I’ll be moderating the MLS track (track 3) at Inman Connect in San Francisco on August 6th, and I hope you consider coming to participate as I think we’re going to explore some interesting topics.
Thursday, August 6, 2:00 pm – 2:45 pm
Discussion
From Listing Data to People Data: The Next Challenge in VOWs and MLS Consumer Sites
Bill Chee, President, Prudential Locations
Kathy Condon, CEO, MLSPIN
I heard Bill Chee speak at MLS Connection in Portland earlier this year, and he said something to the effect that he’s far more focused on people data today than listing data. Of course, the MLS has long been laser-focused on listing data, as it should, but the premise of this session is that the future of MLS has a lot more to do with people data than listing data. What are MLSs doing to leverage the people data they have for the benefit of their brokers and agents? What should they be doing? These are the core quesions we’ll be exploring in this session.
Thursday, August 6, 2:50 pm – 3:35 pm
Presentation
The Market Analytics Opportunity: How MLSs Can Conquer the Neighborhood
Mark Allen, CEO, Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors
Bob Bemis, CEO, Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service
Spencer Rascoff, COO, Zillow.com
I wrote about the challenge of neighborhoods awhile back, and so this topic is very exciting for me. MLSs have some of the best data on the real estate market and yet the analytics produced aren’t always helpful to consumers. I think one of the key reasons for this is that the geographic market boundaries are not well defined, and that a significant opportunity exists for MLSs to improve in this area.
This panel includes Mark Allen, CEO of the Minneapolis Area Association of REALTORS, who also recently launched 10k Research to help MLSs produce more consumer friendly analytics. Bob Bemis, CEO of ARMLS, also will be participating. ARMLS serves the Phoenix and surrounding market, and has worked closely with Mike Orr of the Cromford Report to integrate detailed analytics into the MLS system. Spencer Rascoff from Zillow also will be joining us. Spencer and Zillow have been focused on developing neighborhood level analytics for some time, and has become one of the go to voices for the media for trends in the real estate market. If that isn’t interesting to MLSs, I’m not sure what is.
Thursday, August 6, 3:40 pm – 4:25 pm
Debate
Agent Ratings: Truth, Consequences or Camouflage?
Bob Hale, CEO, Houston Association of Realtors
Glenn Kelman, CEO & President, Redfin
Bob Hale from the Houston Association of REALTORS recently launched agent ratings through the MLS, and the system has already generated some interesting discussions. Glenn Kelman from Redfin has been rating their own agents for some time. Hearing these two dynamic personalities discuss the merits of their respective rating systems should be one of the best events at Inman.
There’s more, too, but I’m most excited about these three sessions. I’m looking forward to learning and listening.
Brian, the first topic is more about people data (what are the people doiing on the system or click data) than listing data, and I don’t recall that topic being disxussed at Inman before in the context of MLSs. Regarding what Bill Chee and Kathy Condon or other panelists will say on the topic, I’m not entirely sure but one is a broker and the other is an MLS executive and so they’ll definitely have different perspectives. I know what you mean about panels where everyone agrees, because I’ve been on those and it’s painful, so I’m hoping this will not be that way or at least the topic will be informative on a new trend even if it isn’t controversial like listing data was.
Hi Michael
Looking forward to your sessions at Inman. I wonder if a representative from the RPR might be an interesting addition to the “people data” piece. NAR has stated in many forums they are collecting or icensing mounds of data on people and property. I realize that much of what they are contemplating is still in research/development but would also hope that sometime this year they start openly discussing the content they expect to provide.
Great idea, David, thanks! Brian Boero has been coordinating the panels and so I’ll mention it to him.
[...] my recent post describing the MLS track at Inman Connect on August 6, I wrote that “the future of MLS has a lot more to do with people data than listing [...]
9:28 am
Michael,
On the first topic, do you have any panelists who have disagreeing perspectives on this? I ask because for the past couple years, the panels at Inman that I have see on this topic have gone pretty much like this:
Panelist 1: “We really need to set the MLS data free. Agents need to catch up with the times and think about consumers first.”
Panelist 2: “I agree”
Panelist 3: “I agree”
Then it becomes a back and forth about how those agents just “don’t get it” and how the enlightened few have the obligation to make it happen anyway.
You know the questions and assumptions of the MLS data question better than anyone I have read online so I recommend you use that to have a panel that really brings out the complicated nuances of this question.