No sooner did we get back from the Board Retreats then we were off to the OAR conference. This conference had top notch speakers including an opportunity to meet and ask questions of Jari Askins. Congratulations to the Oklahoma REALTOR® of the Year, Dennis Nevius, of EAR!
At the conference luncheon, our state EVP Lisa Yates, announced her resignation after a decade of service to the Oklahoma real estate community. Lisa will be very missed. She will be staying on through the next legislative session. If you have the opportunity, please thank Lisa for the tireless service she has given every REALTOR® in Oklahoma.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Board Retreat and Other Things
OKCMAR & MLSOK held a join retreat earlier this month. While I need to take all my notes and put them on paper I do have a solid idea of what the plan is for 2011. Several focus groups were held prior to the retreat. Thank you to all who participated! This helped to give us an environmental scan to work with. Overwhelming all groups believed the market would stay consistent with what it is now for the next year. The Frank-Dodd bill will force changes by January in how we do business which will affect forms as well as financing and appraisal. I urge all of you who read the blog to emphasize with your colleagues how important it will be to read the weekly e-blasts and message of the day in the year ahead.
OKCMAR's focus this year will be communication channels with the membership. As staff we spend a lot of time communicating through different channels in hopes to reach the majority of membership. Currently, OKCMAR members receive information through the weekly blast, website, MLS message of the day, networking events, post cards, quarterly magazine, facebook, twitter, texts and this blog. What we learned is that this is not enough effort to reach most of you. We will now look not to channel diversification but group segmentation. We will revise our communications to tailor messages to specific groups: New Member, General Audience, Commercial, Single Ownership Brokerage, Multiple or Franchise Ownership Brokerages, RPAC Investors & Top Producers. You will see in January the eblast going out monthly versus weekly with timely single audience messages regarding important information.
Education will focus on segmented needs versus a ton of classes with limited attendance. Expect to see a more varied educational effort with less focus on CE- although the core CE classes will still be available each quarter. OKCMAR has pruned its Quality of Life Initiative to hone in on the private property rights segment. The consensus was that OKCMAR should focus its activities not on public/consumer outreach but on informing and educating the membership. In 2011 there will be more focus groups and outreach to the appraisal and lending community to ensure that the groups are working together to overcome massive legislative changes in how we do business due to the Frank-Dodd bill. Our public outreach will be concentrated through a C-4 where we will reach out to the entire real estate community. Again much effort will be spent raising dollars for RPAC.
Networking will also be segmented with the two large conferences serving the general audience and smaller networking opportunities by membership segments. The luncheons will be audience targeted.
We will look to expand our affiliate network as well.
In MLS, the message of the day will be revamped. A consensus was no new tools in the MLS and increase communication about what is available. There was discussion of field changes and the need to work together with the lending and appraisal community. More training will be moved to online. The CIE will work to bring together the commercial community. Smaller broker segmented informational meetings about MLS offerings and law changes. In conjunction with OKCMAR the broker support services will be taken up a notch or three! Also in the works a comprehensive review of the Rules & Regulations to ensure that rules align with local market practice. Through the broker blasts we hope to give the brokers the tools to address legislative changes at their staff meetings.
OKCMAR's focus this year will be communication channels with the membership. As staff we spend a lot of time communicating through different channels in hopes to reach the majority of membership. Currently, OKCMAR members receive information through the weekly blast, website, MLS message of the day, networking events, post cards, quarterly magazine, facebook, twitter, texts and this blog. What we learned is that this is not enough effort to reach most of you. We will now look not to channel diversification but group segmentation. We will revise our communications to tailor messages to specific groups: New Member, General Audience, Commercial, Single Ownership Brokerage, Multiple or Franchise Ownership Brokerages, RPAC Investors & Top Producers. You will see in January the eblast going out monthly versus weekly with timely single audience messages regarding important information.
