Listing Bits Episode 85: A Less, But Better Approach to Real Estate Software Design – with Damien Huze of Lone Wolf Technologies
Release Date: 10/20/2023
The Amazing Annie Ives
Listing Bits
🎙️ Listing Bits Episode: The Amazing Annie Ives Host: Greg Robertson Guest: Annie Ives, CEO of The MLS™ / VestaPlus Duration: ~40 min 👋 Episode Summary: In this episode, Greg sits down with Annie Ives, a true titan in the world of organized real estate. From her early days immigrating from Tunisia to building and reviving one of the most resilient MLS organizations in the country, Annie shares her personal and professional journey with candor, humor, and a hint of rebellion. They cover everything from her humble beginnings in Los Angeles, to taking down...
info_outline
Brian Donnellan and the future of cooperation
Listing Bits
🎙️ Listing Bits: Brian Donnellan, CEO of Bright MLS Host: Greg Robertson Guest: Brian Donnellan, CEO of Bright MLS Episode Summary: Greg sits down with Bright MLS CEO Brian Donnellan for a candid conversation about leadership, music, and the shifting dynamics in real estate. They dive into design, the Clear Cooperation Policy, Wall Street’s influence, and why cooperation—not just compensation—is the heart of MLS value. What You’ll Learn: • Why Bright MLS invests so heavily in communication and design • How playing in bands helped Brian lead...
info_outline
A floor plan with every listing
Listing Bits
In this episode of Listing Bits, Greg Robertson is joined by Megan McFarlane from New Mexico MLS and Jeff Allen from CubiCasa to discuss the growing importance of floor plans in real estate listings. They dive into why New Mexico MLS has taken the bold step of requiring floor plans on every listing, how technology like CubiCasa is making this easier, and the industry-wide momentum pushing for more complete and transparent listing content. Key Takeaways • New Mexico MLS’s Bold Move: Why they made floor plans mandatory and how it enhances listing accuracy and consumer experience. •...
info_outline
Building Real Estate Technology: The Story of Real Geeks with Kevin McCarthy
Listing Bits
Episode Summary: In this episode, Greg Robertson talks with Kevin McCarthy, co-founder and CEO of Real Geeks, about his journey from a small-town tech enthusiast to creating a leading real estate technology company. Kevin shares insights into Real Geeks’ origins, its evolution, and how its all-in-one platform empowers real estate agents. The conversation touches on the early challenges of building a tech company, the role of SEO in the early internet era, and how AI is shaping the future of real estate technology. Key Topics Discussed: 1. The Birth of Real Geeks • How Kevin’s move...
info_outline
Listing Bits Podcast: The Front-endless MLS System with Carlos Grass and Paul Hethmon of Amplify
Listing Bits
Overview: Greg Robertson sits down with Carlos Grass and Paul Hethmon, co-founders of Amplify, to discuss their innovative “front-endless” MLS backend platform. This episode highlights Amplify’s unique approach to creating a flexible, adaptable MLS backend designed to empower MLSs with greater control and cutting-edge technology. Key Takeaways: 1. Amplify’s Mission and Flexibility: • Amplify offers a decoupled backend solution that allows MLSs to use multiple frontends, enabling greater customization, data control, and integration with new technologies. 2. Innovative Technology...
info_outline
Listing Bits Podcast: Austin Allison, CEO of Pacaso
Listing Bits
Overview: In this episode, Greg Robertson chats with Austin Allison, CEO of Pacaso, about his entrepreneurial journey in real estate, starting with Dotloop and transitioning to his current venture, Pacaso. The discussion covers lessons learned from his early career, how Pacaso is revolutionizing second home ownership, and insights into raising capital through innovative approaches like Regulation A. Key Takeaways: 1. Austin’s Journey in Real Estate: • Austin Allison started his real estate career early, getting his license at 18. His early experiences selling homes during college...
info_outline
A working agent’s perspective on the current state of organized real estate- Maggie Etheridge, REALTOR.
