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The Listing Bits Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player! Overview Greg Robertson sits down with Dan Cooper, founder of Gitcha and the Buyer Listing Service (BLS), to talk about his path from spec-home builder to real estate broker to proptech founder. They dig into why Dan built a platform that flips traditional reverse prospecting on its head — letting buyers broadcast exactly what they want instead of waiting to be matched — and how that product is rolling out at the MLS level. Key Takeaways Dan Cooper grew up mostly in Eugene, Oregon, and got into home design and spec building in 2004 without formal architecture training He's designed over 200 homes and worked alongside his father, who joined the business after exiting the HVAC industry Dan opened a real estate brokerage in May 2020 to better serve clients he couldn't find homes for The idea for Gitcha originated in 2011 while trying to sell his own home during a market downturn Gitcha is the public-facing product where consumers can view buyer "wants" and reach out to agents BLS (Buyer Listing Service) is the MLS-level input product; agents submit detailed buyer requests, which can optionally syndicate to Gitcha The core pitch: reverse prospecting is static and seller-initiated, while BLS lets buyers steer the market by broadcasting specific, detailed wants Buyer requests can go far beyond standard MLS fields, including narrative detail on exactly what a buyer needs Dan sees the product addressing agent-to-agent communication that's fragmented across Facebook groups and other informal channels since NAR's Sitzer-Burnett settlement changed cooperation rules Current MLS/association partners include the Lubbock Association of Realtors, MyBor (BLC), and Momentum MLS in Western Arizona About 5% of MyBor's members signed up within three weeks of launch, with 120+ buyer listings already in the system Greg and Dan go back and forth on the elevator pitch, landing on "expand inventory" as a cleaner message than "increase supply" Dan credits Greg's Giant Steps consulting group with early guidance when he was starting the company Links Gitcha The Buyer Listing Service Sponsors Aligned Showings — MLS-owned showing software built to simplify scheduling, improve communication, and keep MLS data where it belongs. Giant Steps Job Board – Built for organized real estate and PropTech, not generic tech bros and recruiters who don't know what an MLS is. Production and editing services by: Sunbound Studios

The Listing Bits podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player! Overview Greg Robertson talks with Santanu Barua, CTO of Vesta Plus, the tech platform owned by the Combined LA/Westside MLS (CLAW), about his path into MLS tech, the Checkmate compliance product, and VestaPlus's approach to AI and MCP servers. Key Takeaways Vesta Plus is a wholly owned subsidiary of CLAW, licensing its homegrown MLS tech to other MLSs since 2018 Santanu's path: EE/CS at University of Houston → mortgage tech at Countrywide (2001–06) → MLS technology since 2006 Checkmate, born from a talk with former CLAW COO Gigi Marina, catches violations input rules can't (bad remarks, photo violations via computer vision) and automates follow-up Products are built modular/extensible so tools like Checkmate can later be sold to other MLSs Vesta Plus has its own MCP server, launching soon to members — part of the "headless MLS" trend (Flex MLS/FBS also offers this) Data access runs through a controlled API layer, not direct database access, for security Greg pitches a "16 core fields + AI chat for everything else" MLS interface idea They discuss a possible marketplace for member-built AI tools, like custom GPTs New public-facing site (in development ~6 months) will let the public search agents and listings, with agents controlling how much history/testimonials they show Santanu's AI philosophy: build deliberately on existing data strengths, prioritize security over speed Contact Santanu: [email protected] Sponsors Aligned Showings — MLS-owned showing software built to simplify scheduling, improve communication, and keep MLS data where it belongs. Giant Steps Job Board – Built for organized real estate and PropTech, not generic tech bros and recruiters who don't know what an MLS is. Production and editing services by: Sunbound Studios

