Avantia's new "EXCEL Plug In" RETS Client was discussed as a potential end-user solution for MLS staff, Brokers and Agents to use to access RETS servers without the need to write any software. The resulting data is stored in EXCEL for sorting and display. Macros can be applied for scheduled downloads, etc. Steve Verba and his team did a great job. Documentation is available. No support.
Action: Kevin McQueen will collaborate with Steve Verba and write-up an announcement for publication.

We discussed the RETS Market Research initiative to be conducted by Focus Forward in Q2-Q3. Participants from various market segments will be surveyed and some telephone interviews will also be conducted with users and non-users of RETS in order to gain a more complete understanding of the needs of the RETS user community (MLSs, Brokers, third parties, Vendors, agents, etc.), what works and what doesn't plus perceptions and misperceptions about RETS. This information will be used to determine future RETS priorities on topics such as compliance and interoperability, features of RETS-Compliant solutions, security and other valuable input to be used for the planning of RETS 2.0.
Action: Kevin McQueen will share WIP including a mock survey to the Marketing Work Group members for feedback prior to launching the actual survey.

We need to address the misperception that RETS is an "Unfunded Mandate" through our education and marketing initiatives in 2004.
Action: Kevin to talk with Gregg Larson and Matt Cohen from Clareity Consulting to learn more. Follow-up marketing will likely be necessary in Q2 Ð Q4.

Fresh and frequent RETS publications are necessary at least one per month including press releases, news, success stories, "sanitized" case studies.
Action: Kevin will lead this effort. Myron Adams is leading the redesign of a single RETS Web site (presence) in Q2 as one of the locations for this new content.

Invite the Brokerage IT Directors to participate in the RETS meetings and/or go to the places where they regularly meet.
Action: Kevin will search for meetings of this target audience.
Action: Similar action plan for the major national franchises.

Find some Brokers, third parties, MLSs and others who will share their RETS story with others through public speaking and in writing.
Action: Kevin will solicit ideas and candidates from the Marketing WG and RETS community.

Attend RE Industry meetings to speak about RETS - focus on Brokerage and MLS events including RealTrends Gathering of Eagles (May 5-7), RealTrends Marketing & Technology Expo (September 29-October 1), meetings of the Realty Alliance, Franchise meetings (Cendant's just passed), Connections 2003 (June 10-11), Vendor User Group Meetings - Marketlinx June 12, Interealty June 15-18, FNIS just passed, Rapattoni. Regional MLS trade shows. State conventions and trade shows.
Action: Kevin to determine budget, define purpose and agendas and introduce to NAR.

Develop RETS Education for MLS IT and Support staff which includes benefits, how to use RETS (many of them have a RETS server and don't know anything about it or how to use it), provide software (RETS Client) and complete solution. Discuss long-term support solutions. Gain valuable input from this KEY stakeholder group. Introduce Security as well.
Action: Kevin to organize for June Connections meeting, August RETS or November NAR.

Offer threaded discussion forums online through the RETS web site.
Action: Kevin to communicate the need with Bruce Toback and Myron Adams and make it happen.

Joe McChristian offered to assist with design of web site.
Action: Kevin to contact him at the right time

Market Penetration - March 2004

Here are some interesting new highlights of the present state of RETS-Compliant MLS market penetration for MLS systems based on information provided by the MLS system vendors. Focus Forward has begun additional market research to determine similar metrics for third parties, brokerages and MLSs. The following information is deemed to be accurate based on the best available sources and data however, it is not guaranteed. It is not to be used for advertising or product promotions.

• There are approximately 900 MLSs in the US. This includes 6 large Canadian organizations.
• 50% of the national real estate listing inventory¹ comes from the top 59 (out of the 900) MLS organizations.
• 40 of the top 59 MLSs are RETS-Compliant.
• All of Rapattoni's 89 MLS customer sites are RETS-Compliant.
• All of Interealty's 38 MLS customer sites are RETS-Compliant.
• Marketlinx has 26 out of 27 MLS customer sites that are RETS-Compliant.
• MRIS and Denver Metrolist develop and maintain their own in-house MLS systems which are also RETS-Compliant.
• There are approximately 171 RETS-Compliant MLS systems (out of 900) representing approximately 42% of the national listing inventory.
• There is an opportunity to involve other MLS Vendors to become part of the growing RETS community including S.E.I. (81 MLSs), FBSData (57), Promatch (27), Imco (20), Offutt (19), Ultrex (15), Solid Earth (11 ), Stratus (2) big ones.

• Executed our planned initiatives and events including the Plugfest other organized RETS meetings
• Introduced compliance testing which helped to improve interoperability
• Recruited new third parties to the RETS Community
• Marketed the benefits of RETS to our predefined target audiences
• Worked with great people and organizations with a common goal to make it easier to access and transfer real estate data between people and their systems.

Kevin McQueen
President
Focus Forward Consulting

¹ Listing Counts are based on Homestore data as they have a comprehensive aggregation of about 900 MLSs