Listing Bits

Listing Bits EP085: A Less, But Better Approach to Real Estate Software Design – with Damien Huze of Lone Wolf Technologies   Among Dieter Rams’ Ten Principles of Design is the idea that good design is as little design as possible.   Less, but better.   And Damien Huze believes that the next evolution of real estate software will apply this concept, offering fewer high-quality apps that work together in a fluid system.   Damien is Senior Design Manager and Principal Designer at Lone Wolf Technologies, a software company working to build an end-to-end solution for real estate.   Damien served as Chief Design Officer at W+R studios before the Lone Wolf acquisition, and he is responsible for the design of Cloud CMA, one of the most popular apps in real estate.   On this episode of Listing Bits, Damien explains how making design a priority benefits companies building web-based apps and why he defines design as a skill aimed at problem-solving.   Damien describes how Lone Wolf is working to combine the tools of proptech into a single streamlined experience and shares his team’s user-centric approach to the problem of simplifying real estate.   Listen in for insight on the power of relentless focus and learn about Damien’s vision for designing real estate software that delivers more with less.     What’s Discussed:   What Damien learned from growing up with creative parents who immigrated to the US How making design a priority benefits companies building web-based apps (and why so few do it) How Damien thinks about design as a skill aimed at problem-solving What Lone Wolf is doing to bring several real estate apps together in a single end-to-end solution Why Damien believes the next evolution in real estate software is ‘less but better’ Lone Wolf’s upcoming announcement at the T3 Technology Summit What it means for good software to have an opinion vs. being too flexible or customizable How Damien’s team brings a user-centric, design thinking approach to simplifying real estate  Greg and Damien’s take on the advantage of simple tools that get the job done The well-designed product that’s had the biggest impact on Damien’s life Why relentless focus boosts productivity and how Damien applies that tenet to design   Connect with Damien Huze: Lone Wolf Technologies Damien on X Damien on LinkedIn   Resources: Dieter Rams’ 10 Principles of Good Design T3 Technology Summit Starlink FaceTime on Apple TV Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson    Our Sponsors: Trackxi

In 2021, Vijay Gopalswamy’s real estate business was growing like gangbusters. And at one point, he had 32 active transactions.   Which meant Vijay was spending every morning with his team, going over each transaction and asking, ‘Did you send this? Did you follow up with that? Did this contract get signed?’   But when he looked at the “transaction management” software on the market, Vijay realized that it was built for brokerages, not agents.   So, he set out to solve his own problem.   Vijay is Cofounder and CEO of Trackxi, a deal tracking software platform that helps agents visualize the next step in each transaction and provides full transparency for the consumer.   On this episode of Listing Bits, Vijay discusses his successful career in mechanical engineering and explains how he became an accidental real estate agent.   Vijay describes what differentiates Trackxi from other transaction management solutions and how it serves teams, transaction coordinators and new agents.   Listen in for insight around the visual nature of Trackxi’s tracking system and find out how the app can help you demonstrate your value prop with clients and grow your real estate business!   What’s Discussed:     How Vijay moved to the US to pursue his Master’s in mechanical engineering Vijay’s successful 20-year career in engineering, finance and sales with Daimler How Vijay became an accidental real estate agent How the challenge of managing 32 open transactions inspired Vijay to build Trackxi The advantage of a dedicated app that does one or two things well Why Trackxi is a deal tracking software platform (vs. transaction management tool) What differentiates Trackxi from other transaction management tools  How Trackxi serves teams, transaction coordinators and new agents How Trackxi’s tracking system provides transparency around the agent’s value  How Trackxi’s visual dashboard delivers a State of the Union of an agent’s business What to expect from Trackxi’s hands-on onboarding process   Connect with Vijay Gopalswamy:   Trackxi Email vijay@trackxi.com  Vijay on LinkedIn   Resources:   Trackxi Review in Inman The Close Picks for Best Transaction Management Software for 2023   Our Sponsors:   Trackxi

MLSs and associations face an issue Nick Gough refers to as RDR, an acronym for REALTORS don’t read.    So, what can these organizations do to communicate more effectively with the members they serve?    Nick is Founder and CEO at NoteRouter, the all-in-one email and texting platform designed to help organized real estate achieve record-high member engagement.   On this episode of Listing Bits, Nick shares his experience in leadership of associations and MLSs, explaining how it drove him to build NoteRouter.   Nick describes how NoteRouter helps users write content that connects with REALTORS individually and discusses why the presentation of your message matters as much as the value you provide.   Listen in for Nick’s insight on leveraging influencer marketing to reach more REALTORS and learn how to humanize your outreach by focusing on the real pains your members face.   What’s Discussed:     Why Nick dropped out of college and became a real estate agent at 18 Nick’s experience in leadership of associations and MLSs and how it drove him to build NoteRouter How NoteRouter solves the problem of member engagement  Using email and text outreach to help associations and MLSs connect with the people they serve How NoteRouter helps users write content that connects with REALTORS individually Why presentation matters just as much as the value you provide NoteRouter’s expertise in outbound communication through email service and telecom providers Why NoteRouter is designed around the principle of permission-based marketing Why it’s crucial for MLSs and associations to learn influencer marketing The relationship between email open rates and subject lines The benefit of humanizing your outreach and focusing on real pains members face How the latest MLS outage impacted Nick and the team at NoteRouter   Connect with Nick Gough: NoteRouter Nick on LinkedIn Email nick@noterouter.com    Resources: Seth Godin The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcom Gladwell   Our Sponsor: Cloud CMA for Brokers

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 laurenm@rentspree.com 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 betsy@themarkt.com   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 wes@showingly.com   Resources: ShowingTime Showing Hub TourZazz   Our Sponsor: Cloud CMA for Brokers