The Listing Bits Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player! Overview Greg Robertson sits down with Katrina Romatowski, founder and CEO of reSpace, to discuss a new approach to housing affordability through co-homeownership. Drawing on nearly three decades in real estate, development, and housing advocacy, Katrina explains how reSpace redesigns homes into private suites with shared common spaces and enables buyers to purchase fractional ownership interests. The conversation explores affordability, homeownership as a wealth-building tool, aging-in-place design, MLS challenges, and the growing need for alternative housing models.  Key Takeaways Katrina grew up throughout the Pacific Northwest, worked in construction from a young age, and built a career spanning real estate sales, development, and brokerage.  Her real estate company was founded as a social purpose corporation, leading to the creation of a nonprofit focused on housing and mentorship for people exiting incarceration and recovery programs.  The idea for reSpace emerged after selling a small infill home for nearly $1 million and questioning who could realistically afford it.  Inspiration came from fractional ownership models such as Picasso, but Katrina wanted to apply the concept to primary housing rather than luxury vacation homes.  reSpace creates homes with private suites that include ensuite bathrooms, closets, workspace areas, and personal amenities, paired with shared kitchens and living spaces.  Buyers purchase an ownership interest in the property, allowing them to live in high-cost neighborhoods at a price point closer to renting an apartment.  The model is designed to help first-time buyers, retirees, siblings, friends, and other groups gain access to ownership while maintaining independence.  Katrina argues that homeownership remains one of the most important pathways to building middle-class wealth and that affordability challenges are increasingly shutting people out of that opportunity.  A major hurdle for reSpace has been gaining MLS support for fractional ownership listings, despite existing standards that support partial-interest ownership categories.  Current projects include The Grove in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood and a historic mansion redevelopment in Leschi, with plans to expand through technology and partnerships.  Links reSpace Snapshot by reSpace Katrina Romatowski on LinkedIn Links Signal Conference 1000Watt Sponsors Aligned Showings — MLS-owned showing software built to simplify scheduling, improve communication, and keep MLS data where it belongs. Giant Steps Job Board – Built for organized real estate and PropTech, not generic tech bros and recruiters who don't know what an MLS is. Production and editing services by: Sunbound Studios

The Listing Bits Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player! Overview Greg Robertson sits down with Atticus LeBlanc, founder and CEO of PadSplit, to discuss the affordable housing crisis and how room-by-room rentals can create housing opportunities for people who are priced out of traditional apartments. Atticus shares his journey from commercial real estate broker to housing entrepreneur, the origins of PadSplit during the Great Financial Crisis, and how the company has grown from a single prototype house to more than 33,000 beds nationwide. The conversation explores shared housing, affordability challenges, real estate investing, and the role technology can play in expanding access to housing. Key Takeaways Atticus grew up in New Orleans, studied Architecture and Urban Studies at Yale University, and credits competitive swimming with teaching resilience and persistence. After entering commercial real estate during the early stages of the housing crash, he discovered an overlooked opportunity in room-by-room housing. A chance encounter with tenants Mitch and Otis led to his first rooming-house experiment, revealing strong demand from renters who couldn't qualify for traditional apartments. PadSplit was founded in 2017 to provide the operational and technology infrastructure needed to make shared housing scalable. The platform functions similarly to Airbnb, connecting hosts with renters while handling marketing, screening, payments, move-ins, and support. Many PadSplit residents are workers earning modest incomes who are unable to meet traditional apartment qualification requirements despite having stable employment. The company has grown from 82 beds in 2018 to roughly 33,000 beds today. Shared housing can help homeowners offset mortgage costs and create pathways toward real estate investing. Atticus argues that local market knowledge often matters more than national data when identifying successful housing opportunities. The average PadSplit resident stays about nine and a half months, though many remain for years due to the affordability and stability the model provides. Links Padsplit Atticus on LinkedIn Sponsors Aligned Showings — MLS-owned showing software built to simplify scheduling, improve communication, and keep MLS data where it belongs. Giant Steps Job Board – Built for organized real estate and PropTech, not generic tech bros and recruiters who don't know what an MLS is. Production and editing services by: Sunbound Studios

