Here is a confession you do not expect to hear from the person running an MLS. Angie Baker is Vice President of MIBOR's Broker Listing Cooperative, and she will tell you flat out that she has no idea how her own agents are searching for homes. "It's completely locked away," she says. Sit with that for a second, because the whole episode unfolds from it. Katie Smithson and Angie have known each other a long time and are picking at a problem nobody else seems to be naming. Angie has done it all since 2005: MLS staff, trainer, broker, agent, and that history is exactly why this admission carries weight. She is not on the outside looking in. She is on the inside, realizing the inside cannot see what it most needs to see. So she sets out to fix it, and that is where it gets good. There is the data that portals collect, and then there is the data agents are quietly sitting on, the stuff that comes from real conversations with real buyers. Her point is that the MLS has spent decades perfecting the supply side, the listings, while demand still lives in scattered texts, calls, and saved searches. Angie has a sharp take on why one kind of data is worth far more than the other, and once she lays it out, you start to see the whole marketplace differently. There is also a change MIBOR made that started as one small idea and ended up surfacing things people had been hiding for years. They call it collaborative closing, and it pulls the buyer's agent into the part of the deal they actually know firsthand. It caught agents off guard. It caught Angie off guard. And the biggest benefit was not even the one she built it for. You will want to hear how that one plays out. Here are the key takeaways: (4:11) Why the MLS can’t only be about listings (6:48) The closing data problem hiding in plain sight (9:36) How collaborative closing creates the handoff (11:32) Giving buyer agents ownership in the record (16:27) Catching mistakes before they become complaints (23:00) The buyer demand data MLSs still can’t see (27:26) Why agent searches reveal real buyer needs (35:03) Keeping the MLS focused on the marketplace (38:33) Bringing buyer intent into the MLS workflow If you work anywhere near this space, this is the conversation to catch early, before the rest of the industry figures out what Angie already has. Press play and hear where she thinks the whole marketplace goes next. About Angie Baker Angie Baker is the Vice President of BLC® at MIBOR, where she supports member technology, training, policy, data integrity, and member experience. She has worked in the MLS industry since 2004, with experience across technology, training, brokerage, and agent support. Before her current role, Angie also worked as a REALTOR® in West Virginia, giving her a direct understanding of agent workflows. Her work focuses on using MLS technology to support brokers, agents, and the marketplace. Connect with Angie: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/angie-baker-60875265/ About Katie Smithson Katie Smithson is a long-time veteran of the real estate industry with a history of MLS relationship management and product innovation. In her most recent role, Katie was Chief Revenue Officer for California Regional MLS (CRMLS), directing revenue operations and ensuring proper communication and collaboration between all of CRMLS’s revenue-generating departments. In addition, she has also served as a NAR REACH mentor, board member for the Council of MLS with a CMLX 1 certification, and RESO Board Secretary. Connect with Katie: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiemsmithson/ Disclaimer This podcast is for informational purposes only and features opinions, perspectives, and candid discussions about real estate technology and the broader industry. It is not intended as legal, financial, business, or other professional advice. Listeners should consult qualified professionals regarding their specific circumstances.
