WARDEX in the Spotlight: Media Articles Featuring Our MLS

Here Comes RESO Data Dictionary 2.0 – All MLSs Must Certify By April 2025

By Victor Lund | October 21st, 2024 | IDX, MLS, Real Estate Technology|

RESO, the Real Estate Standards Organization, passed the Data Dictionary v2.0 standard in April of this year – 6 months ago. Last week, the first MLS in America – WARDEX – on CoreLogic’s Trestle platform, was the first MLS to hit the milestone. Off the record, Al McElmon expects that all Trestle clients will be certified by year-end – well ahead of the deadline. (Clap! Clap!).

This is a wake up call to MLSs and the vendors that consume IDX data. By mutual agreement, every MLS must adopt the new standard within one year of that standard passing. The fuse was lit and there are six months to get every MLS up to speed.

To be sure, this upgrade is HUGE (nod to Michael Wurzer of FBS). If your MLS and MLS vendor have not started the project, pick up your phone and get started now. Time is not on your side.

I know that some vendors, like FBS, are encouraging customers to make as many markets Native Data Dictionary as possible. This requires more planning and decision making as it includes updating listing entry, MLS system, and outbound APIs. Agents using the system are impacted. It is really more of a system conversion than just data mapping. The extra effort and time should produce an important return on investment long-term for brokers and agents.

Standard, formatted data is the lifeblood of brokerage and agent applications that serve their customers. MLSs will often drag their feet in updating to the standard because there is no real stick unless you have pride in your MLS organization, which everyone should. If ever there was a time when MLSs need to focus on supporting brokers and their vendors, it’s now.

RESO’s board of directors has implemented a good system of shaming MLSs who do not put in the effort. They publish a list of MLSs who are certified and those who are not. One of my favorite pages to look at is the shame board of MLSs and vendors migrating over to the WebAPI from RETS. We have come a long way – but still have many miles to travel – check it out – https://www.reso.org/web-api-transition-leaderboard/

MLSs who are not compliant after the deadline in April will, in turn, blame the vendors – which may or may not be fair. CoreLogic will be the first vendor to duck this criticism. In this case, CoreLogic hit a major milestone by earning its RESO Data Dictionary v2.0 vendor certification with WARDEX first. The big deal about the Data Dictionary 2.0 release is how multiple listing organizations and their data licensees can transition using Trestle by CoreLogic. We will see how fast it happens.

Today, we raise a glass to WARDEX – leading the way as the first MLS to receive its RESO Data Dictionary v2.0 certification.

ICE, Rapattoni, Stratus, Bridge (Zillow), Navica – we expect to see you step up in the next 6 months.

What it means to the MLS – a letter from Kim Everett

Kim Everett, Chief Executive Officer of Wardex MLS, is a mighty operator. She sees huge advantages in this new certification.

“Wardex prides itself on being at the leading edge of technology while ensuring our subscribers have the best services and data. The higher quality of data allows our technology partners to create powerful solutions for our subscribers at a fraction of the cost.” By working with CoreLogic, Wardex can provide its members with cutting-edge services that enhance their day-to-day operations.

The new RESO 2.0 certification represents a leap forward in data consistency and reliability, providing MLS organizations and their tech partners with a more unified data-sharing approach. This level of standardization allows for faster integrations, fewer errors, and a better overall experience for users.

Kim points out that RESO 2.0 is more than just an upgrade; it’s a step toward a more standardized and efficient real estate ecosystem. As she explains, “RESO certifications have identified the leaders in the MLS industry who have put in the effort to improve the ecosystem and provide high-quality data. RESO 2.0 will be the mark of the MLS industry players who take their obligations to their membership seriously and expect the same from others.”

Leading with CoreLogic and data standardization

Wardex’s decision to partner with CoreLogic has been pivotal in achieving this milestone. As Everett notes, “Choosing CoreLogic as a partner has allowed our smaller MLS to pursue agile innovation that delivers our customers the very best services available anywhere in the county. We continue to lead the industry as the first adopter of the best new services and technology in the industry.”

By working with CoreLogic, Wardex is able to streamline its operations while ensuring its members have access to the most up-to-date and reliable data. This partnership has empowered Wardex to provide top-tier services and help set the standard for other MLS organizations across the country. (It’s interesting to note that WARDEX has adopted RESO Data Dictionary natively in their MLS system).

While having access to a lot of data is one thing, ensuring that it is clean, standardized, and easy to integrate is what truly sets organizations apart. “Having good data is important, but clean, standardized data allows all consumers to work quickly and easily to integrate with our system,” Kim said.

“We have been strong advocates of RESO and Trestle for years, and Data Dictionary 2.0 is the culmination of the hard work of dozens of industry players working together to make a positive impact. Speaking the same language goes a long way when you’re trying to have a productive conversation,” she added.

