MLS Cutovers Made Easy

A top MLS executive talks about his formula for success

"This is the best MLS system cutover I have ever been involved with."
— Joel Cohen, Mid-Florida Regional MLS Vice President

On January 8, 2003, the Mid-Florida Regional MLS turned off its System 4 MLS system and successfully put into production one of the largest standalone installations of MLXchange in North America. Comprised of seven distinct REALTOR® Associations, the Mid-Florida Regional MLS (MFR) provides technology services to more than 8000 real estate professionals across six counties in central Florida.

Vice President Joel Cohen will be the first to tell you that MFR’s successful transition to MLXchange was no accident. Cohen has been involved with a half dozen MLS system migrations in the last seven years, and has learned that a successful transition begins months or even years before the actual cutover. Indeed, a smooth MLS system transition requires equal parts of the right process, the right product, and the right technology partner.

The Right Process

Tasked with managing the selection of MFR’s next MLS system, Cohen began by getting the participation of MLS staff, Executive Officers, Presidents and additional volunteers from each of the seven associations. In all, more than 65 people were involved in the vendor selection process.

"It’s imperative that the entire leadership and other stakeholders be involved right from the beginning," said Cohen. "If they aren’t, it’s much harder to overcome objections and achieve any kind of consensus down the road."

MFR then formed a Vendor Selection Group that traveled to Washington DC to watch 10 preliminary candidates demonstrate their systems. Of these, four vendors were selected to return for follow-up product demonstrations. The three finalists were then given one more opportunity to present their solutions before the Vendor Selection Group made its decision and selected First American MLS Solutions.

MFR hired Clareity Consulting, one of the industry’s foremost real estate consulting firms, to coordinate contract negotiations with First American. By using a consultant in addition to MFR’s in-house expertise, Cohen could further ensure that all aspects of the contract process would be properly scrutinized.

Once the contract was signed, Cohen again switched gears and launched the next phase of the system transition: membership communication and training. Months before their eventual cutover date, MFR began broadcasting the message that a new MLS system had been chosen.

"Communication during this time is crucial," said Cohen. "You want to begin the education process as early on as possible so everyone has time to get used to the idea."

With First American’s assistance, MFR conducted a comprehensive series of internal training sessions that included staff and leadership training, train-the-trainer training, and special "subject matter expert" training with selected individuals from each association. MFR released MLXchange to its membership for general training only after internal training was complete.

"To minimize the disruption of switching to a new system, we made training mandatory for all members," said Cohen. "That was an important part of our leadership philosophy and it worked out really well. In just six weeks, we were able to train approximately 85 percent of our members—more than 7000 agents."

MFR also added two more technical support staff members—on loan from First American—to help manage the expected increase in call volume during the first weeks after cutover.

"You’ve got to think about the transition process from beginning to end and zero in on potential problem areas," said Cohen. "Then you work proactively to prevent the problems before they happen."

The Right Product

While different MLS organizations place different demands on their MLS system, there are certain qualities in a new MLS system that will invariably help ensure a smooth system transition. Chief among these is user-friendliness.

"It was important that our members liked the program interface," said Cohen. "There’s always a learning curve when you start using a new system, but having a good UI really helps flatten that curve.

"Cutting over means using a new listing input system for the first time, so it was also very important to us that the system we chose had an excellent listing maintenance module. An MLS is only as good as the data that goes into it."

Beyond the initial cutover, the importance of other qualities often comes to the fore. For example, many MLS organizations value the autonomy and cost-effectiveness of being able to make changes to their MLS system—such as adding new fields or customizing reports—without involving the technology vendor.

"With MLXchange, MFR has the tools it needs to quickly make changes and solve its own problems," said Cohen. "Not all MLSs need this level of flexibility and control, but it was certainly a deciding factor for us."

A good MLS vendor should be able articulate their technological vision and give you a clear understanding of their product direction. MLS systems usually go through many software upgrades over the course of a service contract, so it is important that your MLS leadership fundamentally agrees with the changes and additions the vendor plans to make.

"We definitely like where MLXchange is headed," said Cohen. "MFR is an active participant in the MLXchange user group, so we’ve been able to have a hand in the evolution of the product."

The Right Partner

An often-overlooked factor that can greatly contribute to the success of your system transition is the technology vendor’s commitment to your satisfaction. The kind of customer service you will receive from a vendor after you sign the contract is not always easy to determine, but talking to board staff from some of their existing accounts will usually tell you what to expect.

Perhaps the most important quality to consider in a prospective technology partner is their ability to respond to your requests, both in terms of their willingness and the physical "bandwidth" of their organization. Leading up to the cutover, MFR proactively identified program areas that needed to be enhanced to properly serve their members, providing First American with valuable feedback that was directly incorporated in the next point release of the product.

"First American worked diligently to make sure that MLXchange worked to our satisfaction," said Cohen. "You can’t underestimate the value of having a technology vendor that is responsive to your needs."

Additionally, the kind of communication and support channels that the vendor has in place can have a huge impact on the efficiency of your interactions. Will you have a single representative that is responsible for your account both before and after the sale? What is the escalation procedure for quickly resolving critical issues? Is a member of the company’s executive team accessible and accountable to you? These are all important questions to consider.

"It’s practically unheard of, but [First American MLS Solutions President] Bryan Foreman sat by my side during the two days after cutover to make sure that any problems that came up were taken care of immediately. He’s never been too big to do the small things. That’s the kind of attitude you look for in an MLS technology partner."


In the end, ensuring a smooth transition to a new MLS system is more science than art, and requires a well thought out migration strategy, a user-friendly product with a short learning curve, and a technology partner that will help you overcome the unexpected challenges that inevitably arise. Changing MLS systems is never easy... but careful planning can make it look that way. Good luck with your next move!

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