Current News

The Latest News from WFG National Title Company
ryantate
119
Brokeragereal estateSelectsuccess
January 13, 2015

4 survival strategies for brokerages

This one is specifically for owners of larger brokerages: You are in the middle of a war zone battling giant portals and local brokerages for the eyes and hearts of your marketplace members. Often the heat is too intense to think strategically, so instead you carefully peruse business plans handed…
Read More
ryantate
102
Markets & Economyreal estate dataSelect
January 13, 2015

Go figure: Wall Street firms buying rentals, hottest season to sell, commission rundown and more

What’s the hottest season to sell? Let’s make a deal Bon voyage! Rolling back prices How’s your overhead? A reason to eat breakfast for dinner with the family Loading and unloading Four biggest Wall Street firms buying up rentals nationwide Learn About Tableau Have data you’d like to see featured here? Let us…
Read More
ryantate
136
open datapredictionsreal estateSelectTechnology
January 13, 2015

How open data will supercharge your business

There is a lot of buzz around data these days. Whether you’re using the term “open data,” “big data” or incorporating some other broad adjective, data are central to the discussion of every industry’s future. As every aspect of our world is digitized, lots of new information becomes accessible. In theory, this…
Read More
ryantate
136
BrokerageJay MehtaQuest Equity PartnersSelectZev Freidus
January 13, 2015

Private equity firm invests over $20M in South Florida brokerage

San Francisco Bay Area-based private equity firm Quest Equity Partners has invested at least $20 million to take a controlling interest in Boca Raton, Florida-based Boca Executive Realty and plans to take the 9-year-old firm nationwide. Quest Equity Partners is going all in — managing partner Jay Mehta moved to Boca…
Read More
ryantate
85
SelectTechnology
January 13, 2015

Homes.com promotes new head of industry development from within

Real estate search portal Homes.com has promoted of Andy Woolley to vice president of industry development, responsible for developing MLS, broker, franchise, and other industry partnerships. As vice president overseeing sales and customer service, Woolley helped Homes.com — the fourth-most visited real estate search portal, behind Zillow, Trulia and realtor.com…
Read More
ryantate
118
BrokeragerealsatisfiedreviewsSelect
January 12, 2015

Agent ratings have arrived

The rise of Yelp, Uber and Lyft and their widespread use of five-star ratings of businesses and service providers has helped usher in a new era of transparency. After dragging its feet for years, the real estate industry now appears ready to jump on board the agent ratings bandwagon. Zillow has been…
Read More
ryantate
117
Brokeragemanagementreal estateSelect
January 12, 2015

Reinventing your brokerage, step by step

Last month we identified several steps that you should take if you’re serious about reinventing your real estate brokerage. In today’s highly competitive consumer-driven environment, there are always areas for improvement and challenges to overcome. But where do you start? Here are some areas to consider for each step to…
Read More
ryantate
238
dronesMoverealtor.comreblsRedfinrupert murdochSelectTechnologytruliaventure capitalZillow
January 12, 2015

Venture capitalists placing big bets on real estate tech

Big talk A raft of Wall Street types and venture capitalists are snooping around the “dynamic real estate opportunity,” as one banker described it. The last time I recall such a swirl of enthusiasm was during the dot-com days in the late 1990s. Yurchello108/Shutterstock Supersized valuations at Zillow and Trulia…
Read More
ryantate
135
flexmlsMLS & Associationsmobile appsmobile MLSSelect
January 12, 2015

Competition in mobile MLS apps heats up

Mobile access to one of a real estate agent’s most valuable tools — the multiple listing service — is often a top priority when MLSs choose their vendor. Today, FBS — an MLS system vendor that serves nearly 160,000 real estate professionals — has filled out its mobile offerings with…
Read More
ryantate
86
BrokerageSelect
January 12, 2015

Real estate agent outwitted her kidnapper

A real estate agent thwarted her kidnapper by locking him out of the model home she was showing him after the man brandished a handgun and threatened her, police said. Police in Elk Grove, California have arrested David Burnhart, a 47-year-old registered sex offender, in connection with the crime,  booking…
Read More