Real Estate Executive Newsletter

Transcription

1 Real Estate Executive Newsletter March 15, 2011 MLSListings Selects Proxio to Deliver Specialized Agent Networking, Multilingual Property Search MLSListings is pleased to announce a new agreement with Proxio, a global marketing and networking service connecting real estate professionals in over 95 countries and offering listing translation in over 19 languages. On Monday, March 14, we finalized integration of the service, enabling MLSListings subscribers who choose ProxioPro to showcase, translate and market their listings in multiple languages as well as easily find, connect and market to other agents by interest, specialty, language or location. MLSListings is the first MLS in California to offer this service for agents and brokers. Using ProxioPro, subscribers can easily set up a basic agent profile to initiate high-quality referral networks across borders and languages to increase global marketing exposure for their listings, which benefits both buyers and sellers of California real estate. Additionally, agents can search and share listings in a language of choice, and provide listing information to clients in familiar languages, currencies and measurements to help facilitate real estate transactions. Three available tiers of service offer increasing levels of features, with pricing starting at less than 10 dollars per month. Current pricing will be available on our Store page at pro.mlslistings.com after March 14. To order ProxioPro, agents can purchase the product in the Store, and once purchased, ProxioPro can be directly accessed via the MyProducts tab. To enable the listing syndication offered in the advanced packages, the broker must first authorize syndication of their listings to ProxioPro by opting in via the Broker Center tab at pro.mlslistings.com. In This Issue TOP STORIES MLSListings Launches Proxio March 14 Broker Center Adding Two New Syndication Features: SF Examiner, and Proxio PERKS Update: Listingbook Top 10 Need to Knows CRMLS Signs On to Offer RPR to Southern CA Agents MLSLISTINGS NEWS Spring Training Gearing Up for Matrix MLSListings and CAR Announce Launch of REALTOR Ratings Pilot Program MLSListings Going Green with Paperless Billing IN EVERY ISSUE Key Dates Compliance Report Additional product details are available here along with other business building services offered as part of MLSListings PERKS program. Customer Service Training Update Market Data March 8, Oakmead Parkway, 2 nd Floor Sunnyvale, CA (408)

2 County County Weekly Sales and Listing Statistics For the week beginning March 4, 700 new Class 1 listings and 199 new Class 2 listings were posted in the eight counties represented by MLSListings, Inc. In addition, 359 Class 1 properties were sold and 109 Class 2 properties were sold. Total weekly sales volume for classes 1 and 2 for all Home Counties was $269,997,516 and the average sales price was $576,918 for classes 1 and 2 combined. *as of 3/11/2011, 10:00am Homes Sold, 3/4/11-3/10/11 New Listings, 3/4/11-3/10/11 Merced Merced San Joaquin San Joaquin Stanislaus Stanislaus San Benito Monterey Santa Clara Santa Cruz San Mateo Class 2 Class 1 San Benito Monterey Santa Clara Santa Cruz San Mateo Class 2 Class Number of Homes Sold Number of New Listings New Peninsula Syndication Partner, PERKS Vendor Added to MLSListings Distribution Permissions in Broker Center Now available in pro.mlslistings.com are two important new features in the Broker Center: a new syndication integration with the SFExaminer.com enabling free distribution of MLS listings to the Examiner s Peninsula open homes, and integration with Proxio, enabling distribution of MLS listings to Proxio s international, multi-lingual real estate network for agents who purchase a Proxio advanced package. MLSListings is one of the first MLSs to offer an on-demand, self service environment for brokers to quickly and easily manage both syndication permissions and IDX participation online via a Broker Center. A long-awaited offering, the Broker Center eliminates the paperwork and related time delays associated with processing of permission forms previously up to a week s delay. Its implementation also demonstrates further the technical leadership of our inhouse development team in creating a system that manages complex integration with many disparate distribution systems via one easy-to-use dashboard for our brokers. Real Estate Executive Newsletter Page 2 of 12 March 15, 2011

3 Implementation for Proxio and the San Francisco Examiner were added on Monday, March 14; these options appear in the Broker Center as indicated above. When a new syndication partner is made available, a broker can simply select the checkbox in the Broker Center the related services are available virtually immediately. Our agreements with these syndication outlets helps streamline the process, eliminating the need for a broker to form individual agreements with several sites. Further, syndication of listings directly from the MLS to these partners helps ensure the most timely and accurate data is available on the destination sites. Brokers may selectively opt-in to syndicate listings to each distribution point offered in the Broker Center, as well as manage listing distribution permissions for any PERKS products that involve listing syndication, such as ProxioPro. CRMLS Signs On to Deliver RPR to Southern California Realtors The REALTORS Property Resource (RPR) is growing, continuing to add MLSs eager to deliver RPR s advanced web applications to their subscribers so far, 235 MLSs around the country have signed agreements to provide RPR for their members. This week, RPR and the California Regional MLS (CRMLS) announced their agreement to provide RPR to 32,000 Realtors in southern California. MLSListings was the first MLS in California to adopt RPR as an offering, and we continue to track its development as a robust, business-enhancing tool. See Real Estate Executive Newsletter Page 3 of 12 March 15, 2011

4 CEO Dale Ross business update on page 8 of this newsletter for additional RPR news and upcoming plans. MLSListings, Inc. and the California Association of REALTORS (C.A.R.) Launch REALTOR Ratings Pilot Program On Monday, March 14, MLSListings, Inc. and the California Association of REALTORS (C.A.R.) announced the pilot launch of the REALTOR Ratings program, a joint effort to develop an industry standard across northern California for measuring real estate agent performance and customer service based on independently-verified reviews from home buyer and seller clients. Designed by independent consumer review agency Quality Service Certification (QSC), the program collects and evaluates feedback from both buyer and seller clients in the months following the home sale, and provides information to brokers and agents to help them better evaluate and market their services to consumers. Despite the variety of real estate agent review sites, there is no single consistent standard for comparison among agents, nor in many cases, reliability of the reviews themselves, explained Jim Harrison, president and CEO of MLSListings. Through this program, we re looking to create a system that combines thirdparty verification with real transaction participants, involving the agents and brokers in the process, and provide information that consumers can trust as a legitimate and thorough evaluation. Not only is the REALTOR Ratings program a way to make sure that REALTORS are being rated accurately based on actual transactions, but it also helps raise the bar of professionalism in the real estate industry and provides accountability for the REALTOR, said C.A.R. Treasurer Don Faught. Northern California brokers from Intero Real Estate Services, Bailey Properties, Alain Pinel Realtors, Sereno Group, Realty World, and Legacy Real Estate have volunteered as local pilot participants, making the program available to their agents in several diverse markets from Monterey to Real Estate Executive Newsletter Page 4 of 12 March 15, 2011

5 the Peninsula, and across to Fremont and the East Bay. Clients of the participating agents will receive a survey of close to a dozen questions evaluating their complete transaction experience, and QSC will manage the data collection, analysis and display. Agents can offer a link to their ratings page via an signature or web page banner, as well as neighborhood flier and other promotional opportunities. Additionally, consumers will be able to view REALTOR Rated agents via the QSC website directory. The pilot program is slated to run for the next several months, as participants evaluate its feasibility and ways to improve upon the process. MLSListings, Inc. is among the first MLSs in the nation to pursue a consistent, reliable standard for customer service in the real estate profession, which will serve both subscribers as well as the general public. PERKS UPDATE: Listingbook Top 10 Need to Knows Still weighing the potential benefits of Listingbook? It s far and away the most popular product in our PERKS program of business-building products and services, with over 4,000 agent and broker accounts created by MLSListings subscribers in the past year. Those agents and brokers have used Listingbook to establish over 24,000 client accounts, enabling their clients to search for homes on the system, while the agent tracks their activity and further tailors his or her service to the client s evolving preferences. And more than 32 percent of those clients home buyers and sellers have activated their account, making this one of the most successful adoptions of any customer relationship management (CRM) marketing program. Listingbook has also conducted a research survey, asking its agent customers to identify key benefits of using the program. Below is a list of top 10 features highlighted by users as the most useful to their business. TOP 10 Ways Listingbook Can Benefit Your Business 1. Listingbook is FREE to you and your clients, but you can purchase upgraded products and services. 2. Listingbook allows you to give your clients access to search up-to-the-minute MLS data, while updating you automatically on all of your clients online activity. 3. Providing your clients with a Listingbook account just got easier. any list to addmyprospects@listingbook.com and they ll take care of it. Real Estate Executive Newsletter Page 5 of 12 March 15, 2011

