May 14, 2012 – New York, NY.

This meaningful integration between ShowingTime and Onboard fuses “cyber” and “real world” information together, providing 360°insight Advisor clients and their sellers unprecedented insight into total activity (web traffic and physical traffic) to the property. This insight can be instrumental in creating and maintaining a hyper-focused property marketing strategy resulting in a faster sale at the highest sale price.

“When an agent is looking at their online traffic for the past week or month in the 360°insight Advisor portal, they will also be able to see ‘foot traffic’ to any particular listing. At that moment, they can drill down deeper into 360°insight web-related data, or link right into ShowingTime, delving into the details of their physical showings and share findings with the seller in a number of ways,” said Scott Petronis, Chief Product Officer at Onboard.

Rob Overman, Chief Technology Officer at ShowingTime said, “This level of integration with Onboard’s 360°insight platform made perfect sense from the start; a huge benefit and value to the Agent and the seller. It’s also a major step forward for the industry as a whole; visibility like this has been a long time coming and we’re glad to be at the forefront with Onboard.”

Onboard’s Listings 360°insight Advisor platform enables MLSs, Brokers and Agents to see and understand online listing exposure and performance while uncovering consumer search trends and habits. This insight can guide informed syndication and strategic marketing decisions while fostering more meaningful engagement with customers.  Currently, the platform is licensed by MRED, MRIS and CTMLS and is set to go live with MRED members within the next quarter.

About Onboard Informatics

Onboard Informatics connects leaders in the real estate, publishing, and technology industries to data-driven innovations that empower informed decisions, enable human engagement and accelerate business results. Our expertise in information management and related technologies bring data to life through innovative products that help customers (1) understand what’s happening – in local markets, on the web, with their own listings; (2) talk about it and show it to others to boost conversions; (3) manage their business more effectively and (4) enhance results.

About ShowingTime:

ShowingTime equips real estate agents, brokers, offices, Associations and MLSs with tools to schedule showings, generate feedback and measure marketing effectiveness. Its products are used by more than 6,000 offices nationwide and integrated with more than 200 MLSs to manage more than 2.5 million showings every month. Visit http://www.showingtime.com for more information.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jackie Berg
Onboard Informatics
Phone: 646-747-4398
Email: jberg@onboardinformatics.com

What do these people have in common?

Well besides the obvious – bright, experienced and outspoken MLS leaders…all three have recently signed agreements with at least one major online publisher – opting for a direct data license agreement in lieu of sending their listings “through syndication”.

Why?

In the RISMedia release, Jim Harrison states a primary objective of providing their own members the tools needed to advance the business. The other major reason we’ve heard is greater ability to manage the relationship, set terms and ensure accountability.

This recent “trend to direct” is punctuated by other activity that point to Brokers and MLSs being more mindful, strategic and performance-oriented about where they are sending listings and what’s happening with them online. There are new flags in MLS systems to control syndication variables when the listing is entered by the agent. Strong innovation and adoption is happening in the online-listing-management space – like the launch of RED’s reDataVault, our own 360°insight platform and Clareity’s SAFE Syndication compliance management system. Syndicators are also building more Broker-centricity into their platforms.

One thing is certain; independent thought and progress is welcomed in an area where we have been spinning in frustration for so long. It’s refreshing to see leaders stand up and take action.

As technology providers, we can solve these challenges by demonstrating a clear understanding of the user’s role (to provide transactional expertise and move real estate) and delivering data software, tools, etc. that justify that end. We must get them to stronger results without adding more “data” work and help ignite meaningful dialogue between them.their clients through crystal clear answers that jump off the page. No translator necessary.

Gahlord talks about making decisions through calculated reporting (“Geeks”) vs. emotional impulses (“Guts”); the two can be complementary if the right inputs and outputs work for all types of decision makers. 10k Research’s infographics, our Listings 360°insight Advisor are two great examples of Geeks and Guts working together to improve outcome.

These are the things we need to hold ourselves to deliver, rather than hope for an evolution in data proficiency.

