Listing Bits

Teams are the future of real estate. And one proptech vendor is capitalizing on this trend by helping team leaders run an effective business.

What's more, most of the teams on his platform double their business every year—even in the current market.

Brian Charlesworth is Founder and CEO of Sisu, an end-to-end real estate platform for teams that streamlines the transaction process, bringing all REALTORS, vendors and clients together.

On this episode of Listing Bits, Brian shares his background in technology and explains how helping his wife build her real estate team inspired the creation of Sisu.

Brian discusses the coaching Sisu offers to help team leaders scale their business and describes how the platform changes the culture of a real estate team.

Listen in to understand how the Sisu client portal works like a 'pizza tracker' and get Brian's advice for other proptech vendors on building for real estate teams.

What's Discussed:

Sisu's function as an end-to-end real estate platform for teams

How Brian's commitment to help his wife build her real estate team inspired the creation of Sisu

The coaching Sisu offers to help team leaders run an effective business

Why Brian believes teams are the future of real estate

What proptech vendors should consider in building for teams

Using the Sisu dashboard to track a team's progress (e.g.: sales, potential revenue, etc.)

How Sisu integrates with CRMs and other platforms to streamline and automate real estate transactions

How Sisu changes the culture of a real estate team

Why most teams on Sisu double their business every year—even in the current market

How the Sisu client portal works like a 'pizza tracker'

What Sisu is doing to make sure clients work with the same real estate professionals for years to come

Brian's advice to proptech vendors on understanding how agents think

What real estate companies can do to solve for agent retention

Connect with Brian Charlesworth:

Sisu

Brian on Instagram

Resources:

Sisu Mastery

Side

PLACE

Our Sponsor:

Cloud CMA for Brokers

Two years ago, NAR policy was updated to give brokers and agents attribution rights, meaning they get to decide how they appear in listings.

But Homes.com employs a 'your listing, your lead' model, displaying the listing agent's contact information.

So, does this comply with NAR's attribution policy? And what else do we need to think about as companies like Zillow and Homes.com switch to IDX?

On this episode of Listing Bits, Michael Wurzer, CEO of real estate software company FBS, Greg Fischer, Owner of indie brokerage West + Main, and Andy Woolley, VP of Industry Development at Homes.com, join us to consider how 'your listing, your lead' jives with NAR's IDX attribution policy.

Andy explains how 'your listing, your lead' differs from the referral model used on other sites, and Greg asks what is changing at Homes.com now that it's a participant in the MLS.

Listen in for Michael's insight on the repercussions on policy that come with mixing different use cases for data feeds and find out why it's important for MLSs to develop a standard way for national portals like Homes.com to license data.

What's Discussed:

How NAR IDX policy changed to give brokers and agents attribution rights

Whether Homes.com's 'your listing, your lead' model complies with NAR's attribution policy

Why most brokers aren't using the 'attribution source' field in RESO's data dictionary

Homes.com's decision to display the listing agent's contact information

Why Homes.com made the switch from its original MLS feeds to IDX

What is changing at Homes.com now that it's a participant in the MLS vs. a media publisher

The potential repercussions on policy that come with mixing use cases for data feeds

What differentiates Homes.com's 'your listing, your lead' from the referral model used on other sites

How Homes.com allows buyer's agents to protect their relationships on the site

How showing a listing agent on a lead placard compares to seeing their name on a yard sign

The challenge Homes.com faces when it comes to agent responsiveness

Why it's crucial for MLSs to create a standard way for national portals to license data

Connect with Michael Wurzer:

Michael at FBS

Michael on Twitter

Connect with Greg Fischer:

West + Main

Greg on Twitter

Connect with Andy Woolley:

Homes.com

Andy on Twitter

Resources:

Greg's Twitter Thread on Your Listing, Your Lead

NAR's IDX Policy

RESO Data Dictionary

Homesnap Pro

Our Sponsor:

Cloud CMA for Brokers

Lauren Martin began her career in the fashion industry to be among powerful women.

But when she transitioned to proptech, she realized that real estate is the true pinnacle of girl power. And yet, women are not always represented in leadership.

So, when she landed her current role as Senior Account Director of Partnerships at RentSpree, Lauren approached her CEO about creating RENEW, the Real Estate Network for Empowered Women, an initiative that seeks to connect and champion female professionals across all sectors of the industry nationwide.

On this episode of Listing Bits, Lauren shares her journey from the fashion industry to proptech, describing how what she learned in fashion translates to real estate.

Lauren discusses her role at RentSpree, explaining how the platform partners with MLSs and other proptech companies to streamline the rental process—in a way that serves real estate agents and renters.

Listen in for insight on what inspired Lauren to build RENEW and learn how you can get involved in her initiative to elevate women in real estate!

