RETS Implementation Best Practices

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RETSImplementation Best Practices
New Topic

• Business Case
• RETS Features
• RETS vs. FTP
• Best Practices

Kevin McQueen
Yogi Schulz
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Business Case

• Focal point of the RETS implementation
• Match RETS capabilities to the business problem
• Identify tangible intangible benefits
• Dont over-sell

Highest benefit area is serviceto data
customers Define scope as explicitly as possible
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Potential MLSData Management Features

• Control who has access to what data
• Implement role-based permissions
• Track/report data usage
• Provide real-time data access
• Load listings once for multiple uses
• Support site-specific business rules
• Strengthen data quality/data integrity
• Improve operational management tools

Recommendation Rank feature importance
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Security

• Document your security requirements
• Statutory security
• Physical security of system
• Software security of system
• Evaluate the cost/benefit of encryption
• Define level of auditing and logging

Great resource
REALTOR Secure White Papers Executive Briefs
www.realtor.org/crtsecure.nsf/pages/whitepapers?O
penDocument
Recommendation Define the security requirements
at the beginning
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RETS Advantages compared to FTP

• Real-time data feed for broker web sites data
  customers
• More data access options
• User agent security, role-based permissions
• Simplified adaptation to change
• Metadata enables multiple views of MLS data
• MLS control over mis-use
• Usage tracking capabilities
• Data customers restricted to queries within
  authorized view of the MLS data

More flexibility and capability
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FTP Disadvantagescompared to RETS

• FTP is not as secure as RETS
• Userid/password only
• Many FTP files to manage
• Unique requirements create many files
• Lack of data currency
• Typically updated only once or twice per day
• High cost/impact of change
• MLS data model changes create programming effort

More operational complexity
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RETS Data Customers Best Practices Topics

• Existing Services
• Default MLS client
• IDX/VOW
• Brokerages
• Other MLS clients
• Realtor.com
• Newspapers/book publishers

• New Services value to Realtors
• Multiple choices fordefault MLS client
• Multiple choices fordesktop, laptop or pda
  client
• Data aggregation
• Marketing tools

Recommendation Support new software and services
only via RETS
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RETS Impact onExisting Data Customers

• Will require changes to their applications to use
  RETS
• May have a sense that MLS is off-loading work
  to them
• Maintain buy-in by communicating the reasons
• Highlight the benefits from easier maintenance of
  their applications in response to your changes
• Overcome resistance of data customers who may not
  share your pain with the current situation

Recommendation Gradually upgrade data
distribution to RETS
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Conclusion

• RETS benefits will add value for your MLS
• Implementations encounter many modest hurdles
• All have been successfully overcome
• Project implementation best practices
• a few are RETS specific
• majority of the best practices address the common
  system implementation issues

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TopicSummary

• RETS offers many benefits, but faces many of the
  common systems implementation challenges
• Learning curve is real
• Many resources available to help
• Business case must drive the use of technology

Discussion Time
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RETS Data Customers Resources and Skills

• The RETS service will change business practices
• Communicate the benefits of RETS
• Reusable software
• Many sources of knowledge
• Industry standard
• Improved data structure for improved change
  management

Recommendation Communicate the benefits for
using RETS
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Implementation ProjectReward