SUCCESS GUIDE:

2019

MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE

SOFTWARE GUIDE
RE Technology Multiple Listing
Service Software Guide
Slightly more than 600 multiple listing services (MLSs)
operate in the United States and Canada that are the envy
of the global real estate industry. Cooperation and the offer
of compensation among participating brokers create the
foundation for these organizations. Over time, these principles
have transformed MLSs into the epicenter of technology for
real estate agents, creating nation-wide marketplaces.

Subsequently, many technology companies have developed

add-on software that enables MLSs to add helpful services to
the core MLS software.

In this guide to software, delivered primarily through the

MLSs, RE Technology highlights a variety of applications
that enable a richer and more effective platform for agents,
brokers, and the consumers that we serve. As our industry
changes, these technology tools integrate into multiple listing
platforms to drive innovation and end-to-end services.

Please enjoy this overview and let us know if there are

additional products that you believe we should feature in
future RE Technology Success Guides.
LATEST TRENDS IN MLS PRODUCTS
A number of significant trends are emerging to
shape America’s MLSs today.
• Real Estate Standards Organization
• Security for Authentication and Data
• Systems Integration for Single Sign-On
• Smart Bi-Directional Data Integration
Between Applications.
The Real Estate Standards Organization became
a different organization a few years ago when
the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR)
adopted an MLS policy that requires all NAR®
affiliated MLSs to adopt the standards or face
the revocation of their charter. Over the past
few years, this encouragement by NAR® has
catapulted MLSs into high gear to adopt the RESO
data dictionary to normalize data fields, and the
WebAPI to replace RETS as a more contemporary
transportation method. All of this effort goes a
long way to reducing the costs of connecting
software to MLS data, providing an extraordinary
benefit to all broker and agent subscribers to the
MLS.
MLSs have also made great progress on adding
access security. Perhaps only a hundred or so
MLSs remain that have yet to lock down password
sharing. MLS system developers have wisened to
best practices on security too. Systems protect
against hacking by taking added security
measures. Application programming interfaces
(APIs) have security, and firms connecting to
MLS data require higher levels of authentication.
Additionally, leading MLSs have begun to follow a
technique called data seeding. This process drops
little seeds of data into data feeds that allow the
MLS to “watch” where the data goes. Soon you will
see the news stories of data pirates being charged
with theft. Exciting!
A key barrier to adopting MLS services and
software extensions was username and password
management. Frankly, remembering the MLS to re-key the data. This not only saves real
password is hard enough – now imagine estate professionals valuable time but improves
remembering a dozen or more passwords to accuracy and reduces the likelihood of an error
access the many software extensions to an that could compromise a transaction.
MLS. That has been solved through MLS Single
These are exciting days for our nation’s MLSs.
Sign-On. When a user signs into the MLS, they
More than ever before, they can assemble a
are automatically signed onto other software
group of software products that work together
applications without the need to log in to each
to design an effortless system of productivity. We
one of them – ergo the term – single sign on.
will illustrate this trend through the narrative of
We are delighted to see more than listing data applications covered in this guide.
being shared across software in the MLS today.
RE Technology dedicates a private section of
In this new era of connecting software and data
digital publication specifically to MLS related
using APIs, the MLS system can now securely send
software. Because these solutions are not sold to
and receive customer records, saved searches,
agents or brokers, only our MLS subscribers have
saved favorites, and many other consumer-centric
access to this section of the site.
data that an agent needs to manage. Agents can
send these records easily, without being required