Listing Bits
I sat down with a long-time friend and former business partner, Maggie Etheridge. Maggie was one of my co-founders at IRIS, a real estate software company we started back in 1992. She is a second-generation real estate agent. Maggie’s mom, Martie, was the inspiration for starting a software company focused on real estate and is likely the reason I have a career today. This episode began from a series of texts between Maggie and me about her thoughts on NAR, the lawsuits, exclusive listings, and what the pundits are getting wrong. It was a great conversation and a huge reality check...
info_outline
Real estate data, myths and cowboy boots with Kevin Shtofman of Cherre
Listing Bits
Listing Bits is back with a great guest, Kevin Shtofman, Global Head of Innovation at Cherre. Cherre is a global real estate data management platform. Kevin is from Texas and comes from a very entrepreneurial family that owned retail stores selling western wear, including honest-to-goodness cowboy boots! Yee-haw! Kevin talks about his journey from Wall Street back to Dallas and Cherre. It’s a great conversation where we dive into the breadth of real estate data available now, housing affordability, real estate myths, and the changing vendor landscape. Kevin is a super smart guy, and I found...
info_outline
Dan Fortin of Lone Wolf Technologies on designing a proper Foundation
Listing Bits
Dan Fortin was one of my favorite people I met working at Lone Wolf. He came over from the Instanet acquisition and has had a front-row seat to see big changes in the industry. From Lone Wolf acquiring 8 companies, 5 of them in less than 9 months, to the challenges of being a forms company during COVID when everyone wanted a specific form, and they wanted it NOW! Sounds familiar, eh? We discuss Dan's background, the lessons he's learned over the 10 years, and how taking a data-driven approach to making decisions has helped him during his career. We also get to talk about Lone Wolf's recent...
info_outline
Listing Bits Episode 91: Tether RE, keeping Agents Safe
Listing Bits
What do Willie Nelson and keeping real estate agents safe have in common? You will have to listen to this great conversation with Tether RE founder Scott Martin to find out. Did you know that in 2020 60,000 real estate agents reported being victims of assault, sexual abuse, robbery or were murdered in the US? In 2023 over 75,000 real estate agents reported being victim of a crime. And there are a ton of more incidents that go unreported. In this wide ranging conversation with Scott Martin, a serial entrepreneur, we talk about where the idea came from, and the journey...
info_outlineListing Bits EP085: A Less, But Better Approach to Real Estate Software Design – with Damien Huze of Lone Wolf Technologies
Among Dieter Rams’ Ten Principles of Design is the idea that good design is as little design as possible.
Less, but better.
And Damien Huze believes that the next evolution of real estate software will apply this concept, offering fewer high-quality apps that work together in a fluid system.
Damien is Senior Design Manager and Principal Designer at Lone Wolf Technologies, a software company working to build an end-to-end solution for real estate.
Damien served as Chief Design Officer at W+R studios before the Lone Wolf acquisition, and he is responsible for the design of Cloud CMA, one of the most popular apps in real estate.
On this episode of Listing Bits, Damien explains how making design a priority benefits companies building web-based apps and why he defines design as a skill aimed at problem-solving.
Damien describes how Lone Wolf is working to combine the tools of proptech into a single streamlined experience and shares his team’s user-centric approach to the problem of simplifying real estate.
Listen in for insight on the power of relentless focus and learn about Damien’s vision for designing real estate software that delivers more with less.
What’s Discussed:
What Damien learned from growing up with creative parents who immigrated to the US
How making design a priority benefits companies building web-based apps (and why so few do it)
How Damien thinks about design as a skill aimed at problem-solving
What Lone Wolf is doing to bring several real estate apps together in a single end-to-end solution
Why Damien believes the next evolution in real estate software is ‘less but better’
Lone Wolf’s upcoming announcement at the T3 Technology Summit
What it means for good software to have an opinion vs. being too flexible or customizable
How Damien’s team brings a user-centric, design thinking approach to simplifying real estate
Greg and Damien’s take on the advantage of simple tools that get the job done
The well-designed product that’s had the biggest impact on Damien’s life
Why relentless focus boosts productivity and how Damien applies that tenet to design
Connect with Damien Huze:
Resources:
Dieter Rams’ 10 Principles of Good Design
Our Sponsors: