Time to Bid Farewell

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.

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.

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....

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

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

Need a little motivation?

Check out what you may be missing if you don't attend the SRS Course

Congrats to the New 2011 Directors!

This year we smashed election voting records! Electronic voting really has opened up the process to many more members than we have had in the past. Our new directors are Art Kastener, Nels Pederson, Shelly Pryor & Kelly Willis. This is a lot of talent and diversified strengths coming into our board!

As you may be aware we have moved to 3year terms with groups of 4 directors being added each year. Your 2011 directors will be President Steve Mann, Past-President Dave Moeller, Bill Bateman, Cindy Cheatwood, Gigi Faulkner,  Barbara Harris,Ryan Hukill, Jennifer Johnson, Art Kastner, Lorma Koeninger, Mike Malone, Nels Pederson Shelly Pryor & Kelli Willis.

We will not know who will be President-Elect, Vice President & Secretary-Treasurer, Affiliate Seat & RCA Seat until those positions are nominated and voted on. RCA seat is filled when the RCA has their elections later this month.

I am very happy again with the diversity on our board, we have small, midsize and large brokerages, a large independent, and several franchises are represented: Coldwell Banker, Prudential Alliance Real Estate, RE/MAX & Keller Williams. Our representatives stretch from Edmond, NW OKC, South OKC, Piedmont to Yukon.

2011 will be a great year!

Make Every Dollar You Pay in Dues and Fees Count!!

For the life of me I do not understand why every member would not want to squeeze every possible benefit and monetary rebate from their dues and fees available to them! One of the core tenets of our existence as an association is that we are sworn to uphold and promote the professional standards of our industry. It is a part of our corporate charter and we must report those activities on our IRS 990. MLSOK, although a for profit entity, also works to return any profit generated back to the members in tools and services. MLSOK underwrites many of the conference activities as a means to rebate the members while assisting OKCMAR in  achieving the requirements of our corporate charter and non-profit status. Only $125 of your REALTOR® dues stays at OKCMAR- the rest are sent to the Oklahoma Assn of REALTORS® (state) and the National Assn of REALTORS® (national). That is $10.25 cents per month per OKCMAR member.

By sponsoring conference events, MLSOK can promote the industry that supports it. Many of our educational opportunities are free, including past conferences. This year OKCMAR is requiring a $69 enrollment fee for the two days of the conference.  $60 covers the cost of two luncheons charged by the Reed Center. $9 of each registration goes to the hotel for some of the usage fee. Included in the conference are breakfast and afternoon snack breaks and the cost of the expo which features free appetizers and cocktail service.

So the entrance fee covers your meals and beverages. The actual conference and all of its incredible information, education and networking opportunities is in essence completely free and your dues and fees dollars at work! The conference is bringing in national speakers, Janelle Odishoo, who will teach you how to make all that social media activity a profit center, Marsha Petrie Sue who will share the secrets of success to running your own small business, and local, but nationally reknown, motivational and inspirational speaker, Stan Toler who will inspire you and propel your business to the next level!

Joyce Painter is offering the residential Green Designation Elective Course and Dr. Bart Binning the Commercial Green Elective Course. Dan Sight will be teaching the commercial CE course, Financial Analysis and Melynn Sight will be teaching the CE course Writing for Real Estate which is applicable to all REALTORS regardless of specialty. Kristi Randall is offering her extremely popular CE Class, I Hate Math. In addition there are two showing assist labs with Kathleen Forester of Showing Assist, CIE labs for the commercial practioner and learning how to set up a blog. Bring your laptops and follow along.

But that is just the beginning! Various committees are presenting 45 minutes Quick Learns about pertinent real estate issues such as FHA requirements and going paperless and how to invest for retirement. There are also several panel discussions covering financing and title insurance requirements. WOW! My head is spinning! Investing a small amount for your meals and squeezing every benefit out of what you already are paying. How could anyone not want to register for this event?

Still not convinced at how worthwhile your attendance will be to your career? The two luncheons are all about you, the member! The first day is the OKCMAR election luncheon and the second day is the Awards luncheon where outstanding OKCMAR members will be recognized for their achievements in innovation, leadership and RPAC committment.

Register Today by clicking here....

How does the HWC Rule affect you?

I have received a few calls over the last couple of weeks requesting that OKCMAR comment about the recent addition to the Rules and Regulations pertaining to the new HUD statement about RESPA and their summary regarding Home Warranty Companies’ payments to Real Estate Brokers and Agents.

After reading the information, I find it broadly open to interpretation, with specifics that deal with a lot of probability and what if’s.

Needless to say, it would be extremely difficult for the OKCMAR Board to render a suggested course of action with this issue, for a number of reasons.

Firstly, it is a RESPA issue, which means it is a Federal Government issue.

Secondly, HUD’s interpretive rule does offer some examples of services that it regards as potentially compensable.

The HWC Rule was open for public comment through July 26th 2010, and any comment OKCMAR would offer at this point will be disqualified as outside the timeline. However, because RESPA is a federal ruling, your National Association of REALTORS® did submit a comment to the ruling and is working hard on your behalf. This is exactly where your RPAC dollars become so important to the industry. To read NAR's comment on the ruling click here:
http://www.realtor.org/wps/wcm/connect/3eaf0480434e6a36870b87b0e53c74b2/gov_aff_respa_hwc_letter_072210.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CACHEID=3eaf0480434e6a36870b87b0e53c74b2

Confused yet? I urge you to read the rule at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-15355.pdf to come up with your own interpretation.

The best thing to do for us, the REALTOR®, is to consult with your Broker to determine how your Company views this legislation.