What's Discussed:

How Lauren was poached from a catering company to work in sales at Remine

What Lauren learned in the fashion industry that translates to real estate and proptech

Lauren's insight on approaching uncomfortable conversations with humor

Lauren's experiences working with MLS professionals who champion each other

How RentSpree partners with MLSs and proptech companies to streamline the rental process

The revenue sharing model at RentSpree and how MLSs benefit from it

How REALTORS benefit from building relationships with renters early in their housing journey

Lauren's role handling both MLS and proptech partnerships at RentSpree

Lauren's best travel hacks for real estate professionals

What inspired Lauren to start the RENEW initiative to elevate women in real estate

Connect with Lauren:

RentSpree

Lauren on LinkedIn

Email [email protected]

RENEW Initiative

The RENEW Podcast by RentSpree

Resources:

Remine

Project Runway

Vendor Alley

SentriLock

Rent the Runway

Teresa King Kinney & Liz Sturrock on The RENEW Podcast EP001

Betsy Hanson of Markt on Listing Bits EP078

Our Sponsor:

Cloud CMA for Brokers

From a vendor's perspective, small MLSs are the most challenging to work with. And that's no surprise, seeing as how they have fewer resources than the big players in the space.

So, how do we support MLSs with fewer than 400 members in keeping up with NAR rules, for example? Is there a way MLSs might share marketing, support and compliance services in a way that makes the market work better for all involved?

Betsy Hanson is General Manager and General Counsel at Markt, a multi-MLS service organization focused on pooling resources and expertise to serve MLSs, brokers and agents.

On this episode of Listing Bits, Betsy shares her journey from executive assistant at a small association to her current role at Markt, describing how she avoids the attorney's reputation as the Department of No.

Betsy offers her take on what organized real estate is missing about the life and times of an ordinary REALTOR, why the average agent doesn't understand the lawsuits facing the industry, and how those lawsuits might change the way we do things moving forward.

Listen in to understand how Markt works as an MLS back-office provider and learn how Betsy and her team are uniquely positioned to help MLSs of all sizes with local market delivery.

What's Discussed:

Betsy's journey from executive assistant at a small association to General Counsel at Markt

What differentiates the role of executive assistant from that of chief of staff

How Betsy avoids the attorney's reputation as the Department of No

Betsy's experience teaching English in China between undergrad and law school

What organized real estate is missing about the life and times of an ordinary REALTOR

Why the average REALTOR-on-the-street doesn't know about the lawsuits facing the industry

How public perception of REALTORS remains positive despite lawsuits around compensation

Betsy's predictions re: how the lawsuits facing organized real estate might play out

How Markt began as a way for MLSs to pool support resources and create efficiencies

Markt's potential to solve the challenge small MLSs face in keeping up with NAR rules

Connect with Betsy:

Markt

Email [email protected]

Resources:

Notorious ROB

Industry Relations Podcast

Turn On by 1000watt

Our Sponsor:

Cloud CMA for Brokers

Most showing management software aggregates data. But how useful is it to get a report at the end of the month?

What if the data was presented in a way that helped agents answer seller questions in real time and make informed choices based on the numbers?

Wes Hartman is CEO of Showingly, a showing management solution that uses data and analytics to guide better decision-making.

On this episode of Listing Bits, Wes walks us through the key metrics Showingly looks at to drive pricing decisions and marketing strategy for a property.

Wes explains how Showingly is aggregating showing, offer and closed data to determine the best day and time to list a home and explores what simple things a seller can adjust to secure more showings.

Listen in to understand how the desire for choice might impact the future of showing management software and find out if Showingly's approach is right for your brokerage or MLS.

What's Discussed:

Wes' background as an aspiring fighter pilot, professional cyclist, real estate agent and tech vendor

How Showingly's use of data to guide decision-making differentiates it from other showing management solutions

The key metrics Showingly looks at to drive pricing decisions and marketing strategy for a property

What Wes' team is doing to get honest feedback on a property (and why that's such a challenge)

How Showingly uses showing, offer and closed data to determine the best day and time to list a home

How sellers might adjust pricing and Open House hours to get more showings

Wes' take on the future of showing management software

Showing Hub's solution to the demand for choice in showing management software

Why Wes is focused on building relationships with brokerages, MLSs and other showing management providers

How Wes thinks about MLSs building their own showing solutions and why competition drives innovation

Connect with Wes:

Showingly

Email [email protected]

Resources:

ShowingTime

Showing Hub

TourZazz

Our Sponsor:

Cloud CMA for Brokers

A solid fan base is what makes a rock band successful, and it's no different for real estate professionals.

But most of us focus on the individual transaction and miss an opportunity to build long-term relationships with our existing clients and turn them into raving fans.

And that means missed opportunities for referrals and repeat business.

Rivers Pearce is CMO of Milestones, a homeowner management platform that helps agents and lenders turn single transactions into forever clients.

