Kevin Lisota

"I am aware of what is available in these feeds as well, as I have one from our local MLS (that I wish was RETS!) As a customer of both Diverse Solutions and Zillow, I spoke in depth with Spencer Rascoff at Zillow after the acquisition and am quite positive that their motivations are not to sneak in better listing data in violation of MLS data use agreements. Their relationships with brokers, agents and MLS boards are simply too important to the rest of their business to try a trick like that. I am certain that they intend to use Diverse as a way to increase the tool set they make available to agents." - Kevin Lisota

"No it doesn't give them the data Bob. Enforcement of IDX agreements will not allow Zillow to use MLS data other than to power agent IDX websites with DS. It doesn't allow them to use the data on their own site, as they are not MLS members. They are bright enough to know how all of the MLS restrictions work, and are know full well that they can't run IDX for agents without adhering to the rules.They bought DS because they want to offer a wider variety of services to their agents." - Kevin Lisota

"Let's look at the true motivation of Metrolist in Denver, whose own motivations seem to be carrying the day, rather than focusing on their membership. On January 13, they launch their own site that is "similar to search sites Trulia and Zillow but with more accurate and timely housing information" http://www.sbwire.com/press-re... On January 23, they announce a partnership where they offer listing website tools via Hillside Software, who they pimp out in this interview. From the content of this article, it appears as though Metrolist stands to profit via reselling this service to their membership. http://www.sbwire.com/press-re... On February 6, they sever ties with Zillow who competes directly with the two services mentioned above. Coincidence? Hardly." - Kevin Lisota

"Really? They pick one IDX vendor to suddenly exclude, and it just happens to be Zillow? With a plan to take a closer look at other vendors, but no actual reduction in their vendor list? I don't buy this explanation for a minute. The fact of the matter is that the IDX offering from Diverse Solutions (now Zillow) is one of the higher quality offerings out there, and I'm guessing with Zillow's resources, it will get nothing but better. I don't see how this choice benefits their membership or home buyers in the area by excluding just this one vendor. While I understand the issues that come with supporting more vendors, that is certainly a manageable issue with proper documentation and tech support, including charges for such support, like they have done here with the NWMLS. If you ask me, this feels like a thinly-veiled attempt to keep Zillow out of their membership base, probably spurred on by the large brokers in the area who control the MLS board. Just because their contract isn't..." - Kevin Lisota

"This is a huge negative for real estate agents in Denver, and frankly I'm surprised that the Metrolist MLS would be this backwards in their thinking. This is not the same as the listing syndication discussion and the popularity of Zillow. It is about being able to provide effective website solutions to practicing real estate agents. All agents need IDX-based solutions to effectively show listings on their websites, and Diverse Solutions has one of the better solutions out there. Now this MLS refuses to re-sign an agreement with them because they are now part of Zillow? Ridiculous." - Kevin Lisota

We’re joined in the studio by Seattle tech veteran Kevin Lisota, the CEO of real estate startup Findwell, who explains how technology has changed real estate (and how it hasn’t), offers his take on the latest dustup over real estate listing services, and share his experiences using the Nest intelligent thermostat in his home. - Kevin Lisota

"This has been in the works over there for 8+ years." - Kevin Lisota

"Have you met Spencer and his team? "Lacks transparency" is hardly a word that comes to mind. They certainly don't have anonymous trolls posting comments." - Kevin Lisota

"Could there be more old-school rhetoric in this guy's video? He runs a large brokerage, and he is free to use whatever advertising vehicles he sees fit. But the bombastic claims he makes against the use of Zillow and Trulia border on irresponsible. 1) I don't think a home seller is going to see their home listing as "intellectual property". They are vehicles to market their home, and sellers want to see it in places where buyers visit. Clearly sites like Zillow and Trulia fit that description. Yes, you should abide by photography licensing agreements, but there is nothing "intellectual" about a 500 character description and details like # of beds/baths. 2) None of these sites are "stealing listings" or creating "bogus postings" to create inflated inventory. The accuracy of their listing data comes from brokerages like his own, not Zillow and Trulia. The mechanisms exist to post accurate data. Yes, there are data quality issues on these sites, but I invite you to spend an afternoon..." - Kevin Lisota

"Their dubious plan to bake G+ into search results goes farther than just the search engine. My Google Analytics dashboard has reports called "Social Engagement" which only refer to G+ activities, which are virtually non-existent for us. Report would have meaning if they gave credit to Twitter and FB, which do draw quite measurable traffic for us." - Kevin Lisota

"If you are looking to buy with other people as Tenants In Common, you would specify that in your purchase contract and make sure that the recorded title reflects the TIC interests that you have defined amongst yourselves." - Kevin Lisota