From transaction management software to the MLS system itself, we all know that MLSs supply their members with tools to help them run their businesses more smoothly. But with inventory at an all-time low and competition fiercer than ever, what can MLSs do to help their members stand out, win new clients, and serve their existing clients better?
Today, we’ll look at a mainstay of real estate technology, the MLS tax and property data product, to see how real estate professionals can use it to make their brand shine brightly in their local market. The key? It all comes down to customization.
Customizing Reports to Stand Out From the Crowd
Perhaps the most used tool—and often time the easiest to customize across various products—is the property report. So how are real estate pros using property tax data reports in the field? To find out, we spoke with Andrew Cristancho, director of Marketing at Northern Nevada Regional MLS (NNRMLS). Cristancho has years of hands-on experience teaching NNRMLS members how to use MLS-provided software.
“I call the Property Report the ‘Bread and Butter Report,'” says Cristancho. “I think the Property Report is a really distinguishing report that our members can pull up if they’re doing a phone call. They can polish it up and make it client-based, and pull out some of the stuff that they don’t think the client would be interested in.”
Cristancho notes that NNRMLS members like that they can brand their report and can bring in CMA data with one click, thanks to a deep integration between their MLS system and their property data provider.
Customized In-Depth Search
For NNRMLS, the “Simple Search” feature is the second most-used feature among their members. It’s easy to access and lets users quickly search properties by owner name, street address, subdivision, parcel ID or MLS number.
“Having that Simple bar really helps,” says Cristancho. “We saw our metrics jump when that feature was introduced. Before, it wasn’t complicated, but it saves a few extra steps now.”
Take advantage of advanced search features in your MLS tax product. When a search needs to go deeper, like when agents are trying to find the perfect home for their buyers, they can tap into the advanced search features, which let them search according to specific criteria. If, for example, an agent needs to find a piece of property on one acre with a pool in a certain zip code, they can often simply plug those criteria into the search feature and save them. From there, they can generate a list of matching properties for their client, and revisit that customized search later to view the latest matching listings.
Customized search criteria can also be used to help agents find new business with their prospecting tools. For example, let’s say an agent wants to send out a targeted mailing to homeowners who’ve been in their home over seven years. If the system allows them do so, an agent can often narrow down their target area by radius, zip code, subdivision, county and more, or by drawing a target area on a map. The resulting list can be further refined by removing absentee owners, commercial properties, recently sold or currently listed homes and more. From there, the user can print out their customized list of targeted addresses on mailing labels.
To learn more about CRS Data’s MLS Tax Suite, visit CRSData.com/MLS-Tax-Suite.