On this episode of Listing Bits, Rivers shares his background as a touring musician and transition to proptech, discussing how he built the lead generation department at BoomTown.

Rivers explains why agents should market themselves as a trusted advisor for all things home and explores how real estate professionals benefit from referring business to home service professionals and other local businesses.

Listen in for Rivers' insight on nurturing relationships with your existing database and learn how Milestones can help you provide the kind of value that turns one-off clients into lifelong fans!

What's Discussed:

Rivers' background as a touring musician and how he transitioned to proptech

How the skills Rivers developed as a performer translate to real estate and proptech

Rivers' experience in building the lead gen department at BoomTown

How the way proptech supports real estate agents with lead gen has evolved over time

How Rivers thinks about using sphere of influence vs. portal aggregation to generate business

The opportunity to build relationships with homeowners that most REALTORS miss

Why agents should market themselves as a trusted advisor for all things home

The benefit of referring business to home service professionals and other local businesses

How Milestones functions as a homeowner management platform for agents

How Milestones creates a custom maintenance plan for homeowners

How Milestones helps REALTORS nurture relationships with their existing database

Connect with Rivers:

Milestones

Rivers on LinkedIn

Rivers on Twitter

Rivers on Instagram

Email [email protected] or [email protected] for a 3-month free trial

Resources:

BoomTown

Mark Davison on Listing Bits EP042

Curaytor

CallAction

Agent Legend

Drew Meyers of Geek Estate

Tom Ferry

Our Sponsor:

Cloud CMA for Brokers

Listing Bits is back!

If your role in real estate involves sales demos or any kind of training, you're likely familiar with the frustration of delivering the same webinar over and over again.

Or worse, preparing a webinar that is either poorly attended or no one shows up.

But what if you could do 100 or even 1,000 webinars a month—without getting in front of a camera?

Melissa Kwan is Cofounder and CEO of eWebinar, a platform that saves people from repeatedly delivering the same webinar by turning videos into automated, interactive webinars.

Prior to eWebinar, Melissa founded and successfully exited the real estate tech startup Spacio, a check-in app for open houses.

On this episode of Listing Bits, Melissa shares her journey as a proptech entrepreneur, describing how she developed her mad sales skills and why she was ready for a new challenge after Spacio.

Melissa discusses how her experience with onboarding and training for Spacio inspired the creation of eWebinar and explains what differentiates the platform from Zoom, YouTube videos and webinar replays.

Listen in for insight around Melissa's intentional approach to life and learn how your real estate business might leverage eWebinar to get your time back and spend it on things you enjoy!

What's Discussed:

The initial idea for Spacio and how it evolved into a check-in app for open houses

How Melissa developed her hustle and sales ability out of necessity

Melissa's successful exit from Spacio after 4 years of running the business

The real estate leadership dinner that launched Melissa's career as an entrepreneur

What differentiates eWebinar from YouTube, Zoom and webinar replays

How Melissa's experience with training for Spacio inspired the creation of eWebinar

How brokerages and real estate teams are using eWebinar to qualify leads

The benefit of using eWebinar in terms of video quality and availability of content

eWebinar's use cases for sales demos, onboarding and training

How Melissa runs eWebinar to reflect her work less, enjoy more philosophy of life

Connect with Melissa:

eWebinar

Melissa on LinkedIn

ProfitLed Podcast

Resources:

Spacio

Inman Connect

Greg's Post on Melissa in Vendor Alley

Pocket

SAP

HomeSpotter

The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss

Our Sponsor:

Cloud CMA for Brokers

NAR's MLS Policy Statement 8.6 goes into effect on September 1, 2022.

So, what tools are available to make the implementation of the new One Data Source Policy easier for MLSs?

Katie Smithson is Director of MLS Relations at Zillow Group, where she leads the team building their MLS data licensing and distribution platform, Bridge Interactive. Prior to joining Zillow, she spent eight years with W+R Studios as Director of Enterprise Sales and Director of MLS Services.

On this episode of Listing Bits, Katie walks us through Policy Statement 8.6, explaining what problems the mandate does solve and why it's a problem to provide vendors and brokers with data in a single feed.

Katie discusses the Bridge platform's current functionality and describes the new feature her team is developing to help MLSs implement 8.6, the One Data Source Solution.

Listen in to understand how MLSs can use Bridge to auto-approve certain vendor agreements and find out if the One Data Source Solution is right for you.