Education will focus on segmented needs versus a ton of classes with limited attendance. Expect to see a more varied educational effort with less focus on CE- although the core CE classes will still be available each quarter. OKCMAR has pruned its Quality of Life Initiative to hone in on the private property rights segment. The consensus was that OKCMAR should focus its activities not on public/consumer outreach but on informing and educating the membership. In 2011 there will be more focus groups and outreach to the appraisal and lending community to ensure that the groups are working together to overcome massive legislative changes in how we do business due to the Frank-Dodd bill. Our public outreach will be concentrated through a C-4 where we will reach out to the entire real estate community. Again much effort will be spent raising dollars for RPAC.
Networking will also be segmented with the two large conferences serving the general audience and smaller networking opportunities by membership segments. The luncheons will be audience targeted.
We will look to expand our affiliate network as well.
In MLS, the message of the day will be revamped. A consensus was no new tools in the MLS and increase communication about what is available. There was discussion of field changes and the need to work together with the lending and appraisal community. More training will be moved to online. The CIE will work to bring together the commercial community. Smaller broker segmented informational meetings about MLS offerings and law changes. In conjunction with OKCMAR the broker support services will be taken up a notch or three! Also in the works a comprehensive review of the Rules & Regulations to ensure that rules align with local market practice. Through the broker blasts we hope to give the brokers the tools to address legislative changes at their staff meetings.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Live from the Conference- Brian Boero!
I have about 10% battery left so hopefully I can capture this in real time. If not, I will take notes and transfer on to the blog. Sites, Apps and Ideas to Spark your Vision. Boero says we are in a standoff- Broker/Tech Vendor/MLS and while we are fighting it out the consumer is moving on and the person laying on the floor is the agent. How do we move from value proposition to a value-added proposition?
The Iphone ripped the control of the phone experience from the carriers and left them in the dust, We need to make sure that someone/something doesn't rip the MLS experience away from us; the brokers, vendor techs and MLS's. Here is a site to check out Airbnb (property merchandising).Make it easy for the vendor to innovate in our platform. Data standards is the way to make innovation happen. The noise of technology and the internal politics of Broker vs. MLS is holding back technology.
MLS must start communicating clearly. Members do not understand what MLS staff does and what MLS tools are available and what they can help them with. Email clearly and execute well. Start sending out Tips/ Intelligence Bits versus "News".
Chimpadeedoo- for Ipad- sign up for newsletters
Yammer- Set up your own facebook within your own organization
Quora- Q&A Site about neighborhoods- leverage the information REALTORS possess within the MLS platform
Opzi- Knowledge Base Platform.
Factual- Free API about 14million points of interest in the USA- enhance your data
Vyoo.it- Create mobile optimized listing flyer for every property
ListGlobally- advertise your listings around the world (syndication)
Dropbox- cloud based document storage
Create an experience- Do the members feel good about themselves and feel good about the association/MLSOK when they are interacting with the MLS? I am out of battery so will post now and update later....
The Iphone ripped the control of the phone experience from the carriers and left them in the dust, We need to make sure that someone/something doesn't rip the MLS experience away from us; the brokers, vendor techs and MLS's. Here is a site to check out Airbnb (property merchandising).Make it easy for the vendor to innovate in our platform. Data standards is the way to make innovation happen. The noise of technology and the internal politics of Broker vs. MLS is holding back technology.
MLS must start communicating clearly. Members do not understand what MLS staff does and what MLS tools are available and what they can help them with. Email clearly and execute well. Start sending out Tips/ Intelligence Bits versus "News".
Chimpadeedoo- for Ipad- sign up for newsletters
Yammer- Set up your own facebook within your own organization
Quora- Q&A Site about neighborhoods- leverage the information REALTORS possess within the MLS platform
Opzi- Knowledge Base Platform.
Factual- Free API about 14million points of interest in the USA- enhance your data
Vyoo.it- Create mobile optimized listing flyer for every property
ListGlobally- advertise your listings around the world (syndication)
Dropbox- cloud based document storage
Create an experience- Do the members feel good about themselves and feel good about the association/MLSOK when they are interacting with the MLS? I am out of battery so will post now and update later....