The Listing Bits Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player! Overview Greg Robertson sits down with Brian Boero of 1000Watt to talk about the current state of organized real estate, the future of the MLS, AI's impact on SaaS and marketing, and why writing and storytelling still matter in an AI-driven world. They also preview 1000Watt's upcoming Signal Conference and discuss a new "next generation MLS" concept the team is developing for the event.  Key Takeaways Brian explains how 1000Watt blends strategic advisory work with branding, messaging, and design.  Greg and Brian discuss why strong writing is still a critical skill, even as AI tools become more common.  The conversation dives into private listings, MLS relevance, and the growing tension between brokerages, portals, and organized real estate.  Brian shares his core belief: "don't mess with homes," arguing that limiting access to listings could ultimately hurt the industry.  Greg and Brian discuss how AI may fundamentally reshape proptech, SaaS, and vendor business models over the next few years.  Signal Conference preview: 1000Watt will unveil a conceptual "future MLS" complete with branding, governance ideas, and a proposed business model.  Links Signal Conference 1000Watt Sponsors Aligned Showings — MLS-owned showing software built to simplify scheduling, improve communication, and keep MLS data where it belongs. Giant Steps Job Board – Built for organized real estate and PropTech, not generic tech bros and recruiters who don't know what an MLS is. Production and editing services by: Sunbound Studios

The Listing Bits Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player! Overview Greg Robertson is joined by Dominik Pogorzelski from Restb.ai to discuss the evolution of AI in real estate—from early photo tagging to large-scale property intelligence. They cover how AI is now embedded in MLS workflows, powering listing input, compliance, and valuation, while also exploring the challenges of scale, accuracy, and the future of AI in the industry.  Key Takeaways Restb.ai has been AI-first from the start, building on early computer vision models before the current AI boom.  Their tech automatically tags listing photos, generates captions, and flags compliance issues during listing input.  AI is deeply integrated into MLS workflows, improving listing data quality and agent efficiency.  Scale matters: they process ~1.5B real estate images per month, making speed, accuracy, and cost critical.  Specialized computer vision models outperform general LLMs for image tasks at scale.  Compliance is a key use case—detecting prohibited elements and AI-manipulated images in listings.  New regulations around altered images are increasing the need for detection and transparency tools.  Expansion areas include valuation, appraisal workflows, insurance, and broader property intelligence.  Links Restb.ai – https://restb.ai/ Contact: [email protected] Sponsors Aligned Showings — MLS-owned showing software built to simplify scheduling, improve communication, and keep MLS data where it belongs. Giant Steps Job Board – Built for organized real estate and PropTech, not generic tech bros and recruiters who don't know what an MLS is. Production and editing services by: Sunbound Studios

The Listing Bits Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player! Overview Greg Robertson interviews Brian Tepfer, CEO of PropStream, about his journey from tech support at Rapatoni to leading a major proptech data platform. The conversation explores how PropStream turns public record data into actionable real estate opportunities, the rise of investor-focused tools outside the MLS, and how shifting market conditions are changing agent behavior. They also discuss industry trends like wholesaling, MLS fragmentation risks, and new go-to-market strategies—including vendor partnerships and alternative revenue models.  Key Takeaways Brian transitioned from tech roles into leadership by focusing on business + people, not just coding.  PropStream is a nationwide property data platform built primarily on public records, not MLS data.  The platform helps users identify "signals" (distress, equity, liens, etc.) that indicate potential transactions.  A significant portion of users are investors or aspiring real estate entrepreneurs—not traditional agents.  Wholesaling offers a low-barrier entry into real estate compared to licensing.  Market shifts (rates, lower transaction volume) are pushing agents to explore investing and alternative revenue streams.  PropStream is expanding into a full workflow: search → identify → connect (via dialer, outreach tools).  AI features are being introduced to provide actionable insights (e.g., evaluating deal potential).  MLS partnerships are positioned as marketing + non-dues revenue opportunities.  Concerns remain about MLS fragmentation and its impact on data access and market transparency.  New vendor collaboration models may offer faster, more flexible go-to-market strategies.  Links Jessica Richardson (PropStream)  Brian (PropStream CEO)

