Matt Cohen | WorldOfStuff - Matt Cohen

What’s Next for VOW and IDX?

8AugustMatt CohenProfessionalcompliance, mls, policy

I’ve had some awesome and brutal conversations with brokers and their technologists over the years about VOW and IDX. “When are the handcuffs coming off?” a broker will ask, “Why is our MLS sending listings to sites that don’t have to comply with the same rules we do?” Leave aside for the moment that

Preventing Real Estate Ransomware

30JulyMatt CohenProfessionalsecurity

I’ve been writing articles for others more than for my own blog these days, but it’s nice to have them posted here too. This article first appeared on the CoreLogic Insights Blog and included some great collaboration with Ethan Bailey. The real estate industry is increasingly aware of the dangers of ransomware, which have

Data Sharing – Viable, But Not an Easy Answer

23AprilMatt CohenProfessional

In an older post, it was pointed out that “Data shares – at least in most markets – are not the answer.” That doesn’t mean that they are not a useful tool for MLSs for solving issues relating to Overlapping Market Disorder – including creating consolidated data for MLS and IDX/VOW use, helping to

MLS Regionalization: Pre-positioning the Objections

10AprilMatt CohenProfessionalconsolidation, mls

I was working on an MLS consolidation project last year on behalf of a smaller MLS approaching its big neighboring MLS. The CEO had called me in to facilitate the process. The first step was to get the client’s board of directors on board, and I did so in a presentation with two aspects

Media Manipulation: MLS Action Required

3MarchMatt CohenProfessionalmls, standards

Many people may not realize that numerous listing images uploaded to the MLS, used on broker and agent websites and apps, and syndicated for display on other Internet sites, are heavily modified. While this can be a very effective sales tool, some undisclosed manipulations may be deceptive. National MLS policies and other steps should