Comments on: Crossing the MLS moat http://raincityguide.com/2006/03/10/crossing-the-mls-moat/ Seattle's Leading Resource for Real Estate Information Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:47:42 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Tech tools just for realtors - PowerPoint creation script for CMA/Buyer tour, etc » Seattle-Bellevue Real Estate Blog http://raincityguide.com/2006/03/10/crossing-the-mls-moat/#comment-66710 Tech tools just for realtors - PowerPoint creation script for CMA/Buyer tour, etc » Seattle-Bellevue Real Estate Blog Mon, 22 Jan 2007 22:02:13 +0000 http://raincityguide.com/2006/03/10/crossing-the-mls-moat/#comment-66710 [...] What would really be great is if I could pull the data directly from the MLS system, but at the present the NWMLS doesn’t even allow agents direct data links into the system. That’s a major pet peeve of mine, particularly when NAR’s Center for Realtor Technology has actually developed some great tools for us to do just that. Over on Rain City Guide, Robbie has a few good comments on that issue.  Hey Robbie — if you see this maybe you can modify it to pull directly from your XML feed you’ve created for RCG.  [...] [...] What would really be great is if I could pull the data directly from the MLS system, but at the present the NWMLS doesn’t even allow agents direct data links into the system. That’s a major pet peeve of mine, particularly when NAR’s Center for Realtor Technology has actually developed some great tools for us to do just that. Over on Rain City Guide, Robbie has a few good comments on that issue.  Hey Robbie — if you see this maybe you can modify it to pull directly from your XML feed you’ve created for RCG.  [...]

]]> By: Lake Sammamish Living » Tech tools just for realtors - PowerPoint creation script for CMA/Buyer tour, etc http://raincityguide.com/2006/03/10/crossing-the-mls-moat/#comment-10278 Lake Sammamish Living » Tech tools just for realtors - PowerPoint creation script for CMA/Buyer tour, etc Sat, 22 Jul 2006 05:05:26 +0000 http://raincityguide.com/2006/03/10/crossing-the-mls-moat/#comment-10278 [...] I always hate spending time doing the copy+paste for a task that can be automated. So I wrote a VBScript that will read a data download from the MLS system and create my formated PowerPoint file, including the pictures. Used to take me 20+ minutes to do this manually, now it takes less than 5 minutes. I’m not a programmer so there’s probably a lot that could be done more efficiently — thus I’m putting this out there hoping I’ll get some improvements as people take a look.  What would really be great is if I could pull the data directly from the MLS system, but at the present the NWMLS doesn’t even allow agents direct data links into the system. That’s a major pet peeve of mine, particularly when NAR’s Center for Realtor Technology has actually developed some great tools for us to do just that. Over on Rain City Guide, Robbie has a few good comments on that issue.  Hey Robbie — if you see this maybe you can modify it to pull directly from your XML feed you’ve created for RCG.   At any rate - click this link for the file. You will need to save it as CREATPPT.VBS in order to run it. Posted by robertgraysmith Posted by robertgraysmith     [...] [...] I always hate spending time doing the copy+paste for a task that can be automated. So I wrote a VBScript that will read a data download from the MLS system and create my formated PowerPoint file, including the pictures. Used to take me 20+ minutes to do this manually, now it takes less than 5 minutes. I’m not a programmer so there’s probably a lot that could be done more efficiently — thus I’m putting this out there hoping I’ll get some improvements as people take a look.  What would really be great is if I could pull the data directly from the MLS system, but at the present the NWMLS doesn’t even allow agents direct data links into the system. That’s a major pet peeve of mine, particularly when NAR’s Center for Realtor Technology has actually developed some great tools for us to do just that. Over on Rain City Guide, Robbie has a few good comments on that issue.  Hey Robbie — if you see this maybe you can modify it to pull directly from your XML feed you’ve created for RCG.   At any rate – click this link for the file. You will need to save it as CREATPPT.VBS in order to run it. Posted by robertgraysmith Posted by robertgraysmith     [...]