The Listing Bits Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player! Overview Greg Robertson is joined by Lauren Martin (RentSpree) for a wide-ranging conversation covering her unconventional path from fashion design to PropTech, the growing importance of rentals within the MLS ecosystem, and the evolution of her initiative, Renew (Real Estate Network of Empowered Women). The discussion highlights how rentals are becoming central to real estate workflows, how community-building is shaping the industry, and how Renew has scaled from a podcast idea into a multi-day retreat with strong industry engagement.  Key Takeaways Nonlinear career path into PropTech: Lauren transitioned from fashion to business and sales, eventually entering real estate through Remine and later joining RentSpree.  Rentals are now essential for MLSs: Industry focus is shifting from purely home purchases to broader "housing," with rentals playing a key role in agent-client lifecycle and long-term relationships.  MLS as the "source of truth" for rentals: Standardizing rental data inside MLS systems is a major opportunity compared to fragmented platforms like Facebook, Craigslist, and Zillow.  RentSpree product expansion: The new RentEdge suite adds tools to fill gaps between for-sale and rental workflows, keeping agents داخل the MLS ecosystem.  Renew's growth and impact: What started as a podcast has grown into a large community with thousands of members and events, including a 70-person retreat focused on leadership, confidence, and networking.  Industry community matters: Conferences and organizations like Renew help professionals build meaningful relationships, which are key to career growth in real estate.  Authenticity attracts community: Lauren emphasizes that being yourself leads to stronger, more meaningful professional and personal connections.  Links Rent the Runway (mentioned for conference attire) Renew (Real Estate Network of Empowered Women) – upcoming events and information Sponsors Aligned Showings — MLS-owned showing software built to simplify scheduling, improve communication, and keep MLS data where it belongs. Giant Steps Job Board – Built for organized real estate and PropTech, not generic tech bros and recruiters who don't know what an MLS is. Production and editing services by: Sunbound Studios

The Listing Bits Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player! Overview Greg Robertson sits down with Brett Humphrey, founder of Joynt, to discuss a new approach to housing affordability through co-ownership. Brett shares his background as a longtime software developer and entrepreneur, including selling a consulting business to Accenture before launching Joynt. The conversation explores how shared home ownership could help address affordability challenges by allowing multiple buyers to jointly purchase and manage property, along with the technical and legal infrastructure required to make that process safe and practical. Key Takeaways Founder background: Brett Humphrey spent decades as a software engineer and consultant before launching Joynt, an idea he had been considering since the early 2000s. Affordability challenge: The core problem Joynt aims to address is housing affordability, particularly in expensive markets like Southern California. Co-ownership model: Joynt enables multiple parties to co-own a home, providing tools and frameworks to handle ownership structure, responsibilities, and ongoing management. Making co-ownership practical: The platform focuses on reducing the complexity and risk of shared ownership by providing software tools and structured agreements. Shift in industry thinking: The discussion highlights the need for the real estate industry to think beyond traditional home purchases and consider alternative ownership models. Timing and market conditions: Rising home prices and affordability pressures make shared ownership models increasingly relevant. Links Joynt – https://joynt.com Brett Humphrey – [email protected] General inquiries – [email protected] Sponsors Aligned Showings — MLS-owned showing software built to simplify scheduling, improve communication, and keep MLS data where it belongs. Giant Steps Job Board – Built for organized real estate and PropTech, not generic tech bros and recruiters who don't know what an MLS is. Production and editing services by: Sunbound Studios

The Listing Bits Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player! Overview In this episode of Listing Bits, Greg Robertson sits down with Marcus Brown, founder of MLS Pipeline. Marcus shares his path from real estate agent to solo software founder, discussing how frustrations with lead generation, CMAs, and manual marketing workflows led him to build a Canva-based MLS data integration. The conversation covers MLS sales cycles, member-benefit products, and why automation and design flexibility matter for agents today.  Key Takeaways Marcus Brown transitioned from working auctions and traditional real estate sales into building real estate software.  Partial "home value" leads often converted better than fully submitted leads when followed up with hand-delivered CMAs.  MLS Pipeline connects MLS data directly into Canva, eliminating copy/paste and manual data entry.  The product is designed as an MLS member benefit rather than a direct-to-agent SaaS.  MetroList is the first MLS to officially launch MLS Pipeline on its dashboard.  Links Contact Marcus Brown: [email protected] Phone: 208-340-9600 Sponsors Aligned Showings — MLS-owned showing software built to simplify scheduling, improve communication, and keep MLS data where it belongs. Giant Steps Job Board – Built for organized real estate and PropTech, not generic tech bros and recruiters who don't know what an MLS is. Production and editing services by: Sunbound Studios

