Friday Flash: Getting ready to rumble

As you may know by now, big brokers have made known their intention to do something about the “Rogue MLS.”

There’s really not much I can say about this. But it is clear the tension that has built along the broker/MLS fault line for years will find its release in the near future.

This is a good thing.

I don’t say this because I am rooting for the brokers, or for the MLSs. I don’t view this as a spectator sport, or a zero-sum game.

I have spent the last several years of my professional life working with brokers to build stronger brands and secure their place in the future. I have also advocated for MLS activism in cases where I thought it would keep the real estate industry, not just the MLS “industry,” relevant.

It’s a good thing because if, as so many profess, we wish to see a better, more profitable, more progressive real estate business, something needs to change.

We can’t have all the same people doing all the same things forever if we are to get to where we proclaim we want to go.

So when some industry people get pissed, when other industry people get nervous, I get excited. Because it means we are moving.

The Austin Board of Realtors ended its relationship with ListHub to distribute listings to Zillow, Trulia and others, citing  “listing inaccuracy” on such sites.

In other news, I just took off my sweater because I am cold.

Urban Compass, a brokerage startup launched in NYC with a focus on rentals, has raised another $20 million. Looks like they’re going to expand beyond New York and possibly get into buying.

This company has been on my watch list since the beginning of this year. If you’re a broker, there’s lots to go to school on.

Urban Compass offers tons of unique local content that helps people make decisions about where to live; their website is strongly user focused; agents are credibly positioned as knowledgeable guides, not just, well, “agents.”

Add ’em to your watch list too.

Do Good Real Estate is a small brokerage in North Carolina we’ve been tracking for a while. They have an interesting angle (the company is, for example, a certified B Corp) that may not be for everyone, but they get a lot of the basics right.

Spend five seconds on their home page and it’s clear that they know who they are, and who they aren’t. They have their brand story straight. And they tell it in a voice that’s distinctive and consistent.

This week they shot us a sample of their new ad campaign, which features Do Good agents. This sort of thing always makes agents happy, but usually strikes a sour note with consumers. They avoided that trap by presenting their agents in a way that not only maintains the brand positioning and voice, but also telegraphs something to the consumer other than, say, “I really like pictures of myself.”

Worth a look:

Meet Jamie (DG Ad.)

Enjoy the weekend.