Click here to read John’s interview

I recently saw the 2012 Academy award winning best picture, “The Artist”, and I couldn’t help but see many similarities between the movie and the real estate industry.  It’s a great story about change and what happens to those in the world who resist it.

Consider the character George Valentin, who is in the prime of his life and his career.  He is popular; he is loved by all. His movies are always big hits.  Everything is going his way.  Isn’t this like MLS’s several years ago before the Internet and consumer’s access to information?  Realtors had exclusive access to the the best information.  MLS’s were profitable and growing.  They were in the prime of their business lives.

Then, something changes.  In George’s case, in The Artist, technology has evolved to allow talking movies and a new, younger star, Peppy Miller, who George mentored, is stepping into his shoes.  But, Valentin doesn’t want to believe that this change is anything that will last.  He doesn’t see or acknowledge that consumers will be interested in this new technology.  Wasn’t that the same in the real estate industry?  Consumers, combined with available technology, are driving change.  But some MLS’s and real estate Associations don’t want to see it or acknowledge their need to change with the times.  In Valentin’s situation, he decides to go it alone and produce his own silent film, using his own money.  He thinks he is unbeatable and so famous that the public will be drawn to him in spite of technology.  Silent films will never lose their appeal, especially when he is the star.  In the real estate industry, many MLS’s and associations decide to go it alone.  They say, “we are unique, we are different and our customers will stick with us because we have the best data.”   They think status quo is the best strategy.

But what happens to people, companies and industries when they don’t change with the times?  Look at George Valentin in The Artist.  He goes bankrupt, his wife leaves him and he has to auction all his possessions just to survive.  Compare this to the real estate industry.  Many boards and MLS’s are doing everything they can to hang onto their clients and reduce their costs.  Some are avoiding changing with the times and giving consumers what they want.  In their minds, the customers are Realtors, not consumers.  But what they don’t see is the consumer will ultimately get their way.  Boards and MLS’s can only cut expenses so much.  George Valentin only has so many possessions to auction.  Without another revenue stream, he is finished.  Times are desperate for George. Similarly, times are desperate for many MLSs and associations in our industry.

When Valentin awakens from surviving a terrible fire in his apartment, he finds himself being cared for by Peppy.  She’s the one who has cared for him; she’s the one who kept him alive.  Aren’t some MLS’s and boards staying alive because of some new technology?  It has helped prolong the life of the organizations, but is it really a cure?  In George’s case, Peppy tries to offer him a part in her new movie, a talking part.  But George is not a talking actor.  When he later finds out that she is the one who purchased all of his possession in the auction, his ego cannot handle it and he is pushed to the edge.  He is about to attempt suicide when Peppy finds him.  Many MLSs and boards are at the end of their ropes.  They are struggling to survive and don’t know what to do.

In the movie, the answer is collaboration.  The old and the new can find a way to work together.  They can find what each is uniquely qualified to do and reinvent themselves.  They can give the public what it wants in a way that is better than working separately.  Through collaboration, everyone wins.  When Peppy and George decide to dance and sing together, they see that it combines the best of both of their talents and provides a new kind of entertainment—musicals.  When MLSs,boards and brokers trust one another and work together,  they can not only give their paying customers what they want, they can also give consumers what they’ve been asking for.  Collaboration, not competition, will move our industry forward in current times.  Times will always change, but only those who embrace change and reinvent themselves along with the change will survive.

We can see evidence of increasing collaboration in our industry.  In states like Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, South Carolina, Alabama, North Carolina and Washington, leaders are looking for ways to work together for the good of their customers and consumers whom they server.  The roadmap to success is quite clear and the true leaders in these states know they can do more when they collaborate.  Are you managing your demise?  What are you doing to prepare for your future right now?

