Welcome to the Summer edition of the CRT Report. CRT gathers input from you - the practitioner and Association Executive. We'll have that opportunity at the Leadership Summit in Chicago from August 16th to the 18th. At the Leadership Summit, CRT will again host the wireless hot spot so you can stay in touch while at the meeting.. And at the hot spot we'll have a table set up where you can get technology questions addressed. In addition, CRT will be a part of the NAR building tour. So stop by and see us. We look forward to seeing you in Chicago. And to stay current on the latest CRT happenings, check out the CRT blog.
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| The Lesswing Letter |
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Smoother Operations, More for Consumers with Web 2.0
Over the years, technology has removed friction from many types of business transactions by removing unnecessary steps that do not add value the process. Eliminating friction can make an industry’s operations and transactions more efficient, less costly, and more appealing to consumers. Manufacturers that have give consumers better product information and brought customers closer to the manufacturer for their services provide a prime example of the benefits of removing friction.
Businesses that learn how to harness new technologies and use frictionless operations to their advantage will become the future leaders and success stories of an industry.
The coming of Web 2.0, the next generation of Internet-based business applications, gives REALTORS® the opportunity to eliminate friction from their operations. Web 2.0 offers low-cost tools that allow brokers to compete effectively with consumer sites. Because many consumer sites are not subject to the real estate industry’s high standard of practice and the NAR Code of Ethics, they try to lead consumers to believe that they can deliver more. And many consumers see these options as a way to get real estate information. Web 2.0 give REALTORS® ways to engage the consumer, using their specialized knowledge and high-quality information.
Web 2.0 technologies also remove the need for investments in multiple servers, databases, and applications. The technology monolith is no longer necessary. Small or nimble practitioners can now compete by demonstrating their knowledge and expertise in the market without significant costs. REALTORS® already have the local market knowledge and data such as listings, sold information, and NAR research that allow them to demonstrate the value they bring to the industry consumer. Web 2.0 tools empower them to present that information in new ways that will engage consumers.
Web 2.0 also provides REALTORSÒ with a new level of flexibility. Consumer sites often present themselves as an alternative to the “forced choices” provided by some brokerages. At the same time, too many REALTORS® presuppose that their business model is the only one the consumer wants. By presenting several options to consumers, REALTORS® remove the common argument that they do not offer the consumer a choice. And while consumers want choice, in the end they often prefer the full-service option many brokerages have traditionally offered.
By using the tools available through Web 2.0, brokerages give consumers a choice of options and demonstrate their value with low-cost technologies focused at the consumer’s need for information. Thanks to Web 2.0, REALTORS® are able to position themselves to compete effectively with any industry entrant or consumer site.
Mark Lesswing
Senior Vice President
Chief Technology Officer
mlesswing@crt.realtors.org
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| Web 2.0 Meets Real Estate |
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Future Innovations
The Challenge: Taking the power of the Web to the next business level
The CRT Solution: Mashups and other new ways to create Web site content
Web 2.0 is the name given the design layout and business models for the next generation of Internet-based business applications. Web 2.0 represents the transition of the Web from a collection of individual sites to a full-fledged computing platform serving up Web applications to end users. Ultimately, you can expect Web 2.0 services to replace many types of desktop computing applications.
Mashups are the embodiment of Web 2.0. A mashup is a Web site or Web application that uses content from several diverse sources to create a totally new product or service. Content used in mashups is typically compiled from several third-party sources.
Mashups are relatively easy to design thanks to today’s simpler software development tools. These tools make it possible for real estate companies and real estate practitioners with limited technical knowledge to create mashups that combine available real estate information and public data in new and creative ways.
In real estate, a mashup might contain
· listings (from an MLS)
· maps (from Google or Yahoo)
· a CMA or AVM model (from sold data, public information or a company selling compiled data)
· public records data such as taxes (from government sources or private providers)
· news (from an RSS news feed)
· market forecasts and statistics (from sources such as NAR Research)
With a mashup, you no longer need the applications, servers, and databases to combine and present the information. Instead, your Web site can presents content retrieved from the Web sites of whatever information services you choose. These information services, in turn, obtain their content from other sources, like the MLS, NAR, Google, or a news site. Simple application program interfaces (API), which are used for building the mashup, make all this connectivity possible.