6 4. Listingbook s community is exclusively for buyers and sellers who have an agent, so they can accurately match qualified buyers search criteria to your listings. 5. Listingbook provides thousands of FREE Leads to AE+ agents every month. 6. You can call their FREE Customer Support line , and they will walk you through how to get started and use Listingbook to benefit your business. 7. Every section of your Morning Report is "clickable" and will show you more detailed information in Listingbook. 8. Don t forget to call your clients and remind them to activate their Listingbook account, so you can monitor their online activity and service them more efficiently. 9. The Listingbook Learning Community is an extensive library of video tutorials to make you a Listingbook expert. They also have a series of FREE Webinars for additional training. 10. Watch the new Explore the Power of Listingbook video and see how Listingbook is transforming the Real Estate industry. Spring Training Gearing Up for Matrix The spring home buying season is starting to kick in, and warmer weather just around the corner will bring a new flock of homebuyers eager to get off the fence, buoyed by the latest dip in mortgage rates and encouraging economic and employment news. Now s the time to get back in shape, dust off your playbook and pick up some new strategies to make sure you re bringing your A game when the full season hits. If you haven t yet explored Matrix, learn how this application can save you time and improve your client relationships putting you one step ahead of the competition. By customizing its many automation offerings, you can let Matrix do the work for you, so you can focus on your clients. Matrix can help you: - Be informed about your marketplace - Communicate better with your clients - Be efficient and streamlined in your searches - Farm your territory effectively - And much more. Real Estate Executive Newsletter Page 6 of 12 March 15, 2011

7 Our Education and Outreach Services has spent the winter putting together a new round of courses and training videos, and changing up its education format strategy- to ensure you have the best tools available to help you take advantage of everything Matrix has to offer. And don t forget, by the end of this year, Matrix will be your primary search and client management tool on the pro.mlslistings.com system. We ve based our spring training strategy directly on the feedback of subscribers both in-class reports as well as the statistics that come from our call center to ensure we re delivering programs that are tailored to the most common subscriber needs. New, shorter videos that focus on the basics Now available on MyNewPro are a series of new, shorter training videos available in HD that cover the most requested basics of using Matrix: Search, Results, Print and Report, , and Map Search. These are available for viewing at any time, on your schedule, and they re up to date with the latest enhancements. Instructor-led Association Courses: Matrix Easy 1 and 2 Easy does it that s what users have requested. There s a lot to cover, and our hour-long instructor-led courses make the most of your time, but mirror the format of the videos. Attend an instructor-led course at your Association to get the full overview, then watch the corresponding videos online for a secondround exposure or a quick refresh. Check your Association calendar or visit our events page to find out when we ll be in your neighborhood next. Hands-on Workshops Learn best in a step-by-step environment with your laptop in front of you and a trainer checking over your shoulder? We ve got you covered. Subscribers can book small-group workshops at your office, to walk you through the basics of getting started in Matrix. Training is free, but book soon because the calendar fills up fast. Contact Mark Messimer to schedule. Coming this summer: Matrix Setup Next on deck from Outreach is a Matrix Setup course, which walks users through each point of customization Matrix offers from setting up the Market Watch widget to track activity in your neighborhood, to building your search templates, to auto- settings so Matrix does the work and you manage the results from one dashboard, the Matrix homepage, set up the way you like it best. Stay tuned for more details! Summer will be here before you know it, and if projections are any indicator, you ll be busier than you have in years. Make sure MLSListings is part of your spring training, and Matrix is on your team roster you may just find it s your MVP. Real Estate Executive Newsletter Page 7 of 12 March 15, 2011