The Listing Bits Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player! Overview Greg Robertson sits down with Julie Drazen, founder of Editora, to talk about her background in film and commercial editing and how that experience led to building a fast, opinionated video-editing platform for real estate agents. Julie explains how Editora uses AI as a behind-the-scenes tool (not a replacement for craft), why simplicity and taste matter in listing videos, and how the product is designed to save agents time while keeping branding consistent across brokerages.  Key Takeaways Julie's career in commercial editing and documentary filmmaking shaped Editora's focus on storytelling, pacing, and taste. Editora automates listing videos from professional photos, handling shot selection, order, scripts, and voiceover with AI assistance. The platform prioritizes simplicity: fewer choices, consistent branding, and no flashy transitions or gimmicks. Agents can create videos quickly on desktop or mobile, including status updates like "just listed," "under contract," and "sold." Pricing tiers launch February 1, with a free first listing video and scalable options for solo agents, teams, and brokerages. Links Editora   AppStore Link    Julie's LinkedIn Contact Julie: [email protected] Sponsors Aligned Showings — MLS-owned showing software built to simplify scheduling, improve communication, and keep MLS data where it belongs. Giant Steps Job Board – Built for organized real estate and PropTech, not generic tech bros and recruiters who don't know what an MLS is. Production and editing services by: Sunbound Studios

The Listing Bits Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player! Overview Greg Robertson sits down with Joe Kazzoun, CEO of Remine, for a wide-ranging conversation on real estate technology, forms, MLS dynamics, and Remine's path forward under new ownership. Joe walks through his career across brokerage tech, transaction management, and proptech, then digs into lessons learned from Instanet, Lone Wolf, Dotloop/Zillow, and his return to Remine. The discussion focuses on software bloat, member benefits vs. direct sales, and how Remine is simplifying its product strategy to regain stability and growth.  Key Takeaways Joe Kazzoun's career arc spans brokerage tech, transaction management, and proptech leadership, shaping his pragmatic view of software in organized real estate.  The forms and transaction management market became fragmented due to MLSs seeking control over technology choices rather than relying solely on association member benefits.  Dotloop's success highlighted the power of direct-to-agent sales, strong customer support, and simplicity over feature overload.  Software bloat—especially in MLS environments driven by committee decisions—often hurts usability more than it helps adoption.  Remine struggled under MLS ownership due to governance complexity and delayed cost-cutting, leading to a public sale process.  Remine's acquisition by Place (Ben Kinney & Chris Suarez) stabilized the company, reduced redundancy, and moved it toward break-even.  Going forward, Remine is focusing on clarity: prospecting, public record/tax data, simple MLS search, and Docs+—not trying to be everything at once.  Remine is re-positioning its tax and public records tools as a standalone value for MLSs, alongside continued sales to MLSs, associations, and directly to agents and teams. Links: LinkedIn Email: [email protected]   Sponsors Trackxi – Real Estate's #1 Deal Tracking Software Giant Steps Job Board – Where ORE gets hired Production and editing services by: Sunbound Studios

The Listing Bits Podcast is now available on your favorite podcast player! Overview Greg sits down with returning guest Annie Ives, CEO of CLAW/The MLS™, to discuss major industry changes following NAR policy shifts, the rise of MLS-only memberships, exclusive-listing strategies, and the rapid growth of CLAW's in-house technology products including Vesta Plus, Checkmate, Showing software, and MarketSnap. Annie also shares insights on managing a high-end market, delivering strong customer service, and the future role of MLSs in a shifting industry. Key Takeaways NAR's policy changes are already increasing MLS-only membership interest, especially in California's Thompson state environment. Annie expects MLS-only membership to rise from ~15% to potentially 25–30% as agents look to cut costs. Associations may face pressure to restate their value proposition as non-dues revenue becomes increasingly important. CLAW is launching a new listing status: MLS Exclusive — allowing listings to remain off-market-facing while still visible to MLS members. MLS Exclusive listings accrue no DOM and no public price-change history while in that status. CLAW continues to grow its in-house technology stack, including: Vesta Plus MLS platform Checkmate compliance software (now used by ~200k agents) Showing software MarketSnap analytics Annie credits their success to customization, rapid iteration, and client-driven feature development. She predicts MLSs will increasingly become technology companies, especially as revenue from dues becomes less stable. Future industry direction remains uncertain, but Annie emphasizes persistence, adaptability, and building strong teams as core to longevity. Links: Vesta Plus – Request a demo   Sponsors Trackxi – Real Estate's #1 Deal Tracking Software Giant Steps Job Board – Where ORE gets hired Production and editing services by: Sunbound Studios