Mashups will help real estate practitioners leverage information they already have, like sold data, to add customer value. They are also a way for members to compete effectively with consumer-oriented real estate sites and demonstrate that real estate professionals are in the best position to assist consumers in property transactions.
Learn More: Read more about Web 2.0 at http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/news/2005/09/30/what-is-web-20.html and about mashups at
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/m/mash_up.html
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| How Secure is the Real Estate Industry? |
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Current Solutions
The Challenge: The security (or the lack of it) in the real estate industry.
The CRT Solution: A new “Summer of Security” education initiative
According to Gartner Research, 13.3 people become the victim of identity theft every minute. If you’re not taking steps now to protect your organization and your clients, you are asking to be next. To be effective, security needs top-down support from executives and management. You must walk the walk if you expect those in your firm or association to make security a priority. To help the real estate industry tighten its security, CRT has undertaken several new efforts.
The “Summer of Security” educational initiative focuses on practical advice for increasing security at your company. Beginning in June, CRT has sent weekly e-mails of helpful and relevant information on security issues to all AEs. Tips will help you evaluate your security and make changes as appropriate.
But our goal is more than just education. We want to help you create a culture of security--a mindset where everyone in the organization is conscious of the need for and value of security. We encourage you to share these e-mail messages with staff and members, to post them to your intranet and member Web pages, and to publish them in your newsletters.
If you aren’t receiving Summer of Security alerts and would like to sign up, contact Todd Costigan at tcostigan@realtors.org.
A Detect, Deter, and Defend partnership with the FTC will give real estate practitioners the tools to education consumers about the risks of identity theft. NAR has teamed up with the Federal Trade Commission to help consumers fight identity theft and take quick action if they become victims. Because many consumers discover an identity issue when entering into a real estate transaction, NAR is ideally positioned to assist and advise consumers on how to protect themselves from the dangers of identity theft. To learn more about the program, visit http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/.
Initiating access controls that restricts the use of a resource is another valuable way organizations can guard against identity theft or data corruption. Access controls use a two-factor authentication, usually in the form of a token or hardware device as well as a password, to limit access to a given system or application. Such controls do an excellent job of preventing multiple people from using the same password to access MLS data. However, access controls should be only one part of a multilayered security solution. For more information on securing MLS data, see the Best Practices section below.
Establishing a digital identity for real estate customers and clients is another way real estate practitioners can protect themselves and their customers from identity theft. Because REALTORS® are often the first point of contact with consumers; they are well-positioned to become “identity providers” for the entire real estate transaction. Creating such identities would:
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create a stronger connection between practitioners and consumers
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enhance practitioners’ market presence
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reduce the risk of identity theft
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ensure trust throughout the transaction
To read more about the value of digital identities in the real estate industry, review the Winter 2006 CRT Report. http://newsletters.crt.realtors.org/DispNewsletter.cfm?NEWSLETTER_ID=1383#HEADER4510
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| New Connectivity for ezRETS |
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 Future Trends
The Challenge: A simpler way to transfer RETS data from an MLS to common software programs.
The Solution: A widely available open-source interface that allows easy transfer of RETS data to programs such as Excel and Word.
The ezRETS open database connectivity (ODBC) driver from CRT makes it easier for you to load data from a RETS-compliant MLS server into Microsoft Office suite programs. Built-in wizards and other tools use the ezRETS ODBC driver to walk you through the download.
In ezRETS 1.2, you could retrieve only text-based data, but with the release of ezRETS 2.0 in June, you can also retrieve photos and other binary data files via the RETS “GetObject” method.
With the new version of ezRETS, it’s simple to create custom CMAs and housing statistic updates for clients. You are only limited by your imagination. And since 54 percent of MLSs (with 80 percent of all listings) support RETS, using the ODBC driver saves you time and boosts your productivity. Best of all, ezRETS is free.
Another advantage of ezRETS is that many popular programming languages and server-side scripting languages for Web development support ODBC. This means your tech staff can readily use the new ezRETS driver in other programs you run. ezRETS is cross-platform and currently available for Linux and Windows. OS X works in the lab and will be supported in ezRETS 2.1.
Learn More: To download and read more about ezRETS, visit
http://www.crt.realtors.org/projects/rets/ezrets.
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| Don’t Throw Away Internet Prospects |
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Current Solutions
The Challenge: Agents who take too long to respond to an Internet inquiry.