And, what about the dog, Uggie?  Uggie is the one who points George in the right direction.  He’s the one who saves George’s life when he gets the policeman to come to the burning apartment.  He’s the one who shows George where his possessions are in Peppy’s house.  He’s like one who gently guides George and stays by his side.  I’m Uggie and I am on your side, hoping to guide you through the change by collaborating, where everyone wins.  Let’s talk in Washington DC. next month. (248) 982-1799 or kevin@kevinmcqueen.com

The one key point that if I could go back and change is that I would have hired Kevin to be the Program Manager for the actual implementation of the consolidation of the MLS’s

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Stale Listings. So here is what I believe.  We are all in this together and we must take action to fix the problems with stale listings being published in mass. Everyone wants complete, accurate and timely data — brokers and agents want it, MLSs, website operators and consumers.  The source of the best stuff comes from the MLS.  One way or another, this will get fixed in the end.  I believe that leading MLSs are preparing to take control of this for all the right reasons.  They will define their requirements and terms of engagement and enter into direct agreements with the most productive website operators or publishers.

Direct Relationships.  By having a direct relationship, MLS leaders will have more control of the data and where it is sent.  They will require certain feedback and tracking information from the publishers in a useable format  - of significant value to brokers who will determine if they want to continue sharing listings with each publisher based on the value proposition and ROI.  Through direct relationships, MLSs will mitigate potential risks associated with ongoing changes and business models.  This is all possible when MLSs have more control through direct relationships.

MLS Sourced. Further, I believe that consumers (and all of us) need a consistent way to recognize that a listing is sourced directly from the MLS and an awareness campaign to educate consumers and everyone else on where the best listings come from.  I applaud Point2, Homes.com, CMLS and most recently, MRED for moving to action.  The problem is that organized real estate is again fragmenting on this crucial topic.  With so much “independence”, organized real estate is good at doing this.  Instead, I believe we must unify now if we are ever going to achieve the ultimate goal of giving the consumer the highest quality MLS listing information with a well-known badge or “good housekeeping seal of approval” that means it came directly from the MLS.   It would affirm that the publisher has updated the information, within 4 hours or less.  All other permutations of the manually entered “orphaned listings” are just unacceptable and the terms of agreement with the MLS will make it so.  The MLS sourced listings should trump the others where MLS sourced listings are made available to the publishers.

Russ Bergeron and MRED are doing an excellent job of articulating many of the reasons and the details in his contribution to the recently released Swanepoel TRENDS Report 2012, which I just read.  See Page 137 if you have a copy.  Russ and MRED call their initiative SOURCEMLS™.  The message is easy to understand.  Remember the objective is to inform and make consumers aware in mass.  The criteria for using the badge are very simple.  Maybe the leading MLSs could unify around this one?   I like it a lot.  From your point of view, what’s missing?  What about the Clareity Syndication Bill of Rights?  Why not create a model agreement that wraps it all together?  Can you see it?

Seeing through the haze.  After spending many days and hours following along with hundreds of posts on the topic of listing syndication, it is clear to me that it is time to move to action and clean up the stale listing data.  Most MLSs work hard and do a great job with compliance resulting in the highest quality listings available.  MLSs should unite around a consistent methodology and tell consumers when they are looking at the “good stuff”, sourced directly from the local MLS.   Shouldn’t we all do whatever it takes to clean up this mess?

What do you think about this approach to seeing through the haze and fixing what is broken?

What’s stopping you?

Over the holidays, I read “Flash Foresight” by Daniel Burrus, which I highly recommend. Burrus says, “predicting the future is easy … but predicting it accurately is hard”. Can you relate? He goes on to say that we are generally too focused on our current challenges (the housing market, difficult transactions, challenges in lending, etc.). Instead, he recommends that you think about the challenges and problems you are ABOUT to have next.  If that is difficult, think about the problems your customers are going to have next. Then (and this is the hard part), SKIP your biggest current challenge, since there isn’t much you can do about it or it may be too late anyway. You should know that Burrus is a futurist and a planner like me, and in my opinion, his message is solid.

