New Challenge - Re-organizing the MLS (our global MLS project)

[Morgan]

For those of you who don’t know, REW is currently building our own MLS (a global MLS) with the goal to be able to help our global partners adopt broker reciprocity similar to how we do it here in North America (it will also mean we have the IDX feeds we need to create sites in other counties

One of the challenges we face is building out the interface for adding listings.

Typically MLS’s (for example our Matrix here on Vancouver Island) organize data into a tabular format which makes sense in a lot of ways, so we’re leaning in that direction.

But the interface is hideous and doesn’t seem to be all that well organized (example screen below of an actual MLS input)

It is a bit of a beast, and there is a lot to organize, but this is a great opportunity to make something better (and god forbid better looking)

So Phil, John and I are currently working on this new interface and we could use your help!

I’d love to know if you’ve seen a really great listings input (well organized, easy to follow etc) and also if you could dream up the perfect organization of listings input, what would that look like?

Some thoughts I have are:

All mandatory fields in one tab: I mean this is the mandatory stuff, right? So why not get that out of the way, and ensure you have it all in there before moving on to the optional stuff?

All media in one tab (photos, videos, floorplans, virtual tour links etc, all goes under “media”)

Rooms - this is actually something we’re inventing some new tech around, so “rooms” is not just what they are called, and their length and width, but you’ll actually be able to associate specific features to specific rooms and associate / label different media to the rooms as well (it’s pretty cool actually and will really help with SEO)

People stuff: Listing agent, co-listing agent, solicitor, any “people” that need to be associated with the listing (some public, some private) was thinking of putting them in one place. (@Aayaam @Rebecca we really need to tie “people” in the CRM as well so we can easily search / auto fill)

Features: Gotta have features

What else?

And of course, we’d like to make it “just a bit” better looking than older MLS’s that are super ugly, clunky and non ADA compliant.

For now, we’re sticking with prototype design (we’ll add colours and fanciness later)

But imagine something like this: (For visual only, not representative of how we’re organized)

So what do you think? Want to help us build the global MLS?

We’d love your input

[PuertoRealty]

Is this going to change how “pocket listings” are uploaded and managed? I am not interested in a global MLS, but anything that improves managing our own inventory is very welcome.

Mainly, I would like to have a better way of looking for a listing in the backend. Right now I cannot even search for a listing by MLS number in the backend.

[hatzopoulos]

You could create field collections dependant on country or city, for easy creation, yet still have all other fields available.

For example in the Caribbean I will be dealing with issues like:

• Furnished or Unfurnished?
• Temporary or Timeshares?
• Condo Fees, Maintenance Fees, and detailed “Other” fees?
• Has Elevator?
• Utility and Power Generator(s)? (true/false, types and cost, power company, etc).
• Security? (24/7, number of Guards, Cameras, etc)

So those may show once the location has been chosen, in order to setup some region defaults.

Yet for Montreal, Quebec …

• The units for the apartments are going to be special case.
• Is the heating included?
• Electricity Included?
• Winter things; indoor Gym, Indoor Pool, Indoor parking?

Some other stuff you could think about:

• Data API or SDK for 3rd party implementation.
• Weather? Climate data would be nice.
• Approved Broker and Lenders network.
• Instant Buy Property Button, using BitCoin; just joking.

[Morgan]

@PuertoRealty

Is this going to change how “pocket listings” are uploaded and managed? I am not interested in a global MLS, but anything that improves managing our own inventory is very welcome.

Mainly, I would like to have a better way of looking for a listing in the backend. Right now I cannot even search for a listing by MLS number in the backend.

Yes and yes!

We (REW) need a global MLS because in most countries there isn’t one (and thus no IDX feed) and so we need to create one in order to be able to offer the kinds of sites we offer here in North America globally.

BUT

Since we’re building it, we might as well make it really awesome, right? Which includes improving the user interface, searchability, tools etc and since we’re building the MLS ON a Real Estate Webmasters framework, any enhancements we make to the MLS we can also then make available to all our existing customers.

So by participating in this thread, you’re actually helping build the next generation of listings input and augmentation.

