Building Real Estate Technology: The Story of Real Geeks with Kevin McCarthy
Release Date: 11/20/2024
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
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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
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🎙️ 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
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🎙️ 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
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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_outlineEpisode 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 to Hawaii led to a partnership with Jeff Manson, Real Geeks’ co-founder.
• The transition from building a single real estate website to creating a scalable product for agents.
2. The Real Geeks Platform
• Combining IDX websites with a CRM for seamless lead generation and management.
• The importance of fast, user-friendly software and SEO optimization.
3. AI Innovations
• Introduction of “SEO Fast Track,” an AI-powered website builder.
• The future of CRMs: AI taking over repetitive tasks to let agents focus on client relationships.
4. The Journey of Growth
• Challenges of starting in Hawaii and expanding operations to Dallas, TX.
• Navigating the sale of Real Geeks to Fidelity National Financial while preserving its mission.
5. Advice for Entrepreneurs
• Building a profitable, self-funded business in challenging markets.
• The value of focusing on user experience and sustainable growth.
Quotable Highlights:
• “Fast software is good software. Even milliseconds matter when it comes to user experience.”
• “AI will make CRMs fade into the background, automating tasks agents hate so they can focus on building relationships.”
• “Real Geeks is more than just software; it’s a tool that powers the livelihood of real estate agents.”
Reach Out:
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