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The Latest News from WFG National Title Company
ryantate
147
WFG News
March 2, 2015

Mysterious ‘Upstream’ initiative won’t be consumer-facing

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Details of the mysterious Project Upstream remain sparse, but whatever it is, it will not be public-facing to consumers. That’s according to Craig Cheatham, president and CEO of The Realty Alliance, which is spearheading the project. Cheatham spoke on a panel at Clareity’s MLS Workshop this week.…
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199
WFG News
February 25, 2015

Portals pay to play? Brokers, MLSs could profit from listing feeds

Clichés are commonplace in real estate. The simple, repetitive statements are supposed to make complex topics succinct. But more often, they create trite answers instead of strategic thought. “A real estate portal is just another advertising platform.” “They’re selling our leads back to us.” “Portals are no different than newspapers.” “My…
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ryantate
169
WFG News
February 11, 2015

Real estate customer service hacks to save your sanity

On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your customer service? It is critical to take care of your clients, provide clear communication and show appreciation to your database. Sounds easy, but we all know how tough it can be in reality. Scouting out solutions to improve…
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ryantate
134
WFG News
February 10, 2015

MLS orders broker to stop publishing offers of compensation to buyer’s agents

A Denver-based flat-fee brokerage that’s publishing the offer of compensation to buyer’s agents that sellers make through the multiple listing service has been ordered by the local MLS, REcolorado, to stop making that information public. Trelora LLC, which charges buyers a flat fee of $3,000, says publishing the offer of…
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ryantate
186
WFG News
February 9, 2015

How should brokers and MLSs navigate new world of listing distribution?

Real estate listing distribution will change significantly when ListHub and Zillow split in April. Brokers and MLSs are rushing to ensure that their listings remain on the most popular consumer advertising portals. Those brokers and MLSs need to take great caution in their next steps. Moving too quickly could undermine…
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ryantate
168
WFG News
February 5, 2015

Why I love my MLS

Last week’s Real Estate Connect New York conference got me thinking about technology. I have said for years that my multiple listing service (MLS) is the best example of how to do technology well. My MLS helps level the playing field between big companies and smaller independent organizations — like mine!…
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ryantate
199
WFG News
February 4, 2015

Unintended consequences of listing regulations

“Follow the drugs and you’ll find the drug dealers, but follow the money and you’ll be surprised where it takes you.“ – HBO’s police drama “The Wire” Regulations governing the access, distribution and display of residential real estate listings changed many industry dynamics over the past 20 years. Traditionally, brokers…
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ryantate
145
WFG News
January 30, 2015

Building the dream MLS

NEW YORK — It’s time for the multiple listing service to go back to its roots and remember its main reason for being: to foster cooperation between agents. That’s according to several real estate leaders asked to imagine their “dream” MLS at today’s Real Estate Connect conference. The MLS was…
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ryantate
215
WFG News
January 26, 2015

Special report: How to deliver technology agents need

Money is pouring into real estate technology, and the sheer number of products available to agents has risen exponentially in recent years. Whatever the merits of that increase, on a practical level this means that real estate agents are often bombarded by solicitations from tech companies peddling the next big…
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