Events - Clareity's Annual MLS Executive Workshop

The MLS Executive Workshop provides timely updates on relevant topics and addresses many of the issues facing MLS executives and leaders today. Clareity's 9th Annual MLS Executive Workshop will be held March 3-5, 2010 at the Scottsdale Plaza Resort. Sessions will be on March 4-5 and special outings and cocktail reception will be held the day before, on March 3rd.

Clareity received rave reviews of it s previous Workshops. A few quotes from attendees:

• The topics presented were important and current. Keep doing what you’re doing. Great Job!
• Breadth of knowledge, openness of ideas and willingness to share information with other participants
• Ability to evaluate vendor selection
• The smaller group allows for better networking
• Enjoyed the balance between technical issues & overall MLS issues
• The opportunity to hear what other MLSs are doing around the country
• Varied topics. No "fluff"
• I love that the topics are extremely current. We didn’t discuss yesterday’s news.
• Consistent greatness in presenters & ideas
• All topics were presented well, gave me real information to take back
• Will be back next year! Very valuable networking & industry updates.

Agenda

As we do every year, the agenda will be finalized 30-60 days before the Workshop, to ensure only the freshest and most important topics are discussed. However, we are pleased to share the following sessions we are considering and this tentative agenda.

2010 Theme: "Turning New Challenges into Opportunities"

• Welcome / State of Industry. Gregg Larson presents the best and worst moves in Real Estate Information, Awards for 2009, and shares his outlook for 2010-2011 trends affecting the MLS industry.
• AVMs and Beyond. Leading and new AVM providers will explain the latest in automated valuations and how they can work with MLSs to provide value to MLS operators and subscribers.
• MLS Beyond the Listings. The RPR is inspiring MLS and third party innovation exploring the power of bringing listings together with other data. Find out what several innovative vendors are doing to improve their offering – and yours.
• The RPR Collaboration. Some MLSs plan to cooperate fully with RPR - others plan to compete by providing the same features RPR is bringing to the table. Find out what your fellow Workshop participants are doing. This topic will be fine tuned as the Workshop date approaches.
• Syndication: Teach Your Brokers Well. We hear the phrase "The listings are everywhere" - but should they be? Both Point2 and Threewide will discuss their efforts to create educational pieces to help brokers understand the ramifications of syndicating to each site. Perhaps MLSs can leverage this session to help our industry syndicate more strategically and wisely.
• MLS Public Websites Progress Report. The argument about whether to have an MLS Public Website with listings is pretty much over - the majority of MLSs have one and they are becoming linked on the MLS Cloud. How are MLSs doing at providing compelling and market-leading web sites?
• Future of RETS. What could and should RETS be doing for you? Clareity will lay out some possibilities and explore the relationship of RETS to RPR and the idea of a 'real estate app store'. We’ll discuss what you would like to see for the future of RETS.
• VOW Audits: Lessons Learned. Matt Cohen will lay out some of the lessons learned over the last year of performing VOW audits and working with MLS staff to improve their own VOW auditing capabilities. We'll discuss the pros and cons of the spectrum running between "complaint based" auditing, consistent auditing, and the "affirmative responsibility". What rules should always be audited - and which present audit challenges? What are some of the decisions that need to be made before you perform your first audit?
• The Future of Google in Real Estate. Carter Maslan is Director of Product Management at Google, whose team drives all local initiatives including Real Estate at Google. You will have the opportunity to hear about Google’s plans and talk to him about the future of Google and real estate and Google’s relationships with MLSs and brokers.
• Ratings and Real Estate. There's a lot of conversation recently about rating real estate professionals – should an MLS participate and set the rules or stay on the sidelines and watch others do it? Bob Hale will talk about HAR's agent rating system and Dallas Hancock will talk about how the Peoria Association is creating a new system for rating all of the participants in the transaction.
• Social Media and Your MLS Business. MLSs are leveraging social media for themselves and their subscribers and helping their subscribers navigate the potentially dangerous waters. Get some advice from social media evangelist Ryan Ozawa and Privacy Solutions' Cristina Smith - followed by participants talking about what how their organization is using Social Media.
• 2010 MLS System Satisfaction Survey Results. Matt will present results from the survey that has been keeping MLS vendors on their toes for nearly a decade.
• Open Session and Wrap Up. Time for topics we didn't get to during the planned sessions (please send in YOUR ideas) as well as coming back to topics that participants want to spend more time on.

The cocktail reception will be held the evening of the 3rd from 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM. We hope you are able to join us. Sessions on Thursday run 8:30-4:30, then there is a welcome dinner/reception. On Friday, the sessions run 8:30-noon, and then there is a lunch until 1 PM.

Optional Golf and Racing outings prior to the Workshop sessions will be announced in the months to come.

Where?

Who should attend?

Anyone who will be involved in selecting a new MLS system, managing an MLS system, or building an MLS system will benefit from this conference. This workshop is not for MLS vendors or other suppliers.

Details:

Clareity's MLS Workshop is limited to 100 attendees and sells out every year quickly. Clareity requests that each organization limit itself to two registrants so that more organizations can participate. Clareity's team of speakers, led by Gregg Larson, has over 35 years of MLS and real estate technology experience. The cost for the workshop is only $395 (early bird registrants) and $450 after January 15, 2010.

Questions?

Please email them to or call Clareity at 480-444-0012.

The workshop is SOLD OUT!

To get on the waitlist, please email