What Do Brokers Want from Their MLS
From Clariety Consulting Live Presentation at the CMLS (They interviewed the top 900 brokerage firms in the USA)
MLS Consumer facing website- pretty much even split
Sold data on consumer facing website- 78% of the nation's brokers are opposed to it
60% do not want sold data to be available in IDX for brokers' websites
Are they in favor of MLS listing syndication 53% support
Broker rating of MLS's who syndicate -80% believe MLS's are doing a good job at syndication
42% of brokers support the RPR initiative 26% undecided with 42% against- again a pretty even split
Data licensing to Move.com who would display off market data- 52% oppose
How satisfied are you with RETS -- 40% satisfied
Dot.MLS are you in favor of this initiative- 80% opposed
Are you satisfied with the current pace of MLS consolidations 51% yes 49% no
How many MLS's would you like to see five years from now:
1- 15%
Several Multi-state MLS's 32%
Adjoining MSA MLS's 18%
A few hundred 20%
The current number we have now 14%
86% want some MLS consolidation
If you had a chance to tell your MLS CEO what you wanted what would you say:
( he stated there were a lot but he only read the top ones- see below)
Rename the MLS
Do not get trapped by NAR into a long term deal with no revenue
NAR needs to strongly urge MLS consolidation
I dislike that my brokerage charges $6000 annually for an IDX feed (not a typo- $6000!)
What would you like to tell me? The leadership and the staff are listening- feel free to comment here on this forum
MLS Consumer facing website- pretty much even split
Sold data on consumer facing website- 78% of the nation's brokers are opposed to it
60% do not want sold data to be available in IDX for brokers' websites
Are they in favor of MLS listing syndication 53% support
Broker rating of MLS's who syndicate -80% believe MLS's are doing a good job at syndication
42% of brokers support the RPR initiative 26% undecided with 42% against- again a pretty even split
Data licensing to Move.com who would display off market data- 52% oppose
How satisfied are you with RETS -- 40% satisfied
Dot.MLS are you in favor of this initiative- 80% opposed
Are you satisfied with the current pace of MLS consolidations 51% yes 49% no
How many MLS's would you like to see five years from now:
1- 15%
Several Multi-state MLS's 32%
Adjoining MSA MLS's 18%
A few hundred 20%
The current number we have now 14%
86% want some MLS consolidation
If you had a chance to tell your MLS CEO what you wanted what would you say:
( he stated there were a lot but he only read the top ones- see below)
Rename the MLS
Do not get trapped by NAR into a long term deal with no revenue
NAR needs to strongly urge MLS consolidation
I dislike that my brokerage charges $6000 annually for an IDX feed (not a typo- $6000!)
What would you like to tell me? The leadership and the staff are listening- feel free to comment here on this forum
7 Timeless Skills for Any REALTOR®
I have learned that success in life and in business often hinges on paying attention to the basics. I am at the CMLS conference and while it is very good a lot of the presentations seem to be about chasing the next "NEW" thing. At the Swanpoel presentation I saw how technology is moving more quickly and I could see how each generation has created and used one central thing until it becomes mainstream. For example, before the laptop or even Dell was created I paid almost $4000 to have a computer built (Yes that is how it was done in the early 90's) for my business. Today you can buy them for under $400 and laptops now at that range too. Because computers became mainstream, companies and the public profited from the economies of scale. Swanpoel tells us that computers will soon be obsolete and the cell phone will become the world's primary computing device. I have watched several presentations of the latest and greatest this week and thought it was appropriate to remind everyone that while technology is essential, the newest neat toy or application can not replace the very basics of the real estate business. Things like introducing yourself and following up on every lead. NAR realeased this article today- please make sure you are paying attention to the building blocks of our business as well as the spinning tops and flashing lights. Read the Article
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