What's Discussed:

How MLS Policy Statement 8.6 requires that MLSs offer participants data in a single feed

The security issue with leaving it up to brokers and vendors to know what data can be used in a VOW, IDX or back-office feed

What problems the new One Data Source Policy does solve

How the Bridge platform alleviates pain points around data distribution for MLSs

What differentiates the Bridge platform from CoreLogic's Trestle

How Katie thinks about asking MLS boards to give Zillow their data (and pay for the service)

How Bridge gives MLSs a simple way to combine existing data feeds for members

The benefit of adding field-specific tags to MLS metadata via the Bridge One Data Source Solution

How MLSs can use Bridge to auto-approve certain vendors or certain types of data access agreements

Connect with Katie:

Bridge Interactive

Katie on Twitter

Katie on LinkedIn

Email: katiesm [at] zillowgroup [dot] com

Resources:

MLS Policy Statement 8.6

CMLS Implementation Guide—One Data Source Policy 8.6

Lone Wolf Technologies

Trestle by CoreLogic

Marilyn Wilson's TSA Pre-Check Concept

Inman Connect Las Vegas 2022

Our Sponsor:

Cloud CMA for Brokers

What if it was easy for an MLS to raise money to develop the data services it needs and run the software its customers use?

Colette Stevenson is CEO of REsides, the premier MLS in South Carolina. Formerly known as Hilton Head MLS, REsides serves REALTORS who represent properties in both South Carolina and Georgia, maintaining the most dependable and powerful data in the marketplace.

On this episode of Listing Bits, Colette shares the story of the rebrand from Hilton Head MLS to REsides, explaining what differentiates her team's vision from that of the average MLS.

Colette describes how REsides is developing a new business model to address the challenge of raising capital for software development and discusses why she's open to collaborating with MLSs anywhere in the US.

Listen in to understand Colette's disciplined way of thinking about potential changes to cooperation and compensation—and learn how REsides is empowering agents and brokers with data in a way that keeps the industry at the center of the real estate transaction.

What's Discussed:

How Colette's background in the ticketing industry informs her work at REsides

What REsides is doing to keep the industry at the center of the real estate transaction

The story of the rebrand from Hilton Head MLS to REsides

What differentiates REsides' vision from that of the average MLS (and how being small benefits Colette's team)

Where buyers in the Hilton Head market come from and why Colette is open to collaborating with MLSs anywhere in the US

How REsides is developing a new business model to address the challenge of raising capital for software development

Colette's take on what keeps MLSs from making bold moves (and how REsides is overcoming it)

Colette's disciplined way of thinking about potential changes to cooperation and compensation

REsides' mission to empower agents and brokers with data

Connect with Colette:

REsides

Colette on LinkedIn

Resources:

'Atlanta's No. 1 Broker Bought Homes for Big Investors From 600 Miles Away' in The Wall Street Journal

Our Sponsor:

Cloud CMA for Brokers

Approximately 8 million appraisals were conducted in the US last year. By contrast, there are only 40,000 active real estate appraisers. So, it's no surprise that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are exploring appraisal modernization initiatives like the desktop appraisal option.

But to make these alternatives to the traditional appraisal work, we need data in the form of an accurate floor plan. And we need it at scale.

Jeff Allen is EVP of Innovation Labs Clear Capital, a leading property valuation tech company, and President of CubiCasa, an easy-to-use app for automating the creation of real estate floor plans. On this episode of Listing Bits, Jeff explains how the barrier to entry to become an appraiser has sparked a total transformation of the industry.

He discusses his work helping GSEs test alternatives to the traditional appraisal, describing why floor plans are an essential part of 'bringing the house to the appraiser' and how he discovered the CubiCasa technology that automates the process. Listen in for Jeff's insight on the copyright dispute over real estate floor plans and learn how to support the creative partnerships necessary for CubiCasa to scale.

What's Discussed:

How Clear Capital serves large financial institutions in the realm of property valuation

How the barrier to entry to become an appraiser has sparked a total transformation of the industry

Jeff's work helping GSEs test alternatives to the full traditional appraisal

Why floor plans are essential in 'bringing the house to the appraiser'

How Jeff discovered the CubiCasa tech for automating floor plans and how it works

The creative partnerships necessary for CubiCasa to achieve scale (e.g.: real estate photographers)

How the desktop appraisal option supports CubiCasa's efforts to scale

The other major appraisal modernization initiatives coming from Fannie and Freddie

Jeff's take on the current copyright dispute over real estate floor plans

Connect with Jeff:

CubiCasa

Email: jeff [at] cubicasa [dot] com

Jeff on LinkedIn

Clear Capital

Resources:

10K Research and Marketing

Appraisal Subcommittee

Dodd-Frank

Desktop Appraisals

Vendor Alley

FloPlan App

Greg's Post on FloPlan

Copyright Dispute Over Real Estate Floor Plans

Designworks Homes v. Columbia House of Brokers Realty

CMLS's Amicus Brief on the Floor Plan Copyright Dispute

NAR's Amicus Brief on the Floor Plan Copyright Dispute

Our Sponsor:

Cloud CMA for Brokers