Integrating Wireless FlexMLS Access Into Your Real Estate Business and Dreaming Of A Paperless And Wireless World

After recieving some comments, emails and feedbacks from Michael Wurzer, President and CEO of FBS Data Systems (the company who has created FlexMLS) and Bob Bemis, the CEO of the Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service, the problem I previously mentioned while trying to search listings on wireless.flexmls.com has been solved!  Hooray and hopefully no more “WTFs” except when clients and I see grossly overpriced listings.

If you haven’t used wireless.flexmls.com (and of course are an ARMLS member) here are some quick tips to get started with wireless FlexMLS access and then to save yourself from the “WTFs” and urge to toss your wireless device across the room:

• Get a smartphone device: Pony up.  Get with the times.  Do what you have to do - but you’ll serve clients much better if you have a smartphone, like the Apple iPhone, a BlackBerry or Palm.  I am partial to Apple products but also think the ease and use of an iPhone would make it the top choice for most agents whether they’re technology gurus or not.Ideally, you’ll want to get a device that has “3G” access, which means it accesses high-speed cellular networks with speeds similar to broadband at home (slow home broadband, but broadband nonetheless).  AT&T calls it “3G”.  Verizon Wireless calls it “EVDO” (although I noticed in a recent radio commercial they actually used the word “3G,” most likely a fallout from all the iPhone 3G coverage).  Sprints calls it “Sprint Vision.”  Currently, at least in the Phoenix Valley, T-Mobile does not have a broadband wireless network.
• Expect to spend about $30 more a month: Wireless companies will charge you, on average, around $30 a month for unlimited data access on your smartphone.  A small investment for the service you’ll be providing to clients and the convenience you’ll have of pulling up stats on the fly even if your paperwork is not handy, flew out the window, got ate by the dog, etc.
• Bookmark wireless.flexmls.com: The iPhone makes it super easy to have one-touch access to the wireless version of the ARMLS.  Here’s a screenshot of my own iPhone.  Now, Michael, can your software developers throw in an iPhone icon so that it doesn’t look so generic and ghetto on my screen (like the Google RSS and Wells Fargo you see)?  Notice the “flexmls Web” icon/link in the bottom row above my calendar:
  

  flexmls Web is located just above my Calendar widget in the lower lefthand corner giving me one touch access to the ARMLS.

  Most wireless devices will allow bookmarks.  It should be noted that even if you don’t have a smartphone, aren’t eligible to upgrade without shelling out full retail price for the handset (which still may be worth it in my opinion) or simply want to hang on to the 1990s, you can still access wireless.flexmls.com from most “regular” cell phones by going to the phone’s browser and typing in the address.

• DESELECT search items for a successful search: As Michael put it, “I know this is lame but what’s happening here is that a couple of the fields are getting selected by the browser even though you’re not selecting them.”  More specifically, the “Compass” and “Street Suffix” fields automatically select options that will make your search come back with zero properties.To clarify, here are some screenshots from my iPhone that show the correct way and the incorrect way for searching:
  

  "Select One" is automatically selected which makes your search pointless and gives you zero results.

  

  Deselect "Select One" as well as "--" in the "St Suffix" field and your address search will come back with results.

  Those two fields - “Compass” and “St Suffix” - have default selections that you may usually assume are instructions that don’t need to be touched or will search all.  Not the case.  Deselect these items for accurate search results.

  As always, it’s usually best to not select a compass (E, W, S, N, etc) for a street because the search is only as good as the agent that put it in the MLS.  The same goes for the street suffix (Street, Way, Cove, etc).  If I recall, FlexMLS uses more accurate address verification through tax records that may take some of the innacuracies out of the picture - but to be safe, keep those fields blank.

If you follow the search directions here, you won’t have the issues I had previously.  Once I deselected the default selections for compass and street suffix I had perfect success that mirrored results on “the real FlexMLS” on my laptop.

Kudos to Michael Wurzer and FlexMLS for offering a Web 2.0 interface on my computer and a viable solution on my mobile device.  Perhaps I can push the envelope and request a iPhone Application that would bring even more functionality to FlexMLS while mobile.

Kudos also to Bob Bemis and ARMLS for finally offering multiple IDX solutions to agents and brokers and bringing us FlexMLS and a MLS solution that allows the industry to do what they need to do easier and better.

Now, if we can only get some competition in the paperless transaction offerings and end the ZipForms monopoly.  In my dream world and others’,

• I pull up the ARMLS on my iPhone App
• Search for properties on my iPhone App
• Open up lockboxes via Bluetooth (no need to carry around a Supra Key or have an outdated Palm).  Supra claims Bluetooth would use way too much battery power, which is probably true.  But this is my dream world, right?
• Click on the property my buyer wants to put an offer on
• Pull up all the current AAR forms with the listing information automatically populated and relevant seller disclosures too
• Review the paperwork on the iPhone App
• Sign it electronically with integrated electronic signature technology or on the iPhone screen with a finger
• Send the paperwork electronically back to the listing agent
• Send the completed paperwork electronically to the title company, mortgage companies, etc.

Of course, in my dream world, all agents are onboard with today’s technology and we could whisk paperwork back and forth from agent-to-agent-to-mortgage company-to-title company-to-agent-to-inspector-to-client’s email.

Well, at least I can search wirelessly now with my clients this afternoon if the opportunity presents itself!

We can always dream …