:35:16 +0000

Prudential California is not one of the top three brokerages anymore? When I lived there (1998-2001) Pru Cal was by far the top brokerage in the Bay area (I managed their top office in Castro Valley). Hard to believe that they could not be in the top three anymore- has something happened in the marketplace or with the Pru brokerage?

By: Danilo Bogdanovic

Danilo Bogdanovic — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 17:45:45 +0000

Well written post about an ongoing issue with MLS’s and the real estate industry as a whole. The issue may also be that some brokers and agents believe that the release of information to the public is a threat to their livelihoods perhaps, that they will no longer be the “gatekeepers” of information. Whether they like it or not, it is what it is and they can go with it and prosper or get left in the dust.

By: Michael Wurzer

Michael Wurzer — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 01:49:46 +0000

Change does seem to be accelerating, that’s for sure. I’ve seen the “death by committee” phenomenon in MLSs (and elsewhere), too. That’s another reason I started the FBS Blog — to keep these issues out in the open for MLSs to consider. I was thinking that the MLS leadership wasn’t engaging in these conversations because so few of the blogs came from the MLS (or vendor) perspective, and so I thought I might be able to provide that platform. Though I’m very excited by the readership so far, I was hopeful I’d get more participation from MLS executives and leadership, but that hasn’t happened yet, which may well be a sign that you are right. We engage with our clients a great deal privately, too, and these topics are all top of mind for them, but I think there is value to engaging the issues publicly. Anyway, thanks for your feedback. These are good times to be involved in real estate.

By: Kevin Boer, Realtor, 3 Oceans Real Estate

Kevin Boer, Realtor, 3 Oceans Real Estate — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 16:51:42 +0000

Hi Michael,

Your blog has made it to many already crowded feedreaders, so you’re definitely on the right track!

I agree that the MLS community has responded to technological changes in the past, but have done so quite slowly. That lack of speed may have worked formerly, but I think technological change happens so quickly these days that what may have been a good enough speed a few years ago is longer so.

Let’s say, for instance, that our local MLS (REIL) here in Silicon Valley want to out-Zillow Zillow. Some forward thinking folks there maybe have some great ideas around social communities, wikis, blogs, everthing Web 2.0 you can think of. Let’s say they could partner with vendors such as yourself and roll out these great ideas in 3 months.

So far, so good.

Now…we bring the proposal to the MLS board. I can guarantee you it will die a slow and agonizing death in committee, and if it survives complete asphyxiation, it will be on life support by the time it gets rolled out.

Even “quick” isn’t fast enough these days.

By: Michael Wurzer

Michael Wurzer — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 12:11:32 +0000

Kevin, thanks for you compliments about the FBS Blog! I agree that coopetition is a complex beast and the success of what local MLSs have achieved is often overlooked in these days of idealized state technology wonders. I hope your prediction that the MLS community won't respond turns out not to be true. In fact, I believe the MLS community is already responding and will continue to do so. Sold information is being published by several MLSs, data standards (boring at first blush but critical) are being developed, and regionals are forming rapidly. Without a doubt, the game is changing (and that's a good thing) but the MLS community has responded effectively to technological shifts over many decades and I'm confident the community will continue to do so.