]]> By: ARDELL http://raincityguide.com/2006/03/10/crossing-the-mls-moat/#comment-2715 ARDELL Fri, 10 Mar 2006 21:13:38 +0000 http://raincityguide.com/2006/03/10/crossing-the-mls-moat/#comment-2715 We have a new mls...we the members, not the public site. It does have an aerial opton and some other new spiffy things. As with all "upgrades", some things are better and some aren't. They combined the map feature with the radius feature and I want to kick the thing when it gives me a circle when I want a box. But so far the upgrades haven't hindered my ability to write offers and show property...nor helped. We have a new mls…we the members, not the public site. It does have an aerial opton and some other new spiffy things.

As with all “upgrades”, some things are better and some aren’t. They combined the map feature with the radius feature and I want to kick the thing when it gives me a circle when I want a box.

But so far the upgrades haven’t hindered my ability to write offers and show property…nor helped.

]]> By: Robbie http://raincityguide.com/2006/03/10/crossing-the-mls-moat/#comment-2711 Robbie Fri, 10 Mar 2006 20:21:54 +0000 http://raincityguide.com/2006/03/10/crossing-the-mls-moat/#comment-2711 Robert, All hope is not lost. As you may or may not know, MS Office 2003 & the upcoming Office 2007 have <a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/brian_jones/default.aspx" rel="nofollow">XML file formats</a>. Which means, I could easily create an export to Excel button on Rain City search (just as I have for RSS & Google Earth KML files). If your interested in that feature, let me know. As an aside, I'd love to have an export to MS Mappoint or Streets & Trips feature, but the mapping group at MS seems too preoccupied with the Web services & Virtual Earth to worry about their Windows apps. Too bad they haven't drunk the XML cool-aid that the Office guys have. I have better things to do than muck with <a href="http://www.gpsbabel.org/" rel="nofollow">GPS babel</a> & OLE Storage based file formats. Oh well, maybe if Google Earth gets big enough, they'll wake up and make up an XML based file format for Mappoint and Streets & Trips before it's too late. Robert,

All hope is not lost. As you may or may not know, MS Office 2003 & the upcoming Office 2007 have XML file formats. Which means, I could easily create an export to Excel button on Rain City search (just as I have for RSS & Google Earth KML files). If your interested in that feature, let me know.

As an aside, I’d love to have an export to MS Mappoint or Streets & Trips feature, but the mapping group at MS seems too preoccupied with the Web services & Virtual Earth to worry about their Windows apps. Too bad they haven’t drunk the XML cool-aid that the Office guys have. I have better things to do than muck with GPS babel & OLE Storage based file formats. Oh well, maybe if Google Earth gets big enough, they’ll wake up and make up an XML based file format for Mappoint and Streets & Trips before it’s too late.

]]> By: robertgraysmith http://raincityguide.com/2006/03/10/crossing-the-mls-moat/#comment-2708 robertgraysmith Fri, 10 Mar 2006 19:21:28 +0000 http://raincityguide.com/2006/03/10/crossing-the-mls-moat/#comment-2708 Derek, the MLS castle walls has been a major source of irritation for me. I wanted to create an Excel spreadsheet to query MLS directly and create analysis of available multi-family properties. When I found the <a href="http://code.crt.realtors.org/projects/ezrets" rel="nofollow">ezRETS ODBC driver</a> I thought everything was great. Unfortunately, the NWMLS limits this access to just a view vendors (Lightning, Tarasoft Titan). So even though I'm a licensed agent and paying MLS member with access to this same data via their web interface, I can't create any USABLE solutions because of their policy. So even though the <a href="http://www.crt.realtors.org/whoweare.html" rel="nofollow">National Association's Center for Realtor(r) Technology</a> exists to <i>"develop a technology agenda for its members to assist in transformation of the real estate industry through adoption of advanced technology"</i> including creating the before mentioned driver, <b>the Northwest MLS stands boldly in the way of any innovation</b>. Derek,
the MLS castle walls has been a major source of irritation for me. I wanted to create an Excel spreadsheet to query MLS directly and create analysis of available multi-family properties. When I found the ezRETS ODBC driver I thought everything was great.

Unfortunately, the NWMLS limits this access to just a view vendors (Lightning, Tarasoft Titan). So even though I’m a licensed agent and paying MLS member with access to this same data via their web interface, I can’t create any USABLE solutions because of their policy.

