Author Archive

From Threewide today.  Thanks for the additional Q&A guys. Why did Move® acquire ListHub/Threewide? Move® identified syndication as a core part in the future of helping brokerages with their online marketing strategy.  ListHub is the industry leading platform for real estate syndication and provider of market intelligence that quantify the results of online marketing. Move® recently received NAR consent to syndicate listings in accordance with each data content provider’s permission and instructions, and syndication under the ListHub brand is as an excellent... [Read more]

My team has been involved with the important initiative known as .MLS (pronounced “DotMLS”).   .MLS is an exclusive address on the internet for MLSs.  It will be managed by the MLS Domains Association, a non-profit association. Only genuine MLSs will be able to join the association and claim .MLS domain names.  It’s a way for MLSs to Take Back the term ‘MLS’ on the internet. Visit the About Page on mlsdomains.org to see the 40 MLSs that have already joined the association and the domain names claimed so far.  These leaders represent... [Read more]

In the last article, we talked about the need for organizations to identify who they really are and to develop a business model. Again, Focus Forward sees this as an important component of an organization’s survival strategy in a rapidly shifting world. Too often, Realtor associations are unclear about who they are and what they do. They adopt mission statements that sound a lot like every other Realtor organization, containing phrases like ‘protect private property rights’ and ‘high ethical standards’. A clear mission statement should be memorable and compelling,... [Read more]

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The first step in any association or MLS strategic planning process is to develop a clear picture of the organizational identity of the group.  This is not an easy process: just as when we first meet a new person in our lives, forming a clear image is a multi-step process. The first step is in the initial impression.  It’s superficial, of course, and based on appearance, speech, and mannerisms.  Often these impressions are significant clues to a deeper understanding, but more often than not, we find ourselves misled in our first analysis: the quiet person is really... [Read more]

Focus Forward welcomes you to the first in a series of blog posts on strategic planning for real estate associations and Multiple Listing Services (MLSs).  Weekly posts are aimed at assisting you, the leaders of real estate organizations, including staff and volunteer leadership. We work with the leaders of real estate associations and MLSs, who are at risk due to the “big shift” taking place in the industry and we show them how to create their own blueprint for a thriving MLS business by being of much greater service to their members and consumers. Kevin... [Read more]

Kevin McQueen, President of Focus Forward and Aldy Keene, founder of the Loyalty Research Center (LRC), have developed a REALTOR® Association Performance, Improvement & Deployment solution designed to strengthen the relationship between REALTOR® Associations and their members. The solution starts by measuring member satisfaction and loyalty and includes action-planning and deployment based on the research study findings. This is an excellent way to begin your upcoming planning sessions this year. We understand that consumer and member expectations are constantly... [Read more]

Here are four questions that matter to most leaders in the real estate industry right now. Thanks to everyone for your interest and positive feedback about EMMS or Effective MLS Market Solutions.   The program is designed to help Association and MLS Execs and leadership answer 4 questions that matter: 1.  How can we reduce our operating expenses by working together? 2.  How well do our current services meet our customers’ business needs? 3.  How do our services compare with others in our market and across the country? 4.  What should we do to help our brokers... [Read more]

Brian Larson and Kevin McQueen are very excited to introduce a new program. We call it Effective MLS Market Solutions or EMMS for short. EMMS The Effective MLS Market Solutions program will help MLS organizations by providing them with objective market analysis and identifying options for them to deliver more effective services to their brokers.  At the conclusion of the EMMS program, you’ll meet with our independent consultants and receive an MLS Market Report laying out the results. This is a fresh new approach to addressing the challenges that many MLSs and their... [Read more]

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