This Listing Bits episode is now available on your favorite podcast player! Overview Greg Robertson sits down with industry veteran Amy Gorce of REdistribute to clarify what REdistribute actually does, how it differs from display-focused data platforms, and why MLSs should care about the exploding gray-market use of MLS data. Amy breaks down the institutional-buyer use cases, explains how gray-market pipelines emerged, and outlines why MLS participation directly impacts valuation accuracy, AVMs, risk modeling, and overall market health. Key Takeaways  • REdistribute is not a display vendor. Their data is used solely for institutional-grade analytics, AVMs, risk modeling, and portfolio management—never for consumer-facing listing display.    • Owned by MLSs, built for MLSs. The operating agreement limits eligible purchasers and prevents MLSs or brokers from using the data for competitive display products.    • The gray market is real and accelerating. Companies scrape, partner with brokers, or purchase unclear data sources to fuel AVMs and risk tools—often without MLS compensation. REdistribute is actively converting gray-market users.    • AI is making the problem bigger. Scraping tools, automated ingestion, and LLM training pipelines are proliferating. REdistribute is building an MCP server to support AI-specific use cases in a controlled and compliant way.    • Coverage, not demand, is the bottleneck. Institutional buyers are ready, but MLS participation is still below critical mass (~55–60% coverage). More MLSs joining closes the gap and increases revenue potential.    • Economics vary by use case. AVM licensing generates significantly higher value than simple match-and-append use cases—creating real opportunities for meaningful revenue distribution back to MLSs and brokers.    • Joining is simple. MLSs sign a license agreement and can be onboarded in roughly two weeks, with quarterly revenue distributions.   Links  • The Market Value of Listing Data—and the Cost of the Grey Market - White Paper Contact Amy Gorce Allison Duggins Sponsors Trackxi - Real Estate's #1 Deal Tracking Software Giant Steps Job Board – Where ORE gets hired Production and editing services by: Sunbound Studios

Overview Greg Robertson sits down with Michael Wurzer, CEO of FBS (Flexmls), right after CMLS 2025 in Toronto. They reflect on the state of the MLS industry, FBS's growth and culture, and how AI, standards, and industry consolidation are shaping the future of organized real estate. Key Takeaways FBS growth & longevity FBS is now the #2 MLS system vendor with near-100% retention. Employee-owned culture drives long-term stability and customer focus. Industry leadership Wurzer has been influential in pushing APIs, RESO standards, and long-term tech adoption. Stresses that standards work is critical and shouldn't be overshadowed by hype around AI. AI & MCP New protocols like MCP let large language models connect directly to MLS APIs. This evolution validates years of investment in standards and API development. Compass/Anywhere merger Private listing networks challenge cooperation but face adoption hurdles. Consolidation could create distractions; agent adoption remains the biggest barrier. CMLS 2025 reflections Strong broker/MLS dialogue, with Craig Cheatham's session a highlight. Local broker engagement remains the most important success metric for MLSs. Source MLS revival Effort to clearly brand MLS-sourced listings and improve analytics transparency. Planned launch at the 2026 RESO/REset conference. Regionalization & data standardization Florida coast example: six MLSs aligned on one entry system, eliminating duplicates. Push for more regional cooperation to solve overlapping market disorder. Vendor vs. MLS-owned tech MLSs entering the vendor space still face the same integration and sustainability challenges. Wurzer argues FBS, as an employee-owned vendor, shares MLS values and long-term commitment. Future concerns & opportunities Biggest worry: MLSs losing focus on standardizing data formats regionally. Supports potential CMLS–RESO merger if it leads to stronger professional staffing and delivery of promised value.   Sponsors Trackxi – Real Estate's #1 Deal Tracking Software Giant Steps Job Board – Where ORE gets hired Production and editing services by: Sunbound Studios