What do you know right now — for certain?  I submit that you have three high-level options for the future of your association or MLS.  In fact, this may also apply to your brokerage and other businesses in 2012.  Rather than trying to predict the future, now is the time to prepare for it by picking the best option for you and your future.  You can:

1. Stay the course and manage your decline (at least that’s what I call it)
2. Merge your organization with others to increase your buying power and staying power
3. Partner with others through shared services, deliver more value and be indispensable to your customers

If you could pick one, which one is right for you? There are pros and cons to each.  Grab a piece of paper and jot them down today.    What is your best survival strategy to prepare for your future?

Some will say this doesn’t apply to their organization.  For example, there are many associations and MLSs that are doing just fine.  They are less likely to decline and in fact, some will grow.  However, in my opinion, they will end up participating in some form of merger or shared service partnership as other (smaller) organizations lean toward them.  So change will touch everyone at some point.

I help leaders of REALTOR associations and MLSs just like you to prepare for the future by showing them how to increase their value and be indispensable to their paying customers.  You have the power to decide for your organization and it’s time to pick which option is right for you.  Last year, I worked with 78 organizations, many in groups ranging from 3 – 15 associations, to show them how to work together to prepare for their future and be indispensable to their members and other customers.  Here is how we did it.  The results are huge and measurable.  I’ll post some examples in my next few posts.

Daniel Burrus gives us some things to think about.  What problems are you or your customers going to have next and what are you doing right now to prepare for your future (not predict it). Regardless of what your future holds, it’s time to decide which option is right for you and move your people to action (BOD) so you are ready for whatever comes next.

My wife Sue and I give graciously to our church and other organizations throughout the year.  In 2012, I will commit 10% of my time to giving back to the community by sharing my talents and experience.  We work closely with REALTOR associations and MLSs to help them be indispensable to their paying customers. Last year, I had the pleasure of working with 78 organizations in 16 states through my business Focus Forward.  Together we learned A LOT.  Now is the right time to share what we know and make a profound difference in the lives of the leaders in real estate.

Here are recent topics of interest:

• How do I make it easier for our members to do business and make money in this market?
• How do I reduce costs and balance budgets more easily?
• How do i increase our staying power to survive all of this?
• How do we  become  indispensable to our paying customers?
• What are our options right now?

Do you have any big problems or challenges you need to resolve this year?  If so, I would like to talk with you. It’s easy to schedule a free private consultation with me.  Just send me an email at kevin@kevinmcqueen.com. There is no need to prepare – our conversation will take about 40 minutes and will be completely confidential.  I want to hear from you and continue giving back much more in 2012.   — Kevin McQueen – Focus Forward

For instance, as consumers now have ever more real estate-related information at their fingertips from both third-party and industry sites, the role of the real estate professional has shifted from gatekeeper of information to enabler, Masnick said.

“There is still a role for middlemen to (help consumers) understand the process and the pitfalls and the best practices (of real estate), but their role is no longer as a gatekeeper,” he said.

One way real estate professionals can adapt is to change the way they look at the market and what they can do to make the consumer experience better, Masnick added.

Read more from Inman News

Hope you can join us at the Inman Data Summit next week!

REALTOR association execs and board members are well aware of the “value crisis” that is brewing. Membership is declining and so is income. Technology is moving faster than most association decision-making and the data, which used to be exclusive to the local MLS, is now virtually everywhere.  Many associations have already reduced their operating budgets by 30 – 50% over the past 3 years. How much more can they cut and still be relevant?  Something has got to change.

Associations were not built for speed in decision-making or technology.  Other than MLS, many members inside and outside the boardrooms are questioning the value of REALTOR membership. Local politics and indecision are not going to get it done anymore.