Click here to browse the rest of RE Technology and get a free trial subscription.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN BUYING
MLS PRODUCTS
Always start with the price.
If products being offered to the MLS are not
priced in line with expectations, looking at the
software is a waste of time unless you have
already gotten your board to agree to a price
increase. If a price increase is out of the question,
there is no need to look at more expensive
products than you can afford.
Negotiate with your existing vendor first. We
know that the cost of switching technology
vendors is very expensive. It requires more
training, support, and communication activities
and those require capital and labor. Unless your
subscribers hate your current product, or the
company is not supporting you correctly – stick
with what you have or budget correctly to deliver
a new and better service.
Check their references. It is pretty commonplace
for technology companies to have a handful of
favorite customers. You want to check references
carefully by looking at similar sizes of MLSs who
offer the product. You also want to talk to some
new customers about the onboarding process
and some old customers about the company’s
dedication to improving the product on a regular
basis. By the way, it is also a good idea to check to
see if the company is a member of the Real Estate
Standards Organization and if they are certified.
Find out how long the new vendor will run in
parallel before the billing starts. Nothing can hurt
a new product launch more than a cut over that
happens before it should.
Take a very close look at the contract terms
and conditions, especially the data licensing
agreement. These are critical business terms to
your contract that are sometimes looked over.
Also, be certain to negotiate your exit. You need
to enter a contract through the lens of failure. You
may also want to negotiate growth and shrinkage
into your agreement by securing the pricing
levels in advance.
Reporting is one of the most overlooked areas of
buying MLS products. Insist on reports that show
the number of daily users, weekly users, monthly
users. You should be able to pull reports on those
users to check on their satisfaction with the
product. You may also want to enlist the support
of the vendor at driving adoption. Alternatively,
rather than negotiating a site license, only
purchase licenses for the average number of
monthly unique users.
HOW TO GROW YOUR MLS

T oday’s era of MLS consolidation mandates

responsiveness in the delivery of services
to the brokers and agents that you serve. The
brokers and agents with a la carte pricing for
specialty software. The value of the MLS in both of
these premium subscription models includes data
complaints that lead to MLS consolidation integration, support, training, and much lower
are pretty consistent. Understanding these prices.
complaints and learning how to respond to them
will position your MLS for high levels of customer Lastly, it is important for MLSs to be extremely
satisfaction and a platform for expansion. skilled in data management. MLSs who have
technical staff that can manage data are in a
The biggest complaint among brokers and agents much better position than MLSs who need to rely
is customer support and training. Whenever on a vendor. A growing MLS needs to be able to
brokers and agents feel like the MLS is out to manage the details of system migrations and data
get them, there is a problem. If your customer shares. Having this skill assures that a growing
calls and you can’t take care of their problem, MLS does not drop the ball on onboarding new
the problem is you. These are pretty strong customers.
statements, but you must understand that your
customers are your biggest fans when you are
doing a great job. Customers belonging to more
than one MLS will be very outspoken about
which MLS is better. Be sure to meet with your
large brokers, top producing agents, and survey
everyone to learn what you can do better. They
will give you the answers.

MLSs can become more attractive with the array

of products they offer for the fees they charge is a
classic economic model of return on investment.
An MLS delivering great service on top of highly
satisfying technology at a reasonable price likely
will grow. Price is a pain point for many agents
and brokers when the services offered beyond
the core MLS system are not appropriately valued.
Research the offerings of nearby MLSs to make
sure that you are competitive.

Building a great core technology stack for basic

MLS services is table stakes today, but many MLSs
have developed a premium service. In some
cases, MLSs offer an array of technology for a very
low bundle price. In other cases, MLS support
 FORM SIMPLICITY
Transactions made simple

Contact Information
Jessica Smith
Orlando, FL
(888) 784-5404
info@formsimplicity.com

www.formsimplicity.com

PRODUCT OVERVIEW: Created bank-grade level security for cloud

KEY PRODUCT BENEFITS
• Smart Forms
• Paperless Transaction
Management
• Broker tools, including
review for compliance
• Cloud storage
• Digital Signatures
• Tech Helpline support
for REALTORS® by REALTORS®,
Form Simplicity is one of the real
estate industry’s most popular and
advanced paperless transaction
solutions.
KEY BENEFITS: Form Simplicity
gives real estate professionals the
tools to create, manage, share
and store transactions. Whether
on computers or mobile devices,
users are equipped for on-the-go,
paperless transactions.
storage of all documents and logs.
Broker tools allow brokers to
manage, review, approve, track
and store every agent’s transaction
activity from beginning to end. It
helps brokers reduce their risk
through a customizable, automated,
paperless review process, which
safeguards brokerage transactions
to remain compliant.
TESTIMONIAL:

