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Now that ARMLS has its own weblog for the flexmls transition, how should The Phoenix Real Estate Technology Exchange refocus its efforts?

By: Greg Swann, BloodhoundBlog.com
Posted: Wednesday, April 16th, 2008, 7:36 am MST
Category: ARMLS, Conversion, General Information, flexmls Web

When we started this weblog last October, my own objective was to have a place where tech-savvy Phoenix-area Realtors could discuss technology issues, sharing that information with our less tech-obsessed brethren. The expedient impetus was the ARMLS transition to flexmls, but at the time we also discussed the deplorable state of ZipForms and the advent of transaction management software at AAR, among other issues.

Almost immediately, ARMLS asked to be involved. This struck me as being uncharacteristically wise on its part, but it entailed compromises that are not completely satisfying for a weblog. There’s a bright line distinction between organizations that must speak with one voice and looser associations that welcome multiple points of view. ARMLS seemed to be so hamstrung by what it could not say, that, as is obvious in retrospect, what began as an egg in an apple blossom could not become anything other than a worm in the apple.

From my point of view, both ARMLS and FBS Systems have been amazingly niggardly with information. Possibly this is baked in the cake: The information is simply unavailable. But I had anticipated that we would have had quite a bit more to talk about around here — not just by now but months ago.

And turning the tables, it is plausible to me that the kind of wide-open discussion that is so avidly desired in the weblogging world is anathema to ARMLS, to FBS or to both. That much is alien to me. We stand to learn a lot more from people who oppose our positions than from those who echo them, but it’s hard to fault hierarchical organizations for being hierarchical.

In any case, ARMLS, at least, has pulled out. You will have had spam earlier this week announcing the creation of newarmls.com, a static web site with an integrated weblog devoted to the dissemination of information about the flexmls transition.

Okayfine. That’s their business, and they’re welcome to it. The topmost post in the weblog, as I write this, is a patented ARMLS scolding, and, speaking for myself, I like that sort of thing much better there than here.

And that’s as may be. The question before the house is a simple one: What now?

I have attempted with what one might describe as marginal success to pin this down de jure, but it becomes obvious that whatever alliance we had forged with ARMLS is now defunct de facto. In effect, ARMLS has taken its bat and ball and gone home. This is perfectly fine, and they wouldn’t have done it if it didn’t make sense to them strategically.

The question is: What makes sense for us as strategy?

We are back to square one in the sense that we are free to discuss whatever we choose about real estate technology, without any fear of stepping on ARMLS’ toes. Is this something that people here want to do?

Perhaps naively, I had expected us to attract more attention from the 30,000 members of ARMLS. And, while we do have quite a few subscribers, the blog itself has been all but moribund.

It’s plausible to me that this is the result of our having focused on ARMLS and flexmls, despite the dearth of information emerging from them. For example, no one has written anything about the new AAR transaction management system.

But it’s also plausible to me that The Phoenix Real Estate Technology Exchange is a solution in search of a problem — that, as much as Realtors’ lives might depend on technology, they would rather focus their attention on other issues.

For my own part, I already have a much bigger rostrum from which to express myself. My own involvement with this weblog was to promote a better understanding of real estate technology among agents who don’t live and breathe technology.

What about you? We’re free to do what we want, but do we actually want to do anything at all? It’s perfectly okay with me if we don’t — my own bread will be buttered even if no one else’s is. But we have managed to accumulate an interesting group of people, and there is that lingering problem of the tech revolution in real estate.

If you want to proceed with this project: Proceed. We’re divorced from what seemed to be a potentially-fruitful alliance but may have turned out to be a conspiracy of silence.

So: What next?

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10 Responses to “Now that ARMLS has its own weblog for the flexmls transition, how should The Phoenix Real Estate Technology Exchange refocus its efforts?”

  1. Michael Wurzer Says:
    April 16th, 2008 at 7:46 am

    From my point of view, both ARMLS and FBS Systems have been amazingly niggardly with information. Possibly this is baked in the cake: The information is simply unavailable.

    Correct. There has been no holding back of information, there just isn’t a lot of information to provide. The data is converted and being tested, and we’re about to do some testing on our training program. Hopefully we’ll have more to talk about in the coming six or eight weeks, but there hasn’t been any holding back on behalf of anyone. I’ve done my best to answer each and every question posed. I’m not sure what more I can or should do.

  2. Greg Swann Says:
    April 16th, 2008 at 7:49 am

    Understood. The driver always has plenty to do. It’s the passengers who fidget.

  3. Jonathan Dalton Says:
    April 17th, 2008 at 9:52 am

    Disclaimer: I designed the NewARMLS.com site.

    With that out of the way, my plans had been to pull out of this site anyway. As soon as the same posts complaining about ARMLS regulations on what can and cannot be placed in remarks appeared, I was done. It is an old argument harkening back to dual agency and other such concerns whose place, I felt, was not on a blog that was supposed to be devoted to a transition in technology. Just not something I wanted to be associated with.