So even though the National Association’s Center for Realtor(r) Technology exists to “develop a technology agenda for its members to assist in transformation of the real estate industry through adoption of advanced technology” including creating the before mentioned driver, the Northwest MLS stands boldly in the way of any innovation.

]]> By: Dustin http://raincityguide.com/2006/03/10/crossing-the-mls-moat/#comment-2705 Dustin Fri, 10 Mar 2006 19:03:50 +0000 http://raincityguide.com/2006/03/10/crossing-the-mls-moat/#comment-2705 Derek, I'd definitely say that you have a good thing going, and the market for Bay Area real estate information is definitely not tapped by any means... As you mentioned in your post, <a href="http://reyestate.blogspot.com/2006/03/curbed-has-arrived-today-curbed-sf.html" rel="nofollow"> Curbed brings legitimacy to the real estate blogging</a> and raises the the bar for all of us! Derek,

I’d definitely say that you have a good thing going, and the market for Bay Area real estate information is definitely not tapped by any means… As you mentioned in your post, Curbed brings legitimacy to the real estate blogging and raises the the bar for all of us!

]]> By: Derek http://raincityguide.com/2006/03/10/crossing-the-mls-moat/#comment-2704 Derek Fri, 10 Mar 2006 18:24:55 +0000 http://raincityguide.com/2006/03/10/crossing-the-mls-moat/#comment-2704 Thanks for the post and interest in the logo similarities between ReyEstate and Curbed SF. When designing ReyEstate’s logo, I definitely took interest in Curbed NY’s design, however I chose to go the iconic quintessential route, featuring cable cars, Coit tower and the painted lady’s (row of Victorians). I’m not a New Yorker, but I don’t recognize the skyline featured on Curbed.com and was under the assumption that they might pursue the same indigenous but not iconic look for their SF counterpart. I was wrong. Nevertheless, I welcome Curbed with open arms and the similar branding will probably have little to no effect on my Blog. Best, Derek Rey www.ReyEstate.com Thanks for the post and interest in the logo similarities between ReyEstate and Curbed SF.

When designing ReyEstate’s logo, I definitely took interest in Curbed NY’s design, however I chose to go the iconic quintessential route, featuring cable cars, Coit tower and the painted lady’s (row of Victorians). I’m not a New Yorker, but I don’t recognize the skyline featured on Curbed.com and was under the assumption that they might pursue the same indigenous but not iconic look for their SF counterpart.

I was wrong.

Nevertheless, I welcome Curbed with open arms and the similar branding will probably have little to no effect on my Blog.

Best,

Derek Rey
http://www.ReyEstate.com

]]> By: Dustin http://raincityguide.com/2006/03/10/crossing-the-mls-moat/#comment-2702 Dustin Fri, 10 Mar 2006 17:28:53 +0000 http://raincityguide.com/2006/03/10/crossing-the-mls-moat/#comment-2702 For those who are wondering, the two sites that Jeff is talking about are: <ul> <li><a href="http://sf.curbed.com/" rel="nofollow">Curbed SF</a> and </li> <li><a href="http://reyestate.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">RayEstate</a>.</li> </ul> While I definitely see the similarities, the Curbed SF site also looks darn close to the <a href="http://www.curbed.com/" rel="nofollow">Curbed NY</a> and <a href="http://la.curbed.com/" rel="nofollow">Curbed LA</a> sites, so I'd be more inclined to think that Ray was probably inspired by Curbed's logo than the other way around... For those who are wondering, the two sites that Jeff is talking about are:

While I definitely see the similarities, the Curbed SF site also looks darn close to the Curbed NY and Curbed LA sites, so I’d be more inclined to think that Ray was probably inspired by Curbed’s logo than the other way around…

]]> By: Jeff Woo http://raincityguide.com/2006/03/10/crossing-the-mls-moat/#comment-2701 Jeff Woo Fri, 10 Mar 2006 17:17:10 +0000 http://raincityguide.com/2006/03/10/crossing-the-mls-moat/#comment-2701 Curbed SF launched yesterday... Notice their graphics -- look familiar? your boy rayestate must be pissed. thats identical. Curbed SF launched yesterday… Notice their graphics — look familiar? your boy rayestate must be pissed. thats identical.

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