For Wardex and its members, this new level of data standardization means better service, fewer disruptions, and a more streamlined experience overall. Wardex is leading the charge in creating a more efficient and effective real estate data ecosystem by ensuring that all MLS data is mapped to the same standard.

Web API Transition Guide

May 24, 2023

Transitioning your customer base from the Real Estate Transaction Standard (RETS) to a certified RESO Web API service requires significant planning and communication. To provide a path forward, RESO collaborated with MLS organizations that have already converted their customers to Web API to offer a best practices guide.

Mathew Kallumadil, VP, Technology & Innovation at Stellar MLS, and Kim Everett, CEO at Western Arizona REALTOR® Data Exchange (WARDEX) represent two MLSs that are fully converted to the RESO Web API. They spoke about their experience and the Web API Transition Guide at the RESO 2023 Spring Conference. | WATCH VIDEO (15:03)

The guide covers how MLSs should prepare for, communicate and execute their own transitions. “We wish we had this guide [at the time]. It would have been really useful,” said Kallumadil.

The argument against transitioning away from RETS has generally been of the “why fix it if it ain’t broke” variety. Kallumadil said it boils down to interoperability for all involved constituents, including MLSs, associations, vendors, agents and their customers.

RETS, as the name suggests, was built only for the real estate industry. By its very nature, it builds a wall that blocks technology from outside of the industry. That provides a compelling pro-API message to present to MLS leadership that might balk at making the transition.

For consumers, switching from RETS to Web API is obvious because it offers more technology choices.

For vendors, there will be more competition, and there will no longer be a need for RETS specialists in order to build new technology.

According to both Kallumadil and Everett, the transition was not very challenging. They each gave vendors a year to comply, and both were ready in about six months.

Everett, who has been in the industry for only two years, learned about the Web API at a RESO conference, went home and told her board about it. The leadership agreed to pursue it, and they worked with their MLS vendor to get it done within a year.

Everett said she used the parenting style of “Love and Logic” to get it done. WARDEX presented their vendors with no exceptions beyond the Web API. “We stood our ground,” she said.

Now, WARDEX is able to pick up and start using new technology much faster than they could before the transition. Everett said that vendors often come to them to ask if they can provide a solution, and they are always happy to hear that they have the RESO Web API in place. Using a globally accepted standard allows for more plug-and-play technology.

Everett noted that a few vendors had built their system specifically for RETS. They knew they were going to have to move away from it eventually, but they procrastinated. Today, more services are ready to move beyond RETS.

Everett and Kallumadil pinpointed five items to focus on:

Identify different needs of different data consumers
Garner support from the entire leadership
Communicate frequently with data consumers
Help, if you can, or partner with your API vendor
Stick to your deadline

Kallumadil said not to crumble to the very vocal brokerage or member that doesn’t want it. Everett echoed the sentiment and stressed the importance of getting your leadership on board. Make sure that they understand why the RESO Web API is a better option. Leaders should have the elevator speech ready so if there is pushback, they can intelligently speak to arguments against a transition.

Kallumadil noted that real estate is not the only industry going through these transitions. The telecom industry once had small, contained clubs, but they have developed a better mobile standard. And the banking industry used to have inward-facing structures, making it difficult for outsiders to interact with them. Once they opened up to API, it ultimately led to popular fintech like Venmo, Zelle and Apple Pay. Being API-enabled opened the industry up to more competition and better products.

Said Everett, “There’s no reason that we’re still dragging our heels. Just step in and go.”

RESO’s Web API Transition Guide is available to help MLSs move their technology forward.

Web API Transition Guide

May 24, 2023

The guide covers how MLSs should prepare for, communicate and execute their own transitions. “We wish we had this guide [at the time]. It would have been really useful,” said Kallumadil.

For consumers, switching from RETS to Web API is obvious because it offers more technology choices.

For vendors, there will be more competition, and there will no longer be a need for RETS specialists in order to build new technology.

According to both Kallumadil and Everett, the transition was not very challenging. They each gave vendors a year to comply, and both were ready in about six months.

Everett said she used the parenting style of “Love and Logic” to get it done. WARDEX presented their vendors with no exceptions beyond the Web API. “We stood our ground,” she said.

Everett and Kallumadil pinpointed five items to focus on:

Identify different needs of different data consumers
Garner support from the entire leadership
Communicate frequently with data consumers
Help, if you can, or partner with your API vendor
Stick to your deadline

Said Everett, “There’s no reason that we’re still dragging our heels. Just step in and go.”

RESO’s Web API Transition Guide is available to help MLSs move their technology forward.

(928) 704-2800

WARDEX in the Spotlight: Media Articles Featuring Our MLS

Here Comes RESO Data Dictionary 2.0 – All MLSs Must Certify By April 2025

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Web API Transition Guide

Web API Transition Guide

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