    Taking the current top-most post as an example of what the blog will be is out-of-context as best. We all have posts which, if taken as a snapshot in time, likely would not be the best example of what are blogs were, are or were going to be.

    I agreed to work with ARMLS on the blog because I thought there was considerable merit in an MLS - and particularly this MLS - to want to communicate more openly with its membership. It’s a full 180 degrees from what we’re used to seeing from ARMLS.

    ARMLS hasn’t taken its bat and ball and gone home. They’ve simply opted for a different field on which to play.

  4. Steve Belt Says:
    April 17th, 2008 at 11:45 am

    Greg, although there may have been a goal for this blog to have a broader topic base than FlexMLS for Phoenix, that topic was my primary reason for subscribing.

    I don’t find anything wrong with the newARMLS blog, so if the discussion I’m looking for will be there, that’s where I will be.

    Regarding other real estate technology topics, local to or specific to Phoenix, off-the-cuff, that feels like such a limited and narrow focus, as to not truly have enough to talk about on a consistent basis. Even with the buzz of FlexMLS, this blog was having a hard time being relevant.

  5. Chris Butterworth Says:
    April 17th, 2008 at 11:49 am

    “Fidgeting passenger” here. I’m riding along, much more concerned about learning the ins & outs of the new system than I am about designing it.

    Yes, there are things I hate about the Tempo system. And yes, there are things I hope the new system will provide. But I also realize there are over 30,000 agents who will be using the new system. I’m probably in the top 10% as far as tech-enabled; that means there are 27,000+ agents who are going to have a more difficult time than me with the transition.

    What I really want is to understand the rules of the game; what do we have access to and the ability to do? How do we use the new system? Then I want to use that information, along with everything else in the new system, to help build my business and service my clients. (same as always.)

    Whether it’s this blog or an armls blog doesn’t matter to me. I’m happy there are people willing to talk about the change, share ideas, answer questions, and give the rest of us non-designers some help!

  6. Greg Swann Says:
    April 17th, 2008 at 2:30 pm

    The argument, boiled down to its essence:

    1. ARMLS does not wish to entertain meta-debates about the probity of the MLS system.

    2. Ergo, the best place for Realtors in Phoenix to discuss all of the technology issues that might confront them, now or in the future, is in a venue controlled exclusively by ARMLS.

    That smells like pretty bad reasoning to me. As before, I don’t care. If I want to take on ARMLS or FBS or the AAR, I can do so from a huge national platform. It’s the 30,000 other members of ARMLS who have the most to gain from this venue, if indeed there is anything to be gained.

  7. Jonathan Dalton Says:
    April 17th, 2008 at 4:15 pm

    If the reasoning’s poor it’s because the logic driving the argument is faulty.

    To point 1: You’ve jumped to a conclusion simply because ARMLS had the audacity to begin a blog of its own.

    To point 2: There’s a puppet master behind all of these online venues, as has been proven time and again in the utilization of comment moderation.

    The folks at ARMLS know the reality of the real estate blogging community. One even said that if someone’s unhappy, it will be made known on the unhappy soul’s blog. I’m not sure they’re any more cowed by a “national” platform than us shlubs who are generating business with admittedly fewer readers, but the point remains.

    I tend to believe the 30,000 other members of ARMLS will not care where the information is provided, so long as it’s provided. And, to be completely honest, only a fraction of that 30,000 will care about this information no matter where it’s provided.

    The one difference I see is ARMLS may have an easier time of keeping its blog’s focus on point.

  8. Greg Swann Says:
    April 17th, 2008 at 4:38 pm

    That all sounds like a personal problem to me. Don’t care. If you’re going, get thee hence. The post is addressed to whomever might be staying. I’ll repeat the end of it to get us back on topic:

    What about you? We’re free to do what we want, but do we actually want to do anything at all? It’s perfectly okay with me if we don’t — my own bread will be buttered even if no one else’s is. But we have managed to accumulate an interesting group of people, and there is that lingering problem of the tech revolution in real estate.

    If you want to proceed with this project: Proceed. We’re divorced from what seemed to be a potentially-fruitful alliance but may have turned out to be a conspiracy of silence.

    So: What next?

  9. Jonathan Dalton Says:
    April 17th, 2008 at 6:50 pm

    > That all sounds like a personal problem to me.

    Of course it’s a personal problem, Greg. There never has been a time when your logic has been faulty. My deepest apologies for not realizing the error of my ways from the beginning.

    Remove me from the list of contributors. I don’t have the time or inclination to deal with your paranoid conspiracy theories or delusions of relevance.

  10. Robert Nield Says:
    April 18th, 2008 at 8:36 am

    Wow, how did I miss this conversation. My vote is to keep this blog around and to not make it just about Flex (even though up to this point I’ve spoken very little about Flex). I love the idea of a place to share and discuss different real estate tech. There are so many topics that are relevant, and many are going to revolutionize this industry.

    Just as an example off the top of my head http://www.zilpy.com (uses the Zillow API for rentals… awesome!)

    Also I’ve been playing around with Google Maps new “Street View” this will completely change the way I look at some neighborhoods.

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