Welcome to another edition of “Ask the MLS.” Here, we talk to people running innovative MLSs around the country and ask them questions about their markets, their members and what keeps them up at night.
Today’s post features Kathy Condon, President and CEO of MLS PIN. MLS PIN is the largest MLS in New England, serving Massachusetts, Rhode Island and parts of New Hampshire. MLS PIN launched Homesnap Pro in October 2015. Here’s what Kathy had to say:
1. What accomplishment are you most proud of in 2018?
Looking back on 2018, I am most proud of the renewed sense of vigor and ownership that our entire staff has experienced. We made some exciting internal changes, and everyone supported each other and pulled together as a team to deliver a top-notch customer experience in every way possible.
We also cross-trained and combined three separate customer-facing departments that are all working together now. The result is an improved customer experience that can be felt the minute the phone rings.
Teamwork was also involved in a complete redesign of the “search” function of our flagship Pinergy product, resulting in a truly modern, responsive “search” and “search results.” We teamed up with vendors as well, giving our customers free access to Cloud CMA, Remine, and continued free access to Homesnap Pro.
2. MLS PIN is one of the country’s largest MLSs. How do you stay on top of trends — market trends, technology trends — to provide the best service to your subscribers?
I start my day well before I’m in the office by reading various industry updates, as well as the Wall Street Journal.
I also credit the engagement of our board members and leadership, and their willingness to give of their time to travel to industry events and see and hear what others are doing — discussing how it could or could not work in our backyard and how it affects stakeholders like the brokers who own MLS PIN, the participants, shareholders, and our own internal staff.
Our team here wants the company to continue to be viewed as an industry leader.
Our senior management team is also very engaged and meets regularly to discuss what is happening in our industry and how we can improve here at MLS PIN. And our board members also support me in my outside endeavors, be it the MLS Roundtable, CMLS, COVE, or serving on advisory boards to industry vendors and portals — knowing that this time out of the office benefits the company and its subscribers.
3. As we enter the slower season for home sales, what advice do you have for agents to stay productive throughout the winter?
We try to roll out new services and updated technology during slower listing and selling activity times, as we want our customers to have the time to learn a new product before the market picks up in the spring.
My advice is to learn something new, read the Swanopoel Trends Report, catch up on other reading, or attend a training session with our MLS PIN outreach team, who would be glad to travel to offices for a demonstration or personalized training session.
4. What do you think is the biggest challenge facing real estate agents today?
Information overload is a real thing. There is so much information, advice, and technology being thrown at them at the same time that it can become overwhelming.
I believe the point of new technology is to make the process smoother, to do more in less time, and I advise agents to embrace the tools they feel will help their careers and their customers.
5. Which of your many championship-winning Boston sports teams is your favorite?
It’s hard to choose a favorite, but if pressed, I’d have to say the Boston Celtics. Of course, I’m old enough to remember the days of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Tiny Archibald, and the other greats. They gave the game their all and they were a TEAM, no prima donnas in the group!