8 Realtors Property Resource (RPR) Update from CEO Dale Ross Dale Ross, CEO Since the first product offering launch in September, REALTORS have been discovering the many ways they can use RPR to access real estate data, as well as collect and disseminate information to their clients and customers. RPR s process of gathering real estate information and data, coupled with a property valuation model, has changed the way data presentations are made. Currently, RPR has contracted over 225 markets (more pending), and has enrolled more than 372,000 REALTOR members. The Latest and Greatest On February 3, RPR software version v1.3 was released. In it, more than 160 enhancements to the system were made. This new software enhancement contains upgrades, including improved search capability, easier and better comparable functionality, and additional school information. The enhanced product will provide users the ability to better customize comparables and estimates for their clients, as well as streamline maps, which will make it easier for users to use the tools and functions at their disposal within the RPR application. As we listen to feedback from REALTORS, the product will become more flexible and more designed towards the way agents do their business. We have also designed a new RPR Landing Page, which will put the information REALTORS need about RPR at their fingertips, as well as provide a way to learn about our new features, training opportunities, and marketing materials. They will also be able to watch demonstrations of the different features, including tips and tricks available within the RPR application. You can visit this new communication tool at blog.narrpr.com/info. What's Down the Road? Since its launch, RPR has been receiving very favorable comments from its users. Our most recent success was at the Xplode! Real Estate Technology Conference in Austin, TX for area REALTORS, co-sponsored by RPR. This event provided RPR the opportunity to show all of the astounding features in the RPR system to REALTORS who had not yet seen the application, or who may have been skeptical. The presentation was very well received. In addition, we are making progress in contracting with more MLSs to move forward with RPR. Many large brokers have also embraced the system and will be using the Broker Tool Sets program when it is released in the near future. We look forward to bringing you the latest information with this CEO update. The RPR team is working diligently to meet your expectations, and we are delighted to hear all of the reactions from REALTORS across the country who are using the RPR application. Real Estate Executive Newsletter Page 8 of 12 March 15, 2011

9 Note: RPR is currently available exclusively to REALTORS who are MLSListings subscribers in northern California, accessed via a button in the right hand column of the homepage at pro.mlslistings.com. We encourage users to learn more about this application and its benefits via the RPR online blog, here. MLSListings is Going Green with Paperless Online Billing Switch Today! Paperless billing is a great way to save paper, reduce clutter and help the environment. It is also a service that allows MLSListings subscribers an opportunity to review/pay their MLS membership fees/services online rather than in a printed, paper format. Beginning April 1, 2011, MLSListings, Inc. will assess a $10.00 administrative cost per billing cycle for the mailing of paper invoices. For those of you who have not switched over to our online billing system and who continue to receive paper invoices mailed directly to you, we encourage you to consider the advantages of online billing: Access to complete detailed billing statements anytime, from any Internet connection Up to three notifications directing subscribers to review and pay their bill online at pro.mlslistings.com/myinfo/paymybill. Up to five years of viewable billing history that you can save or print Safe, secure online account access, with the ability to pay electronically Always FREE we do not charge for this service Users can still use the online system to pay by check simply mail the check with DRE# in the memo line to our offices at 350 Oakmead Parkway, Second Floor, Sunnyvale, CA Please join us in our efforts to Go Green it s easy, convenient and will ultimately help the environment. Upcoming Key Dates March 16, 2011 March April 20, 2011 May 4-7, 2011 May 9-11, 2011 MLSListings Board of Directors Meeting NAR A.E. Institute, Dallas, TX MLSListings Board of Directors Meeting CAR Spring Business Meetings, Sacramento NAR Midyear Meetings and Expo, Wash. DC Real Estate Executive Newsletter Page 9 of 12 March 15, 2011

