Inman

Miami Realtors integrating paperless platform into MLS

The Miami Association of Realtors will integrate eBrokerHouse Inc.’s paperless transaction management platform into its multiple listing service, allowing the association’s 26,000 members to automatically populate listing data into their eBrokerHouse accounts and manage offers online.

In announcing the agreement, eBrokerHouse said it will also work with the provider of the Miami Association of Realtors’ MLS software platform, CoreLogic, to automatically embed SmartLinks into listings that will allow buyers’ agents to submit offers to listing agents from inside the MLS.

"This is not your run-of-the-mill, preferred vendor type of agreement," eBrokerHouse CEO Alan Fenn said in a statement. "This is a true partnership and MLS integration, and we expect to make a huge impact on improving the way (Miami Association of Realtors) agents manage their businesses and accept, manage and negotiate offers."

When Realtor associations and MLSs partner with vendors, they often offer their members access to a service at a discounted price, and receive a revenue share from the vendor.

Fenn declined to discuss financial details of the agreement between eBrokerHouse and the Miami Association of Realtors, but said that when the service launches for Miami Realtors next month, all of the association’s members will be able to access the platform and use it to manage a limited number of listings at no charge. He said those who wish will have the option of purchasing upgraded levels of service that will allow them to manage more listings, and which will also provide increased file storage capacity.

"The amount of free file storage is pretty good," Fenn said. "The average agent should be able to use it for free."

The platform’s online offer submission helps listing agents stay on top of multiple-offer situations, he said. Buyers’ agents can view the status of their offer online, amend their offer terms, and submit notes to the listing agent online, eliminating the need to follow up with listing agents about the status of their offers.

In addition to online offer submission, the eBrokerHouse platform allows users to manage listings, buyers, leads, offers, contacts, broker price opinions (BPOs), reimbursements, and other tasks, with specialized features for managing different niches of business such as short sale and REO transactions.

"The eBroker solution will equip our members with a full-use CRM as well as an integrated cutting-edge offer management system, which will allow for more transparency and efficiency in the real estate transaction," said Natascha Tello, chairman-elect of the Miami Association of Realtors.