May 7, 2012 – New York, NY. Onboard Informatics’ announces participation from three online real estate publishing leaders in the fast-growing Data Transparency Network. Homefinder.com, Trulia and Zillow^® will cooperate with Onboard to provide MLSs, Brokers, and Agents unprecedented insight into performance and demand information from their web sites.

“This Data Transparency Network unites our clients (MLSs) using Onboard’s Listings 360°insight Advisor with their data licensees and software partners to achieve the common goal of offering agents, brokers and consumers unprecedented visibility into the distribution and performance of property listings across the Internet,” said Jonathan Bednarsh, President and COO of Onboard. “The participation of these portal-powerhouses is a clear demonstration of their leadership and commitment to delivering transparency and value to the real estate industry; crucial towards progress in the ongoing industry syndication/data licensing challenges and vital for MLSs and Brokers to execute selective, sustainable online marketing strategies that generate return on investment”, said Bednarsh.

This new performance and consumer search data will be presented through simple, crisp, on-demand, visual graphics via Onboard’s Listings 360°insight Advisor platform available in a growing number of MLS markets. Participating MLSs, Brokers and Agents will see and understand the exposure and performance of their listings while uncovering never-before-seen consumer search trends and habits. This insight will guide informed syndication and strategic marketing decisions and foster more meaningful engagement with their customers.  Currently, the platform is licensed by MRED, MRIS and Connecticut MLS and is set to go live with MRED members within 30 days.

Industry response has been extraordinary: “Just like Amazon, Netflix, iTunes and other consumer sites track, report, analyze and leverage intelligence gained from consumer activity on their websites, we intend to implement the same level of sophisticated business tools and resources from our alliance with Onboard,” said John Heithaus, Chief Marketing Officer of MRIS.

About Onboard Informatics

Onboard Informatics connects leaders in the real estate, publishing, and technology industries to data-driven innovations that empower informed decisions, enable human engagement and accelerate business results. Our expertise in information management and related technologies transform real estate data through innovative products that help customers (1) understand what’s happening – in local markets, on the web, with their own listings; (2) talk about it and show it to others to boost conversions; (3) manage their business more effectively and (4) enhance results.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jackie Berg
Onboard Informatics
Phone: 646-747-4398
Email: jberg@onboardinformatics.com

• Neighborhoods are typically based upon cultural, housing, socioeconomic and other characteristics that provide a flavor to the area.
• Neighborhoods can help brokers and agents illustrate their local expertise.
• Clients do not necessarily need a GIS system to utilize our neighborhood data set.  We can provide clients with a file that contains detailed geography characteristics.
• SEO can be improved by building out individual neighborhood pages with our boundaries and data or by also using the data on the back-end to improve page ranking.

If you would just like more information about implementing neighborhoods, don’t hesitate to reach out to me!

While we were trying to figure out what to do for Networking Night during the 2012 Leading RE Conference in Orlando, the first thought I had was “well, Disney is in Orlando” but then I remembered that the last time I was in Orlando for a conference, I was overloaded with Mickey and Minnie.  The next thought I had was Shamu but we did not have enough money in the budget to bring in a tank big enough to hold an orca….

Then I realized that I was going to Florida in March and that means Major League Baseball Spring Training – we settled on a baseball theme for our booth but why stop there? Onboard was also asked to provide some information during the Product Blitz session about what we do and how we help the industry improve how they service their customers, so it seemed like a natural fit for us to carry over our baseball spring training theme to my presentation.

I only had five minutes to tell a room full of partners, clients and prospects what Onboard does and believe me, five minutes is nowhere near enough time to convey the full scope of what we do; rather than trying to pack a ton of information into my limited time, I decided to show who I was and make people want to talk to me about Onboard later that night during Networking Night and baseball was a way to do just that.

When I am not at Onboard, one of my favorite things to do is watch baseball. My friends and I even feel as though Opening Day should be a national holiday (my friend Peretz feels so strongly that he doesn’t work or go to the bank or Post Office on this day every year).  I play fantasy baseball, follow the game closely and go to as many games as possible.  I also enjoy playing softball and two years ago, I started a softball team with some friends.  When I started the team, I knew it would be a lot of work to keep everything organized and to make sure we remained competitive while we all had as much fun as possible but I had no idea how much work was involved.  We happened to be not only competitive in our league but we are actually very good; in four seasons we have made it to the championship game four times and won the league once.  (Our official record is 67 wins and 11 losses.)