• Responsive web design for “I just tried out the NEW Form
Owned and operated by Florida
access on mobile devices Simplicity, and I have to say it is
Realtors®, Form Simplicity saves
AMAZING. Love how convenient
agents’ time with auto-populating
the new layout is. EXTREMELY
smart forms that eliminate re-
professional. I’ll be sticking with
typing or duplicate data entry;
you guys for a long time.”
allows agents to share and
negotiate transactions with built-in - Matthew Lemon
collaboration tools; provides secure
digital signatures; and provides
 HOMESNAP
The Real Estate Industry’s Technology Partner
PRODUCT OVERVIEW: Broker
Public Portal (BPP) with Homesnap
is a collaborative venture between
real estate brokerages and MLSs to
create a national consumer home
search experience that connects
home searchers directly with the
agent who best knows the home
they are interested in. Homesnap
is the public-facing brand of the
BPP, the only national home search
platform powered by real-time MLS
data and following Fair Display
Guidelines.  Build your brand with Homesnap
FEATURES OVERVIEW: Public-fac-
ing search portal that sends leads
and inquiries to the listing agent.
Top-rated mobile productivity tool
for agents.
HOMESNAP PRO: Homesnap Pro
is the industry-facing version of the
Contact Information
Eugene Gligor
Director of Business
Development 
egligor@homesnap.com 
www.homesnap.com 
Homesnap consumer platform built KEY PRODUCT BENEFITS
specifically for real estate agents to • Industry-friendly home
access their MLS data and work from search alternative that
their mobile phones. Homesnap provides interested leads, for
Pro uses real-time MLS data to give free, to the listing agent or
broker and delivers accurate,
agents the flexibility to research
real-time MLS information to
homes, contact agents, and com-
home searchers.
municate instantly with clients and
• BPP with Homesnap is the
colleagues from any modern device. 
industry’s agent-centric,
industry-first, pro-consumer
BUILD YOUR BUSINESS: Make
solution to secure listing
Homesnap your own with free
exposure and leads for
branding throughout the platform.
agents.
Pro Ads by reaching buyers and
sellers on some of the most popular
digital networks.
Boost your online presence with
Homesnap Pro+, which curates and
optimizes all aspects of your busi-
ness profile on Google.
 MLS TAX SUITE
Comprehensive and Accurate Property Data at Your Fingertips

Contact Information
Rob Williamson
864.431.8289
rwilliamson@crsdata.com

Nicole Morgan
336-065-9597
nmorgan@crsdata.com

www.crsdata.com/real-es-
tate-mls/mls/
KEY PRODUCT BENEFITS
• Seamless Integration with
Your MLS System
• Mobile-Optimization with
Intuitive Navigation
• Accurate and Current
Property Data
• New, Consistently Evolving
Product Enhancements
• Customization Options
PRODUCT OVERVIEW: Since 1989,
CRS Data has provided innovative
data services that puts the power of
clear and accurate property informa-
tion in the hands of leading profes-
sionals.
FEATURES: Our innovative prod-
ucts and services are backed with
reliable technology and refreshingly
human customer support. MLS
Tax Suite seamlessly integrates
with your existing MLS and is
mobile-optimized so that you have
access to the newest information
and property data anywhere, any-
time. The intuitive platform is easy
to navigate and offers flexible and
customizable features for an added
touch of personalized reports and
presentation of data.
sales and mortgage histories,
neighborhood comparables, area
demographics, mapping details, and
much more.
TESTIMONIAL:
“We continue to choose CRS
Data hands down. The quality of
their service, data and product
is superior. We know and trust that
their team will take care of us and
be an integral part of growing
our revenue.”
ūū John Ryan
Georgia MLS

With MLS Tax Suite you’ll have

access to all public tax records,
 RPR
RPR® provides data, tools and reports to help NAR
members wow clients and close more deals.
PRODUCT OVERVIEW: RPR offers
specific tools that allow MLSs to gain
increased branding opportunities,
powerful integration options, and
spot-on market and economic
reports.
FEATURES: Your MLS–Your Brand:Re-
place the RPR logo with your MLS
logo so subscribers will see your
brand each time they login to RPR.
Simple Single Sign-On: Create
ease for your members with RPR’s
single sign-on integration. Users
won’t have to remember a separate
password or URL, as they can simply-
access RPR via the site they use
everyday–their MLS.
Deep Links: Deep links allow your
MLS subscribers to move back and
forth between RPR and your MLS
platform seamlessly. One click takes
Contact Information
RPR Customer Support
Chicago, IL
877-977-7576
info@narrpr.com
your subscribers directly from a KEY PRODUCT BENEFITS
property within your MLS to the • The RPR Dashboard provides
same property on RPR. Combined a portal into the metrics,
with SSO, Deep Linking offers the statistics, and reports MLSs
require. User metrics, data
ultimate integration with RPR.
updates, content and
training are provided, as well
Enjoy The View: RPR View™ allows
as reports to complement
partner MLSs to make listings view-
housing statistics.
able by REALTORS® in other markets.
This integration feature is perfect for
markets with overlapping coverage
areas and provides a premium
service at no additional cost.