10 A complete list of regional/national industry events and available registration links can be found on the Events Calendar at Compliance Weekly Departmental Updates The Compliance Department handled 255 calls and 352 cases. The department worked 256 newly reported violations and 96 pending cases from the previous week. The majority of these calls involved remarks violations, incorrect statuses and no photo. Of the 256 newly reported violations, 186 of them were resolved, and for pending cases, 74% were resolved. In addition, 132 listings were reported via report a listing, bringing the current year-to-date total to 1,031. Education & Outreach Our Education and Outreach Services team continues to expand the breadth and scope of its outreach to subscribers, providing both training opportunities and informational visits to keep you apprised of the information and tools you need to close deals and sustain and grow your business. For the week ending March 10, the Education Services Team conducted a total of 9 classes with 108 attendees including the following classes: Education Services 3/4/11 3/1011 Classes Attendance MATRIX Essentials 1 24 Matrix Masters 1 20 Matrix Easy: 1, REALIST 1 20 RPR Demo 1 20 RPR Workshop 1 8 Total Training events include new agent orientations, seminars, webcast tutorials, and hands-on lecture-lab courses. In addition to instructor-led seminars, we offer regularly scheduled live webcasts, and have a variety of videos available on MyNewPro. We encourage you to promote our ongoing training services on your Association calendars, and to visit our Events page at MyNewPro for the latest schedule. Onsite training events at individual companies can be scheduled by contacting Mark Messimer at mmessimer@mlslistings.com. Upcoming Association training events this week: Real Estate Executive Newsletter Page 10 of 12 March 15, 2011

11 March 15 - Matrix 10:00am Location: SILVAR March 15 - Matrix 1:00pm Location: SILVAR March 16 - RPR 10:30am Location: SBCAOR March 16- Matrix 1:00pm Location: SBCAOR March 17 - Matrix 10:30am Location: PVAOR March 18 - Matrix 10:30am Location: MCAR March 18 - Listing Management 10:30am Location: SAMCAR March :00pm Location: MCAR March :00pm Location: SAMCAR Call Center/Support The Call Center handled 1,491 cases last week, resolving 98.3% or 1,465 cases. 64 of these cases were related to MLSListings Pro access, searching and reports; 77 cases related to Matrix; 326 concerned listing assistance; 30 concerned HomeWorks and 108 concerned reciprocal access. The remaining cases were requests for basic support, with 108 regarding security, 175 regarding account settings, 86 regarding PERKS products and 9 cases related to mobile access. The average call length was 4 minutes, 32 seconds. Of the total number of Matrix cases, approximately 17 concerned Client Portal/ Auto ; 14 concerned Reports/Displays; 18 concerned Search; and 10 concerned CMA. Of the total number of reciprocal access cases, 72 were regarding the East Bay MLSs; 12 regarded MetroList; and 14 regarded SFAR. Real Estate Executive Newsletter Page 11 of 12 March 15, 2011

12 Customer Satisfaction Survey For the week ending 3/10/2011, our subscribers rated six (6) different criteria related to their customer support experience as follows: Staff professionalism & responsiveness 92% very satisfied; and 8% somewhat satisfied. Relevance and applicability of staff response to questions 90% very satisfied; 8% somewhat satisfied; and 2% neutral. Staff effectiveness 90.4% very satisfied; and 9.6% somewhat satisfied. Staff knowledge of the topic being discussed 88.2% very satisfied; and 11.8% somewhat satisfied. Follow-up 82% very satisfied; 7% somewhat satisfied; and 11% neutral. Overall Satisfaction 90.4% very satisfied; 7.7% somewhat satisfied; and 1.9% neutral. Real Estate Executive Newsletter Page 12 of 12 March 15, 2011