One of the biggest challenges we have faced is our batting order; it is constantly changing because of people not being able to play due to injuries and scheduling and we needed to be more diligent while keeping statistics to justify who bats where in the order.  We try to keep a scorebook but it is hard when there it keeps getting passed from player to player while on the bench and then the analysis of each players’ stats is difficult when things are not organized.  This season we have decided to keep everything organized electronically through an iPad app that automatically aggregates a season worth of statistics in an easy to use way – we have added technology to make us more efficient and productive throughout the season.  One of the features that was most attractive is the ability to email the entire team their stats to see how they need to improve and in what areas they should focus during practice.  The addition of technology and the analytics has been very well received by the entire team.

Technology Makes Simple Games Better

Managing a softball team is not unlike managing Real Estate Agents and part of a Broker’s job is to make sure their agents are productive and profitable; being able to provide them with the best tools, analytics, exposure of listings and quality leads and doing all of that can be a large challenge for most.  Technology, though, can help with all of it.

For over ten years, Onboard been the leader in providing neighborhood information that helps bring visitors to websites, convert those visitors into quality leads and eventually turn those leads into more closings.  While we have become a major part of Brokerage websites, we have found that the average Real Estate Agent has not been able to implement our solutions due to the time, cost and effort that goes into building a comprehensive website and they have turned to their Brokers for help.  We created our Profit+ program with the goal of getting our tools into the hands of our agents as well as their Brokers.

Much like the minds behind the scorekeeping application I now use to help make our softball team more productive, we are now partnering with Brokers to help their agents sell more property by offering affordable solutions that are easy to implement that are available for purchase directly from the agents’ broker.  In addition to getting neighborhood information onto agent websites, we are also in the process of building a suite of products for Brokers to utilize our new Listings 360 platform, previously only available for the MLS market, which will help get the most complete and detailed information about listing activity possible into an agents hands.  Just like the response from my teammates, the response from Brokers and Agents has been overwhelmingly positive; these new programs can help solve problems surrounding the Real Estate Industry.  We are constantly hearing that lowered profits and retaining agents are the two biggest issues a broker can face – we can help.

Whether you are managing a softball team or a large pool of real estate agents, putting the right technical tools in place is the most effective way of staying organized and successful.

The site’s expanded property search offers refinement options such as school district search, most recent listings, and keyword search. Also featured are an open house search of all MLS-listed properties in the Bay Area, an international property search which offers the ability to find homes worldwide, and an agent/office search which helps consumers find the right agent and/or office for their needs.

Lifestyle search, provided by Onboard Informatics, helps consumers locate their ideal communities and properties based on type of neighborhood, and proximity to entertainment/dining, the arts, shops/services, transportation, and schools. In coming months, census data will be added to all community information on the newly redesigned site, as well as point of interest data to all maps, using Onboard data as well.

Expanded property detail pages now include school ratings, community information, real-time market statistics, property history, area amenities, and social media sharing tools. Community overviews feature local market statistics, unique photos, custom descriptions, and local area demographics. A full gallery of APR’s past campaigns showcases a collection of the firm’s award winning images and branding. And, a buyer and seller toolbox provides site visitors with mortgage and cost of living calculators, rent vs. buy comparisons, and other helpful tools.

“The rapid pace of innovation at Alain Pinel Realtors continues to pick up speed with the recent introduction of a powerful new version of apr.com. Our new site puts an unprecedented amount of information and resources in the hands of the online consumer,” said Stephen Skinner, APR Vice President of Technology. “The site now includes industry-leading search capabilities including lifestyle search, property keyword search and the ability to search for homes based on school district information. The new apr.com makes a strong statement about our ongoing commitment to provide the best online technology and marketing tools to our consumers and agents.”

