AI and compliance with Todd Carpenter of Styldod
Listing Bits
In this episode of Listing Bits, Greg Robertson sits down with Todd Carpenter, SVP of Industry Relations at Styldod, to talk about the evolution of real estate technology—from mortgage lead gen to photo AI. They dive deep into how Styldod uses artificial intelligence to help agents with virtual staging, automate compliance workflows, and extract property data directly from listing photos. Todd also shares his career journey through early online mortgage startups, NAR, and RE.net culture to where he is today—working on AI-powered tools designed to modernize listing input and photo...
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Meet Ben Kinney, the new owner of Remine
Listing Bits
In this episode of Listing Bits, Greg Robertson sits down with Ben Kinney, CEO and co-founder of Place, to talk about Place’s acquisition of Remine, how Ben built his PropTech empire from the ground up, and what’s next for the platform. Ben shares his personal journey from growing up in rural Washington to building a half-billion-dollar business, and lays out his vision for supporting agents, MLSs, and consumers through technology, services, and long-term stability. Key Takeaways Place Acquires Remine – Ben shares why his team bought Remine out of bankruptcy, what they plan to do with...
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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...
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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...
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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. •...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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_outlineIn 2020 Ben knew they needed to make a change. So he went to the Black Knight board and made a pitch, “give me the resources to build a modern MLS system”. To his surprise, they said yes. Now, 3 years later, that dream has been realized.
His dream was a mobile-first MLS platform that understands the history of how MLS platforms operate but offers a modern user experience.
That’s exactly what Ben Graboske and Lucie Fortier are working on, and their new product, Paragon Connect, is ready for its close up.
Ben is President of Data & Analytics and Lucie is Executive Vice President of MLS Solutions at Intercontinental Exchange or ICE, the financial services firm that bought Black Knight in September 2023.
On this episode of Listing Bits, Ben and Lucie join Greg to discuss ICE’s history of digitizing complex transactions and explain why its acquisition of Black Knight makes sense.
Lucie shares her motivation for joining the team at Intercontinental Exchange, and Ben describes how ICE’s resources benefit his department in the development of Paragon Connect.
Listen in to understand what differentiates Paragon Connect from other MLS vendors and learn how it simplifies the agent experience by providing an entire MLS platform on both a responsive and native app.
What’s Discussed:
ICE’s history of digitizing complicated transactions and why its acquisition of Black Knight makes sense
How being an MLS vendor supports ICE’s vision for making mortgages easier
Lucie’s journey to joining the ICE team and how technology drives her career decisions
What features differentiate Paragon Connect from other MLS vendors
Why Ben’s team decided not to change Paragon’s name (despite offering an entirely new experience)
How Paragon Connect provides an entire MLS platform in a native app experience
The talented team of designers behind Paragon Connect
How Ben’s team benefits from ICE’s data assets and information security
Lucie’s approach to transitioning existing users to Paragon Connect
How Paragon is introducing a consumer app in Q1 of 2024
Why the rules around marketing to members need to change in an MLS system-of-choice model
What makes Paragon Connect ‘the MLS platform of the future’
Connect with Ben Graboske & Lucie Fortier:
Email [email protected]
Resources:
ICE Acquisition of Black Knight
Damien Huze on Listing Bits EP85
Paragon Connect on Vendor Alley
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