“In this climate, it seems appropriate that the associations should do what REALTORS do every day in their businesses; cooperate with each other in pursuit of mutually beneficial outcomes”, says Karl Berron, CEO of Indiana Association of REALTORS

Through the Cooperative Roadmap Program, these thirty leading associations in South Carolina and Indiana are demonstrating what is possible when the state and locals band together to serve the members’ best interests.  The “Co-op Program” is a 100 day initiative that will deliver the best tools at the lowest costs through shared contracts in at least the following service areas:

• Showing Services
• Lockboxes
• Membership databases
• Mobile apps
• Shared tax data across the states
• MLS data and technology sharing for some
• Non-dues revenue opportunities

Our charge is to deliver solutions which are only possible when the leading associations and MLSs work together toward common goals and outcomes and deliver incredible member value.

We hope you will follow along with us to monitor our progress and success over the next 100 days.

This is a first ever event for Inman and I am honored to be involved on the Board of Advisors with some of the smartest people in the business.   Check it out and I hope to see you there on July 25-26.  I will also be staying the rest of the week.  Why not, it’s San Francisco!

I’ll keep you posted with more details of the Inman Data Summit as they become available.

In May, I stepped away to to spend some time in Europe with my family (talk about really getting away from the the noise) and missed the NAR Mid-year meeting this year. At first I was worried about what I might miss. This has only happened a few times for me over the past 29 years. However, as you might guess, it seems that I mostly missed out on a lot more noise. I DID  miss seeing all of my amazing friends and colleagues at the event, but as a result of my decisions, I am now much more open to see the true opportunities and possibilities for your future. I am much more present when serving others, all based on my conscious decision to look ahead and not get distracted by all of the noise.

You know what I’m talking about here, right?  What I KNOW is that consumers don’t care about most of the in-the-industry issues and noise that are consuming so much of your energy – the good people in our industry. Consumers don’t care if the REALTOR(r) brand succeeds or fails. They don’t care about the struggles that many associations and MLSs are facing to balance budgets and overcome problems that step from old structure and governance. I know consumers will carry the day and get what they ultimately want.

So I will be writing a lot more from now on.

My mission is to co-create the future of the industry with a few good leaders like many of you. Maintaining and improving upon status quo just doesn’t cut it. A bold new vision for the industry is emerging and now is the right time to make it happen resulting in making a much bigger difference in the world of real estate. It’s time for some to shine brightly in the light of success rather than struggle to simply survive. Now is the time and I am working with leaders who really get this.

iSpaceships.  I just love watching leaders present and enroll others into their vision for the future. Regardless of what you think of Apple and Steve Jobs, you might want to check out this 11 minute video. Jobs is presenting his vision for the future of Apple’s new facility (iSpaceship) to the City Council in Cupertino, CA. Watch closely and notice how he does it. He completely understands his audience and is laser-focused on his message.  He is crystal clear on what’s in it for others (his audience here – the City Counsel). He is not arrogant  (which he can be ). I felt that he totally nailed his message and responses to questions from City Council members.

So with all of the noise around many of you,  it is clearly time to change the channel and start listening to other ones. I know that it’s hard, but you can make your own conscious decision to do it, just like I did.

My vision is to craft new and different ways of doing business that result in incredible value and service.

I will have a lot more to say about this, your future and the future of our industry.  My mission is to co-create the future of the real estate business with a few good leaders.  Can you relate?

You’ve been moving, you’ve been taking action and now you think you have arrived. How will you know you have arrived at a successful destination? Step 7 involves reassessing and re-measuring your past performance. It’s been nine to twelve months since you started your journey and now is the time to reassess. Did you do what you set out to do or did you get stuck along the way?

Let’s face it. There are a lot of moving parts in our industry right now. Change is occurring at a very fast pace. It’s easy to think you have been on a particular course only to find out that some big detour got you off track and stopped you from moving forward. Only when we re-measure your current situation do we know for sure that we arrived at the location we aimed for a year ago.

Or maybe, with all the change, another detour or direction became necessary. While our GPS knows to direct us to a certain location, it doesn’t know when our destination has a new address unless we program it. Given the big shifts taking place in the industry, success can look different now than what you thought a year ago. This step is about reassessing the situation and finding out from your members, your leadership, shareholders and staff how you are doing. Are you still meeting the needs of your customers? What new products or services could you be providing? Have you been keeping up with the changes in our fast paced industry?

Do you think we are circling back to the beginning? Well you are right! The road to success never ends. It’s a journey and it’s evolving continuously. While a roadmap is essential to getting to success, the target destination is changing all the time. As you know, GPS roadmaps require updates every so often as there are new roads and developments.

The next step on your journey to success involves staying in the know and updating or revising your vision. You can reach your destination but you must keep reassessing to achieve the new level of success for yourself and your organization.

Now that you have your roadmap to success, which was custom made for you to get from your current location to your successful destination, your next step is to take action. The best directions in the world will not get you anywhere unless you step on the gas pedal. Take action, be proactive and get moving. You have done the work to know where you are starting and where you want to end up. Now is the time to do something to get moving forward.

So many organizations plan and strategize only to check the activity off their to-do list. So they end up with a nice report that sits on the shelf. The best plans in the world do nothing by themselves. You need to take action. Your “roadmap” will have determined your champions for each item and the steps that need to be taken. The champions are passionate about the BIG OUTCOMES and they are accountable and responsible. As a Board of Directors, your job is to get updates on those actions at your monthly meetings. Is everyone doing what he or she is supposed to be doing? How are you tracking your journey to success?

Sometimes, as you are moving in a particular direction, you will find a roadblock or a detour causes you to move slightly off course. Don’t let this stop you from moving ahead. Even a move in the wrong direction is better that not moving at all, as the GPS can always recalculate and get you back on track to your destination. Just keep moving forward.

Your future will be here whether you do anything or not. Another year will go by whether you take action or not. The industry will continue to evolve whether you evolve with it or not. Why wouldn’t you want to have a part in creating your own future? Taking action helps you bring your organization to a future you helped create. Don’t be a victim of the circumstances around you by being reactive to the big shifts taking place right now. Proactively follow the steps we have outlined in your roadmap and start experiencing your success.

The future is yours to shape if you choose to take action and keep moving forward.

Does your current decision-making structure and governance ensure your future success?

How can you arrive at your destination if you don’t have reliable transportation to support your journey and roadmap? Does your organization need a tune-up? This fifth step to your “Roadmap to Success” deals with improving your governance and structure to allow your leadership to do what they need to do when they need to do it.

Technology is advancing at a very fast pace. You and your leadership need to be nimble to make the right decisions faster. With a GPS, if you miss a turn or need to detour, the system will recalculate your route. With your roadmap, you and your leadership can recalculate when an adjustment is needed due to shifts in the industry. Some would say there are many big shifts taking place right now. You need to be able to make adjustments at the right time or you could find yourself lost and behind the times.

In this crucial step, you will leverage all of the valuable information that’s been collected in the previous four steps. Your leadership and staff will be educated on how you measure up to your competition, what your directors’ priorities are, what your members need and want, and what to do about declining revenue and rising costs. This step involves meeting with an industry expert as a team to learn how to use this vital information to create your own roadmap to success. During this meeting you will discuss the following:

- Priorities for the coming year based on your current position compared to industry benchmarks
- Best practices in the industry being used to survive and thrive during the big shift
- Specific opportunities to be of greater service to the members
- Possibilities of working together with other organizations to increase buying power
- Learn how leadership and staff can make better, faster decisions and permanently tune-up your governance
- Ideas for attaining the right people on your board to attain fair representation of your membership
- How to be more transparent with your membership to increase your relevancy with them

By discussing and brainstorming these areas, you begin your journey. Leadership can make better and faster decisions when they have all the information at their fingertips. They won’t be guessing which direction to go because clear and accurate information points them in exactly the right direction, allowing them to make right decisions. This step requires the commitment of leadership and key staff to move forward. The answers and ideas they foster in this step represent the turn-by-turn directions in developing the “Roadmap to Success”.

Are you ready to learn more?

From the previous steps, you know how you measure up with your competition and what your members value and need most from you right now. In this fourth step, we will make a stop, to refuel so to speak. Now is the right time to tell your members how you measure up with others in the industry; what you are offering them and what you are DOING for them. Many say, “Our members don’t read!” Let’s think about what it is that you have been telling them (to which they aren’t paying attention). Does the information you share with them connect with making it easier for them to do their job, do more business and make more money? What would happen if you told them:

- What you do for them in comparison to others in your market versus industry benchmarks
- That MLS is a very cost-effective business service in measurable and relevant terms
- That you are continuously exploring new / improved services, possible because you work together with others
- What actions you have taken to reduce expenses and increase non-dues revenue to keep their fees down
- What you have learned from their (survey) feedback and what you are doing about it – follow-up is key

If you don’t tell them about your competitive advantages, how are they going to find out? When they know, you will begin to see the following results:

• Happy members who appreciate your services and gladly pay dues because they know your value
• Less tension between leadership, members and staff so you can do more for your members
• Improved employee morale – happy customers cause less stress
• Fewer member complaints and time spent dealing with problems
• Improved customer satisfaction; retention and growth are possible.

By completing this and the previous steps of the MLS Roadmap to Success, you have sound information to communicate with your members. You provide a more meaningful, positive message about your value proposition and competitive advantages. They will listen (and read). To your members, you are their “GPS voice”. They want to know where you are, where you are headed and what is in it for them. You will have check points along the way and it’s important to continually measure and report on your progress. This is all part of your own unique roadmap to success.

We’ve been talking about the first two steps of the MLS Roadmap to Success the last couple of weeks and this third step is critical to thriving right now.  If your goal is to do more for your members with less, balance your budget and avoid future cuts, you must take the most direct route. Similar to the GPS, there are alternative routes you can take to get to your destination and some are faster than others. With this third step, you will be setting up your GPS preferences for the most direct route to your success.

Most associations and MLSs have been experiencing declines in membership and revenues and the forecast does not look much different for 2011. Every week we hear stories from large and small executives and board members.  Balancing the budget is keeping many executives up at night.  But there are things you can do to make your MLS more financially stable.  This step requires looking at all options available and the industry’s best ideas on reducing costs and generating non-dues revenue while also providing even greater service to your members. Consider how you would answer the following questions:

-       Are you getting the best prices from your vendors? How about service levels?

-       Do you offer your members all of the best available tools and technology?  Are you truly “open for business”?

-       Have you explored all possibilities for working together with others to increase your power?

-       What are the best ideas for increased non-dues revenue?  How much business development are you doing now?

Having limited resources can be very stressful.  Implementing some new ideas can result in doing more with less and reducing the tension in the board room. Are you considering all available options, or is your GPS currently taking you and your organization on the back roads?

What do you think?

You need to find out what your paying customers (members, subscribers, etc.) value and appreciate and what they need and want from you right now. This is a key step before setting the direction for your roadmap. By combining available benchmark data with fresh and relevant feedback from your members, leadership and key brokers, you can begin to map your route to success. This step is like setting your GPS destination with the right address.  If you don’t enter the correct address exactly, your GPS won’t give you the right directions.

With this second step, you will know how your members rate your performance as an association or provider of MLS services, as well as your value, overall benefits, education and technical support and customer service. You will know how you compare with others and industry benchmarks and you will learn how to interpret and use this to your advantage, as one of your competitive advantages. By getting specific demographic information about your members, including their productivity (transaction sides), years in the business, company size, age, you will be able to decide the specific route to take on your roadmap. All this information is necessary to make the right choices going forward.  As a bonus of having this information, you will also know how to:

• Use your finite resources to deliver the biggest value to your members
• Interpret what members expect from you,  making faster and easier boardroom decisions (imagine that)
• Save time and money by making the right decisions the first time…decisions that help you, your organization and members all thrive
• Prepare with well-informed directors and staff and a proven approach to strategic decision-making, resulting in becoming more nimble
• Align the expectations of leadership, staff and members which reduces waste, stress, busy-work and results in improved satisfaction by all stakeholders

Make sure you are headed to the right location. You must know how you measure-up and what your paying customers and leadership expect before you begin on your journey so you don’t get lost on the way to your success.

