MLS Data Management

1
MLS Data Management RETS
New Topic

• Whats going on in the industry?
• Survey Says
• Data Management Best Practices
• RETS Security - better than alternatives
• RETS Best Practices
• New Tools

Yogi Schulz
Kevin McQueen
2
The Industry - Whats going on?

• Rules have changed - Security is hot topic
• Information has huge value Awareness is high
• MLSs are more challenged than ever - what to do?
• 600 of 850 MLSs (80) have access to RETS
• 175 (20) use it - 50 of active listing
  inventory
• New tools available - Rapattoni, Threewide, CRT
• Vendors continue to move to RETS as standard
  approach

3
Survey Says Whats Important

• MLSs need better tools to
• Control who has access
• Limit data / support business rules policies
• Monitoring Reporting - who? what? when?
• Track where the data goes
• Real-time access is important (93)

4
Top Benefits Survey

• Top RETS benefits MLS - Standardized approach to
  data mgt, improved tools, results in more product
  choices for your members in your market, makes it
  easier when changing profile sheets smoother
  upgrades and conversions
• Top RETS benefits Broker - real-time access,
  write-it once use it many times across markets,
  less downtime due to data changes, upgrades and
  system conversions, lower costs

5
Data Management Strategies

• It is better not to send out bulk data at all -
  but not realistic
• FTP has its place
• Framed IDX solutions great the majority of
  brokers/agents - complete solution
• Trend toward direct access to real-time data not
  replication
• RETS is well-positioned to handle this today

6
Proven Approach to Data Management

• WHAT data to provide to each customer?
• WHO is asking? WHY? What is their intended use
  who is going to see it?
• HOW to deliver it - Downloads, FTP, RETS
• Develop local MLS data policies - write them down
• Create written procedures - education/support docs

7
Define Data Sets

• What data do they want?
• Just their own listings, All active listings,
  Everything!
• Define the Data Sets or categories of data to
  support business rules and policies
• Control Access through roles/permissions
• IDX/ILD - consumer view, actives only
• AGENT - more comprehensive data set, multiple
  statuses
• BROKER BACK-OFFICE - the all file
• Talk with your vendor about roles/permissions

8
Who Why?

• Who is asking? Broker, agent, third party vendor,
  Realtor.com, newspaper
• Purpose - what are they going to do with it?
• Consumer views (IDX / ILD)
• Agents (Search - CMA)
• In-house (Broker Back-office, stats, market share)

9
Delivery Methods - How?

• MLS system export/download most common
• Framed IDX solution - best overall
• Basic data service - FTP updated once per day
• RETS - promote as premium service
• Provide what/when customer needs (data sets)
• Most robust and flexible for those that support
  it
• Near real-time access
• Shift more responsibility to data customers

More Challenging Increased Service
10
Apply Data Sets to ALL Deliveries

• Support policies and business rules consistently
• Easier to explain / educate callers
• Keeps things simple
• Stop customizing data feeds
• Vendors like this too

Apply to all not just RETS
11
Data Security and RETS

• RETS is more complicated more secure vs FTP
• Limit data access - predefined Data Sets -
  roles/permissions - most vendors support
• User Agent Header to tie login ID software
  together
• Limit view of Metadata - dont show them what
  they cant have
• Usage Reporting - monitor who is doing what

Ask your Vendor about their capabilities
12
RETS Best Practices

• Require third parties to certify their RETS
  solution
• Direct them to us, www.RETS.org, RETS meetings
• Encourage real-time RETS queries not DB
  replication
• Provide RETS test environment - not production
• Notify of upcoming changes at least 30 days in
  advance
• FMLS, MRIS, RMLS Northstar
• Attend RETS meetings - Dec. 6-8 Las Vegas
• Identify common needs with your peers and ask
  your vendor to provide improved data management
  tools

13
Data Management - Alternatives

• Just say no - dont provide data - is that an
  option?
• Open source - do it yourself for dev shops -
  harder
• Threewide or other non-traditional MLS vendor
  solutions
• Your MLS vendor provides the RETS tools you need
• Rapattoni RETS Manager

600 MLSs have access to RETS
14
Threewide

• Addresses real market need for improved data
  management tools to empower MLS - good for
  industry
• Leverages RETS
• Does not support real-time RETS queries - push
  only
• Providing substantially better tools to their MLS
  customers

15
Rapattoni RETS Manager

• Empowers MLS to manage data using comprehensive
  tool and RETS
• Set-up data customers, User-agent header,
  Metadata profile, Transaction Search profile
• Limit access by tables - office, agent, listing,
  photos
• Raising the bar on MLS tool set - more to follow

16
The Future is Clear

• Brokers, third parties and many others are asking
  for MLS data more often for more uses
• This trend will not stop
• RETS provides the foundation for improved data
  management and increased control and security for
  MLSs

RETS provides the foundation for improved data mgt