Listing Bits Greg Robertson

What do Willie Nelson and keeping real estate agents safe have in common?  You will have to listen to this great conversation with Tether RE founder Scott Martin to find out.
Did you know that in 2020 60,000 real estate agents reported being victims of assault, sexual abuse, robbery or were murdered in the US?  In 2023 over 75,000 real estate agents reported being victim of a crime.  And there are a ton of more incidents that go unreported.
In this wide ranging conversation with Scott Martin, a serial entrepreneur, we talk about where the idea came from, and the journey that got Scott here.  Trust me, it's a wild ride!
Join us for fun and entertaining conversation.
 
Reach Out:
Connect with Scott
Check out Tether RE
Our Sponsor:
Trackxi – Real Estate’s #1 Deal Tracker
Production and editing services by:
Sunbound Studios

I hope you enjoy this great conversation with the co-founders of HŌM, Jeff Zakrzewski and Nhan Vo.
In a wide ranging conversation we discuss their orgin story.  Where they came up for the idea of their app and the struggles of going to market with a real estate software solution.
If you are new vendor getting in to the space, an MLS exec, or franchisor professional its worth a listen. 
HŌM is a well designed app that is doing a lot of interesting things with data and collaboration with some great people behind it.
Join us!
 
Find out more about the HŌM experience
homagent.com | myhom.ai
 
Reach Out:
Connect with Jeff
Connect with Vo
 
Our Sponsor:
Trackxi - Real Estate's #1 Deal Tracker
 
Production and editing services by:
Sunbound Studios

"Hotel California", is one of the phrases people attribute to the organized real estate industry, "you can can check-out any time you like, but you can never leave". Kelly Robinson is an industry pioneer in that she co-founded a software company, Realty Plus Online, that created one of the first web-based MLS systems. In my conversation with Kelly we talked about the old days, her journey, and what brings her back to organized real estate game. It's a fun conversation between old friends and talks about the challenges of the MLS vendor business.

The verdict against NAR in the Sitzer lawsuit has organized real estate up in arms.
But Michael Lissack thinks the decision is the best thing to happen to the industry in 100 years.
In fact, he sees the trade association as a criminal enterprise with little value beyond MLS access.
Michael is Managing Broker for The Virtual Realty Group, a 100% commission brokerage that operates in 12 states. 
On this episode of Listing Bits, Michael joins Greg to discuss the real issue behind the lawsuits against NAR and describe what he would do to make buyer’s agent commission negotiable.
Michael explains why it’s necessary to decouple the MLS from NAR membership and how that would likely lead to bankruptcy for the trade association.
Listen in for Michael’s provocative take on why associations don’t deserve a way forward in a world where MLS access is open to anyone with a real estate license.
 
What’s Discussed:  
The real issue behind the lawsuits against NAR and several real estate brokerages
What Michael would do to make buyer’s agent commission negotiable
Why the DOJ takes issue with mandatory membership in NAR for MLS access
How decoupling the MLS from NAR would impact everyday REALTORS
What decoupling the MLS from NAR membership would do to the trade association (and what NAR might do to demonstrate its value and rebuild)
What it would take to decouple local, state and NAR membership
Why Michael believes a real estate license should be the only requirement for MLS access
Running MLSs as not-for-profit organizations vs. for-profit entities
Greg’s thoughts on providing a way forward for associations by compensating them for the work of building the MLS
Why bankruptcy might be apt for associations who don’t provide value beyond MLS access
 
Connect with Michael Lissack:
Michael.Travel
Michael on LinkedIn
 
Resources:
Sitzer v. NAR
Michael’s LinkedIn Post
 
Our Sponsors:
Trackxi

In 2020 Ben knew they needed to make a change.  So he went to the Black Knight board and made a pitch, “give me the resources to build a modern MLS system”.  To his surprise, they said yes. Now, 3 years later, that dream has been realized.
His dream was a mobile-first MLS platform that understands the history of how MLS platforms operate but offers a modern user experience.
That’s exactly what Ben Graboske and Lucie Fortier are working on, and their new product, Paragon Connect, is ready for its close up.
Ben is President of Data & Analytics and Lucie is Executive Vice President of MLS Solutions at Intercontinental Exchange or ICE, the financial services firm that bought Black Knight in September 2023.
On this episode of Listing Bits, Ben and Lucie join Greg to discuss ICE’s history of digitizing complex transactions and explain why its acquisition of Black Knight makes sense.
Lucie shares her motivation for joining the team at Intercontinental Exchange, and Ben describes how ICE’s resources benefit his department in the development of Paragon Connect.
Listen in to understand what differentiates Paragon Connect from other MLS vendors and learn how it simplifies the agent experience by providing an entire MLS platform on both a responsive and native app.
 
What’s Discussed:  
 
ICE’s history of digitizing complicated transactions and why its acquisition of Black Knight makes sense
How being an MLS vendor supports ICE’s vision for making mortgages easier
Lucie’s journey to joining the ICE team and how technology drives her career decisions
What features differentiate Paragon Connect from other MLS vendors
Why Ben’s team decided not to change Paragon’s name (despite offering an entirely new experience)
How Paragon Connect provides an entire MLS platform in a native app experience
The talented team of designers behind Paragon Connect
How Ben’s team benefits from ICE’s data assets and information security
Lucie’s approach to transitioning existing users to Paragon Connect
How Paragon is introducing a consumer app in Q1 of 2024
Why the rules around marketing to members need to change in an MLS system-of-choice model
What makes Paragon Connect ‘the MLS platform of the future’
 
Connect with Ben Graboske & Lucie Fortier:

Intercontinental Exchange
Ben on LinkedIn
Lucie on LinkedIn
Email lucie.fortier@bkfs.com 
 
Resources:

ICE Acquisition of Black Knight
Paragon Connect Demo
Damien Huze on Listing Bits EP85
Paragon Connect on Vendor Alley
 
Our Sponsors:

Trackxi
 

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