Here’s a great example of a new innovation (not skinned yet, as only we use it)

As we thought about what makes a really great details page (and what consumers might want to know) and also what might make our pages stand out more for SEO value (in terms of having more content) we thought about rooms.

Right now, most IDX feeds have very little data on a “per room basis” and things like property features are listed at the “property level” but not the room level.

We’re making our search much better! We’re allowing consumers to add details on a “per room” basis (so imagine your primary bedroom has a fireplace, or your lower den has a built-in bar etc) fully searchable too!)

Take it a step further, since we’re now separating rooms we can even start tagging specific photos to specific rooms so you can use the search to say “show me pictures of living rooms with fireplaces” etc

Still working out the features (and some redundancies, for example, we don’t need room length unit and room width unit (only needs one "room unit - John A, let’s consolidate that)

But you get the idea right?

The more ideas you share, the better listings management will be

[livrealestate]

This is a fantastic idea. Any chance you’ll add this to Renaissance so we could augment our own IDX listings to have room details?

[Morgan]

Yes, that is what I was saying above

[Morgan]

Alright @Phil I think you’re up next

Let’s start some tabs (more details) I think folks are really into this who “Rooms” tab, so let’s get laying it out (more detailed mockup) - sidenote, we don’t need both room length unit and room width unit (from the above screen) instead, “room units” should be a single setting in the rooms tab as a dropdown (we aren’t going to have different measurements of rooms from room to room, so it’s not like some will be in feet and others (on the same property) will be in meters etc

The other 2 tabs we can get started on in more detail are the “media” tab, the people tab and the property specifics tab.

The media tab has all forms of media:

Photos, Floor Plans, Ebmedded video links such as youtube and vimeo (note we are not hosting videos for listings, so ther should not be an upload video link) links for common VR (Immoviewer, Matterport, again not hosting, need to embed) Each media “type” is it’s own section (start with images and at least 1 image is mandatory in order to make a listing visible.

Another thing to consider is that we want to be able to associate media with rooms, and so once an image is uploaded for example, you should be able to add an alt tag to it, but also select which room it belongs to as well (needed for future image feature search)

The people tab, is for any people associated with the listing.

#1: Primary is the listing agent (should auto populate all the contact info if they are an agent in our system)

#2: Feed provider (often different than the listing agent, we need these details to be able to CC copies of all leads and send notifications related to listings should they desire that (example REMAX might send all of their listings, so we send leads directly to the listing agent, but they might ask us to CC their corporate services etc

#3: Seller(s) information (important for the backend, but not displayed on the front end)

#4: Other people (lawyers etc)

And then we have property specifics:

This is the address, the lot size, the geocoded, parcel numbers, and anything else related to the “physical location & lot”

[Phil]

Excited to get started.

Starting with the room tab… couple of questions:-

• Should we account for irregular room shapes? “L” shaped rooms seem fairly common (I have a few in my house).
• Maybe a Level/Floor select? + I could see expanding this to allow “building” at some point, carriage houses/ detached garage/shop/shed (maybe outdoor spaces / deck) etc.
• Eventually: Some way to create sub rooms or associate rooms (thinking of Ensuites, walk-ins here)

[livrealestate]

Whoops, missed that part!

[livrealestate]

Floor level, for sure is a good idea. I’m not sure about room shapes… the ability to upload floor plans in the media section would be great and would also account for some of this stuff.

[Morgan]

@Phil

Excited to get started.

Starting with the room tab… couple of questions:-

• Should we account for irregular room shapes? “L” shaped rooms seem fairly common (I have a few in my house).
• Maybe a Level/Floor select? + I could see expanding this to allow “building” at some point, carriage houses/ detached garage/shop/shed (maybe outdoor spaces / deck) etc.
• Eventually: Some way to create sub rooms or associate rooms (thinking of Ensuites, walk-ins here)

Phase 1, don’t worry about irregular room shapes (we have a floor plan uploader and they are pretty rare)

Floors is an excellent idea! On the main property details page “how many floors” with a number input, and then for each room when you add it, also be able to select which floor it’s on (main floor primary etc) good call!

Not worried about sub rooms at this time, but you might list “ensuite bath” a “feature” of a bedroom (and then also make sure you enter that the bathrooms exist in the bathrooms section)