The CRT Solution: Messenger, a service that immediately alerts salespeople by phone when an online inquiry is made.
When a survey completed by Homestore (now Move™) revealed that it took an average of seven days for a salesperson to respond to an e-mail from a consumer, CRT saw a real problem. Customers were frustrated, and brokers were losing business. When further discussions with brokers showed us that real estate practitioners most often communicated with clients via cell phone, the inspiration for Messenger was born.
Messenger is a low-cost solution that automatically translates e-mails and questions from Web site forms into voice messages. The software then automatically transfers theses messages to a cell or other phone. Messenger is a server-based software solution purposely designed with few moving parts. The foundation of the Messenger system is the prebuilt Asterisk (www.asterisk.org ) Private Branch Exchange (PBX) server. This fully functional, open-source office phone system can connect to existing analog phone lines or to a digital VoIP system. It has voice mail and auto-attendant capabilities.
We combined the built-in capabilities of Asterisk with CRT-written programs that prompt the Asterisk server to make phone calls and to run a text-to-speech program that translates written online messages to voice. The result was Messenger, one more example of how CRT creates value for our members and helps vendors create solutions our members want.
Learn More: To download Messenger’s software components and hardware requirements, go to www.crt.realtors.org/projects/messenger. The page also contains links to information about the Asterisk PBX, Linux, and PHP. (Note that Messenger is a server-based, not a desktop, solution and that installing and configuring Messenger requires some technical knowledge of Linux, PHP, and HTML.)
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| PolicyPage Adds a Spider |
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 Future Trends
The Challenge: Ensuring REALTOR® Web sites comply with MLS rules.
The CRT Solution: A new PolicyPage spidering tool to make monitoring easier.
PolicyPage, the innovative Internet compliance software application from CRT, has already made it much easier and less expensive for MLS staffs to scan member Web sites for compliance with listing display policies. Now CRT has expanded PolicyPage’s utility by adding a spidering application to the program. This spidering feature uses a Web crawler to browse member Web sites selected by PolicyPage. It then follows links on these sites and automatically applies PolicyPage rules to the pages it encounters. The new spider feature also allows users to omit certain Web pages (such as the “contact me” and “about” pages) from a compliance check.
CRT developed PolicyPage after discovering the significant amount of staff resources MLSs used to review member Web sites manually. PolicyPage simplifies and speeds up site review by scanning for required terminology and graphics on participants’ Web sites. The software provides objective standards for evaluating Web sites, but also can be tailored to local needs. In addition, PolicyPage includes selected NAR model Internet display rules. The spider feature will be available in PolicyPage in late August.
Learn more: You can access PolicyPage and get more information at: http://www.crt.realtors.org/projects/policyPage/index.html
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| Best Practices - Securing Content (part 2) |
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Keep Your Content Secure
Content security has become issue No. 1 in cyberspace. At the same time, you have to balance security with both cost and the convenience of your online customers. While no action is a panacea, here are some cost-effective strategies to consider. Note that this is the second of a two part series. The first part ran in the spring edition of the CRT Report and can be found here: http://newsletters.crt.realtors.org/DispNewsletter.cfm?NEWSLETTER_ID=1438#HEADER4843
Data tagging
Data tagging is similar to data seeding but involves the use of selected characters in actual listings to assist in tracking how or where a party obtained MLS content. A data tag can be a special character or even a simple misspelling. Spread the tagging over several listings for the maximum benefit since an unauthorized user might drop some listings. You should also exercise care to make sure tagging doesn’t look obvious—such as misspelled words that have only one possible spelling--so that unauthorized users won’t simply correct the data.
PolicyPage
CRT’s PolicyPage automates the task of reviewing participant members’ Web sites for MLS policy compliance and accuracy. Using PolicyPage makes it faster and easier for MLSs to monitor sites. The program provides objective standards for reviewing sites under NAR’s model rules for Internet display. It can also be tailored to local policies. PolicyPage is able to check for disclosure statements, copyright statements, and the display of logos on member sites. The application can also e-mail members a notice of successful compliance or failure, details of causes for failures, and references to specific policies that apply. Learn more about CRT's PolicyPage at http://www.realtor.org/crtweb.nsf/pages/CRTPolicyPage?OpenDocument.