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About Alain Pinel Realtors

Alain Pinel Realtors (APR) is the largest privately-owned and independent residential real estate company in California. APR was ranked the sixth largest residential real estate firm in the United States based on its closed sales volume in 2010, and has been consistently ranked in the Top 10 firms in the country. The firm has nearly 1,400 agents in its 32 offices throughout the Bay Area. Celebrating over 20 years in Bay Area real estate, APR was founded in 1990 by CEO and President Paul L. Hulme, and is based in Saratoga, Calif. For more information about APR, please visit our website at apr.com.

About Onboard Informatics

Onboard Informatics connects leaders in the real estate, publishing, and technology industries to data-driven innovations that empower informed decisions, enable human engagement and accelerate business results. We use our expertise in data management as a springboard to bring data to life – creating innovative products that help customers (1) understand what’s happening – in local markets, on the web, with their own listings; (2) talk about it and show it to others; (3) manage their business more effectively and (4) get better business results.

The visual image of must-haves for a home looks like this, not a pile of numbers.

Inman columnist David Fletcher of ementoru.com posted a fabulous suggestion to sellers: listen to your clients” emotional needs and put them at the front of your efforts.

“There is only one reason prospects do not want to see a home the second time: they have not seen a home they can picture themselves living in that satisfies their emotional needs – like convenience, safety, fun, pleasure, and pride of ownership.”

He suggests using a “lifestyle checklist” and having the client rank the importance of certain characteristics – a sunset view, near the bus stop, etc. – to ensure you are directing them to places that have the must-haves they will not compromise on. Many times, they become unearthed toward the end of a sale, so why wait?

David Fletcher gets it. We know from the 2011 NAR Profile of Buyers and Sellers that people are compromising on price first. Only 4% compromised on the quality of the neighborhood; 2% compromised on the quality of schools; and 1% compromised on distance from schools. Compare that to the 18% that let price slide to get the things they need to have the pride of ownership that the home search is all about.

A Technology and ‘Pen and Paper’ Hybrid

Using a checklist during the sale to identify must-haves is great, but your website can act as a virtual checklist for a lot of these questions. Not only is this something that can increase efficiencies for the broker and the agent, but it is a response to what today’s buyer is doing: shopping around for at least two weeks on average before contacting an agent. Consider the Internet’s rise in selling houses over the past ten years; 40% of buyers find the home they ultimately purchase online, compared to just 8% in 2001.

David suggests that MLS data is important but can’t provide the most important information you need to make a sale. This is where I have to disagree.

Innovative data in our industry has become more sensitive to buyers’ needs. Our Lifestyle Search Engine incorporates millions of data points to help guide buyers to ideal neighborhoods – and potentially homes within – that meet their needs. Answering quality of life needs and thresholds of importance up front, can save a lot of time and allows buyers to say, “they get it.”

Although the Internet and the agent are the two most important factors for a buyer during the transaction, NAR says “real estate agents are ranked as the most useful resource”  with the local know-how and market understanding that the Internet simply can’t provide.

If your brokerage’s site proves to understand the intuition of their search, they are more likely to look to you as a local resource that will understand which emotional levers to push while you are doing what you do best.

Online Lifestyle Search isn’t just a neat engagement tool; this information consumers are putting in upfront can be passed along to agents so that they can reach back out with listings that fit both their preferences for lifestyle and housing characteristics.

In essence, a lifestyle checklist could be on pen and paper the way David suggests, or it can be a support tool to that up front. And what better way to have a consistent multi-platform experience than to sync your website with your irreplaceable in-person knowledge?

Ingredients:
1- package frozen Rice Medley, heated, room temp or cold
1- cup of Joe’s Balela
1- veggie burger, pan fried OR microwaved
1/3 cup black lentils
a few tablespoons of Tzatziki OR plain yogurt

Possible Embellishments:
fresh squeezed lemon juice
chopped vegetables:red and yellow peppers, yellow onion, carrot, cucumber, wilted kale/greens,mint

Serve it up:
On a nice big plate, layer:

• Rice Medley
• Balela and lentils
• Other embellishments
• Plain yogurt OR Tzatziki
• Veggie burger

Grab a can of C2O coconut water, pop it open. Nourish yourself. Eat up. Enjoy.

You’ll feel satisfied (and awesome) for the rest of the day.