Contact Information
SentriLock, LLC
West Chester, OH
inq@sentrilock.com
513-618-5800
www.sentrilock.com
KEY PRODUCT BENEFITS
• The SentriLock system
provides secure and reliable
access in order to facilitate
the listing and showing of
homes.
• Our knowledgeable team
delivers excellent support,
saving time and money.
• Exclusive features enhance
safety while also equipping
customers with data to
better serve their clients.
• Our focus on innovative
technology and a durable
product generates lasting
value.
SENTRILOCK BLUETOOTH®
REALTOR® LOCKBOX
As the leading provider of access management solutions,
we create world-class customer experiences and
deliver the most innovative technology.
PRODUCT OVERVIEW: More than
just a lockbox, the easy-to-use
SentriLock system features Instant
Showing notifications, robust
reporting, world-class customer
service, Agent Safety Feature and
Property Data Integrations.
FEATURES: Our Bluetooth®
REALTOR® lockbox features:
• A jam-free front opening key
compartment, an illuminated key
pad, fully removeable shackle
and long-lasting user replaceable
batteries.
• SentriKeyTM Real Estate mobile app,
The SentriConnect® Mobile app and
One Day Codes.
• Touch ID and Facial Recognition
authorization.
• Agent Safety, Property Data
Integrations, Missing Key Alerts,
Lockbox activity reporting,
beginning and end of showing
notifications, and homeowner
notifications.
• Longest support hours (8 a.m. -
Midnight ET, 7 days a week) and a
dedicated customer relationship
manager.
TESTIMONIAL:
“We started looking at our current
contract that was up for renewal and
evaluating the options, and as soon as
we saw the SentriLock lockbox, the app
and the benefits that it would provide
to our agents, it was just a no-brainer.
Implementing the SentriLock system
was very easy, you know, it was just a
seamless experience and everything was
taken care of. Working with SentriLock
has changed the way we do business.”
- Mike Cotrill, CEO,
Greater Tulsa Association of REALTORS®
 TRESTLE
Ultimate Listing Data Management and
Property Information Tool
PRODUCT OVERVIEW: Get Real-
Time, Fine-Grained Control of Your
Listing Content Distribution via
RETS and the new RESO Web API
standard. You can use templates
to quickly set up data feeds for a
variety of common purposes—such
as IDX, VOW, syndication, and more.
Trestle then tracks and reports all
RETS and API usage so you can
closely monitor your data users.
FEATURES:
Automated Workflow
Electronic agreements
Online approvals
Data license fee collection
E-commerce admin
Flexible Data Transport
• RESO Platinum data
• Dictionary feed
• RESO Platinum certified
• Web API Native RETS
• Web-API delivery
Rock Solid Security
• Simple rules engine
• Dashboard monitoring
• Trestle Defender™ for enhanced
security
Contact Information
lwendt@corelogic.com
513-583-5435
www.corelogic.com/realestate
KEY PRODUCT BENEFITS
• Platinum RESO certified
listing distribution
• Unified, single listing stream
for 3rd parties
• RETS and web-API enabled
• Listings protected by Trestle
Defender™
• Fully automated MLS/3rd-
party workflow
• -118 MLS, 700+ tech
vendors, 350+ data feeds
enabled
ABOUT RETECHNOLOGY

RE Technology’s goal is to help every real estate

professional learn how to leverage technology more
effectively so they can be more successful. Consumers
expect seamless usage of technology in real estate
transactions. They demand real-time responsiveness,
online access to rich real estate information, market
insights, and total transparency to their transactions.

RE Technology is designed to make it easy for you to

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