Log reviews
Depending on your infrastructure and tools, a log review can show you what users and related IP addresses are visiting your Web site and requesting frequent downloads of MLS content. You can also tell who is accessing the sites where your MLS information is displayed. Are there multiple requests coming from the same IP address or the same user? A clear sign of trouble is multiple requests by the same user at the same time from different IP addresses. That is usually a sign someone has shared an ID and password. Another red flag is a single user accessing every listing on the site; such behavior may indicate an automated scan of the data by a bot, or automated script to gather data. While it’s often impossible to determine who an actual user is from a log, you can block a particular IP address, which will often result in someone contacting the MLS. This contact may give you a clue to the source of misuse.
Watermarking
Watermarking is a method of marking photos. Watermarking inserts either a visible image on a picture or hidden information on a digital image or file that identifies the file's author or owner. Invisible watermarks can be scattered throughout a file in such a way that they cannot be identified or manipulated. Digital watermarks must be robust enough to withstand normal changes to the file, such as reduction or enlarging. Watermarks assist in enforcing copyright protection by providing a way to identify a specific picture.
Two-factor authentication
Two-factor authentication requires two independent ways to establish identity before allowing access to a system. This contrasts with traditional password authentication, which requires only one factor. Common implementations of two-factor authentication use “something you know,” like a password, as one factor and either “something you have,” such as a token, or “something you are,” such as a fingerprint. A common form of two-factor authentication relies on a password and a device, such as a token, that provides a passcode that must be entered when logging into an application. A third option uses a password and a fingerprint or other physical identifier. Tokens or USB devices are gaining popularity in real estate as a method of two-factor authentication.
NoScrape
CRT’s NoScrape prevents unauthorized persons from copying, or "scraping," listings or other information and photos from your Web site. NoScrape protects listings by generating an image that contains combined data and photos. Then it displays a “picture” of the image. When a server delivers content rendered in this way, bots cannot simply strip the data and reuse it on another Web site. Learn more about NoScrape at http://www.crt.realtors.org/projects/noScrape/index.html.
Terms of use
Terms of use are generally the fine print at the bottom of a Web page. They specify what may be done with the information on the site. Among common terms of use are that Web site content is for individual use only and may not be duplicated or used in a commercial venture. While not a preventive measure, terms of use can assist you if you need to go to court over an unauthorized use of site information. To make terms of use more apparent, put them in a pop-up box, and require a user to click an "I Agree" button before accessing site content.
Participant/subscriber agreements
A variation on terms of use is a legally binding agreement specifying how MLS participants and subscribers can and cannot use content. Such agreements let members know they can use MLS information for presentations to prospective buyers or when compiling a CMA, but cannot repurpose it for some type of commercial purpose. Your agreement should specify when a violation of the agreement allows you to deny access to a user. Have all subscribers sign such a contract before allowing them access to the MLS.
Captcha technology
Captcha technology is an effective protection against automated tools that scrap Web sites for information. Captcha technology relies on the ability of humans to do things computers cannot. A common Captcha technique is to display a word in a shaded box with an irregular background and ask visitors to retype the word. People can read the word easily. Computerized robots cannot and thus cannot access your content. The Center for REALTORÒ Technology has freely available Captcha technology called reCaptcha. It can be found at http://www.crt.realtors.org/projects/reCaptcha/.
Learn More: For more on protecting content contact CRT at info@crt.realtors.org
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| CRT Blog |
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Stay current on the latest CRT happenings. Check out the CRT blog at: http://blog.realtors.org/crt/
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| Stay on Top of Real Estate Technology |
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Now real estate professionals can receive a free copy of the CRT Report from the Center for REALTOR Technology. If you’d like your IT staff or outside consultant to receive this quarterly update on technology, have them subscribe to the CRT newsletter or have them check out the CRT blog.
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| Make CRT Your Tech Resource |
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Let CRT help you find the best solution to your toughest tech challenge. If there are technology issues or products you’d like the CRT to investigate or just a question you’d like answered, please e-mail info@crt.realtors.org
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| Opt-out |
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To unsubscribe go to http://www.crt.REALTORS.org/newsletter-broker
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Copyright© 2009, National Association of REALTORS®
About CRT
Questions? Send an email to info@crt.realtors.org
CRT Report Editor - Jeanne Tillman
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