Have you made any New Year’s resolutions for your MLS?  We  know the current condition of the real estate industry, but have you really looked at your business in terms of thriving in this next year?  If you would like to move beyond survival, we would like to recommend 7 steps – the Roadmap to MLS Success.  Over the next seven weeks, we will discuss each of the steps to move your MLS to a clear destination.  The New Year is a great time to really take inventory of your current position and make plans for the next twelve months.  Why not plan for success?

Step One is to Get Clear on How You Measure Up

The first step to thriving right now is to KNOW how you compare to your competition – neighboring MLSs – and how you and your members measure up to industry benchmarks. Like with a GPS in your car, this is your current location, or the starting point for your roadmap to success destination or outcome.

This first step is about assessing your existing products and services, the fees you charge and operating costs. Your unique value proposition is grounded in this information.

“You cannot improve what you cannot measure”

By taking a look at your MLS compared to others in your area and other benchmarks, you and your leadership will know exactly where you stack up in this increasingly competitive marketplace. This is the first step toward growing and retaining happy customers that value what you do for them.  The next six steps build off of this important starting point.

Do You Know How You Measure Up? Please feel free to comment below.  What would you like to know about how you measure up right now?

Next week we will talk about step 2 for your MLS Roadmap to Success.

Congratulations to Rebecca Jenson, Pat Bybee, Art Carter, David Charron and Rob Overman and the returning directors.  We support your efforts.

RESO 2010 Election Results

There is a big shift taking place in the real estate industry right now and it’s your springboard to your future. MLSs have never experienced declines in membership and revenues like they are dealing with now.  As a result, everyone is working harder than ever to balance budgets, search for new sources of income and be more relevant.  Most MLSs are now competing for their piece of a shrinking pie and many are trying to figure out what to do to survive the next few years.  We frequently hear, “how can we do more with less and still provide excellent service to our members?”   At the same time, members are struggling to re-shape their own value proposition in order to remain relevant with consumers and make a living.

The whole situation is further compounded when factoring in the outdated governance structure of most MLSs. We understand that it’s really difficult to innovate or be nimble in decision-making in this fast-paced environment.

We believe that there is also a lot of noise right now.  There is RPR, data licensing and sharing, third parties, such as Zillow and Trulia and many other potential game changers. Individually, MLSs don’t have much impact on these noisemakers, but everyone is buzzing about them anyway.  Are these distractions? We continue to recommend that association and MLS staff and leadership stay focused on their mission, as the members need innovation and additional value-added services from MLS, more than ever, during the big shift.

So if you are exasperated about your budget, relevance and governance, you might ask yourself these questions:

1. How do you stack up in your market and in contrast to industry benchmarks in services, fees and costs?
2. What do your members value most and need from you right now?
3. Do you have a clear message to express your value proposition and the right communication solutions to reach your members?
4. Who is your (future) competition?
5. Does your current governance structure ensure your ongoing survival and success?

While the direction and pace of the economy and housing markets are outside of your control, the direction and actions you take in the next few months are not.  The next twelve to eighteen months are pivotal and your actions will likely determine how you get beyond survival to a thriving business in the years ahead.  What’s your plan? ?  The answers to the above questions are your starting point for developing a solid plan for the next decade.

Like an architect sketches a blueprint for a new home, your MLS needs a success blueprint if you are going to build a business to withstand the noise and the turmoil during the big shift.  With an MLS success blueprint, you will know how you stack up in the marketplace based on service offerings, member satisfaction, fees, internal costs, structure and competitive advantages.  Having a clear blueprint for success will show you the best way for growing your membership and revenues and increase your buying power, allowing you to do more with less.  It will allow you to be more relevant to your members and show you how to communicate your unique value proposition to them.  More satisfied members equal retention.

What is your MLS Success Blueprint?  Stay tuned.