As we ramp up for the 2022 RESO Fall Conference, which will be held October 25-27 in Denver, we still have presentations worth resharing. Today’s offering is “The Surprising Advantages of the Native RESO Data Dictionary.” Dana Bennett, VP Industry Engagement at REcolorado, shared stories about how their MLSs converted their native MLS databases to the RESO Data Dictionary. The stories were told from different areas of the country and by different MLS vendors. WATCH THE VIDEO (19:05 minutes)
Both MLSs believed systems that spoke the same language and the RESO Data Dictionary would facilitate faster integrations and rollouts of exciting new tools, making them more appealing to innovators.
Stellar MLS’s growth path saw them constantly adding new shareholders and different data structures. This spurred the change. They have seen a significant improvement in technology and communication efficiency by removing the technology translation layer and replacing it with the more “human” language of Data Dictionary.
REcolorado agreed that having people speak the same data language has helped to increase buy-in for data-driven solution and better understanding of why it is important for an organization to follow a standard and have clean data.
There were many similarities between the two projects:
A desire to “walk and talk” and create something new based on industry standards
The need to extract information from a large database
The creation of a central meeting spot and a team leader to facilitate inter-departmental collaboration
The convenience of having your MLS vendor onsite during your transition
Preparation for long data-mapping or testing processes
Project timeline (approximately 10-12 months)
Communication was a key component of both efforts. However, the approaches of the two MLSs were different.
Bennett stated that REcolorado chose to involve its subscribers at every stage of the project to help them understand why it was being undertaken. Bennett said that their approach gave their subscribers a sense ownership over the project.
Fairley stated that Stellar MLS chose to only inform subscribers about key changes during what was a behind-the scenes data project. Stellar MLS provided updates as well as answering subscriber questions, but did all the work themselves.
Both MLSs reported that the benefits and outcomes included a more streamlined database and better data quality. Their communication with vendors, customers, and staff has been greatly improved. This surprised them. The MLS staff was able communicate with everyone using the same terminology and could get everyone the answers they needed much faster.
Both organizations acknowledged the challenges associated with building a native RESO data dictionary. Both companies can attest to the fact that the benefits outweigh any challenges.
For more information on how your organization can integrate RESO Data Dictionary into their systems, please contact info@reso.org.