MRED Blog

REinventing MLS

MRED CEO Rebecca Jensen Named One of HousingWire’s Rising Stars

Congratulations to MRED CEO Rebecca Jensen for being named one of HousingWire’s Rising Stars of 2015

The mortgage industry faces tremendous challenges in the years ahead. The regulation that has squeezed so many in our space, combined with a still sluggish economy, means we need leaders who are innovative and proactive like never before. That’s why HousingWire is proud to recognize some of the brightest and most accomplished leaders under 40 with our Rising Stars program.

These 40 winners have developed groundbreaking new software, re-engineered entire systems and launched their own startups. They have seen dramatic growth in sales, in market share and in influence. Whether they started with a company right out of high school or were brought in for a specialty solution, their contributions have been outsized.

Read the full article

MRED Chicagoland Report for April, 2015

As we turn the page to the second quarter of 2015, a proliferation of new listings is expected in most markets across the U.S. Spring is traditionally the commonplace time of the year that we see some of the most desirable gems polished for eager buyers.  Though some Google searches and Twitter posts will blatantly offer pessimism about the state of the housing market, on-the-street evidence does not support bad tidings.

New Listings in Chicagoland were up 9.4 percent for detached homes and 5.6 percent for attached properties.  Listings Under Contract increased 28.7 percent for detached homes and 18.7 percent for attached properties.

The Median Sales Price was up 9.0 percent to $205,000 for detached homes and 9.2 percent to $181,250 for attached properties.  Months Supply of Inventory decreased 8.2 percent for detached units and 9.0 percent for attached units.

The national home ownership percentage is the lowest since 1993, when Jurassic Park was the highest-grossing movie.  Rental prices continue to astonish with accelerated price growth, which may cause some to think twice before locking in a 12-month lease.  Lending practices and mortgage rates will also have a decided effect on the number of buyers who will become homeowners this year.  With the release of Jurassic World this month, we are reminded of cyclical conversations in both real estate and movie making.

MRED real estate professionals can log into MREDLLC.com and click on the Statistics tab to get the latest Lender Mediated and Monthly Market Indicators Reports.  You can also click on the Local Market Updates choice under the Statistics tab and use our Interactive Market Analytics map for the latest local market metrics.

Any questions?  Please contact MRED’s Help Desk at 630-955-2755 or help.desk@MREDLLC.com.

Do You Know The Cost of Renting vs. Buying? [Infographic]

Do You Know The Cost of Renting vs. Buying? [INFOGRAPHIC] | Keeping Current Matters

Some Highlights:

  • Historically the Percentage of your income needed to afford a home vs. renting was a much closer margin. Making renting make sense.
  • Now… Renting will cost you 30.1% of your income compared to buying a median home at 15.3% of your income.
  • Either way you’re paying a mortgage… why not have it be yours?

Blog post via KCM Blog

Existing Home Sales Skyrocket! [Infographic]

MRED Ready to Host the Mother of all MLS Events

MREDpalooza 2015 promises to be bigger and better than ever

LISLE, IL, May 7, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED), Chicagoland’s multiple listing service (MLS), announced that sponsor support for MREDpalooza, the real estate tech expo event of 2015, has already exceeded the total support received for the inaugural experience in 2013. Product vendors and service providers are seizing the opportunity in record numbers to participate in the occasion hosted by one of the largest MLSs in the country.

Real estate professionals are already registering to reserve their spots in the unique training sessions being offered.  MRED is predicting upwards of 5,000 attendees at the 2015 event.

Joining MRED and its real estate professionals again are the vendors for some of MRED’s most utilized services, including:

  • W &R Studios, which provides Cloud CMA, the awesome Comparative Market Analysis software, and Cloud Streams, the soon to be live product providing real-time listing alerts
  • ShowingTime, which provides ShowingAssist, the real estate showing management software; and
  • DocuSign, the Global Standard for Digital Transaction Management.

Industry association backing has been provided by the Illinois Association of Realtors (IAR), the Chicago Association of Realtors (CAR), and the Mainstreet Organization of Realtors (MORe).  Brokerage support has come from Baird & Warner and Coldwell Banker Residential.

“I could not be more excited about MREDpalooza 2015,” said Rebecca Jensen, MRED President/Chief Executive Officer.  “Obviously, the word is out about the event!  This is a great opportunity for MRED and vendors to show appreciation to our customers.  We anticipate a fun occasion full of the latest products, technology and sixty-three class sessions that are sure to help any and all real estate practitioners.”

About MREDpalooza

MREDpalooza is one of the largest MLS tech expos in the country.  Taking place Tuesday, June 23, 2015, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois, MREDpalooza will be a great opportunity for MRED’s real estate professionals to learn about a myriad of real estate products and services to enhance their businesses.

MRED is planning for several thousand attendees and scores of vendors, many of whom have already committed to attending.  Product training sessions will be offered throughout the day, providing more in-depth understanding of many of the products.  Those wishing to attend or exhibit at MREDpalooza are asked to visit MREDpalooza.com for registration and sponsorship information.

About MRED

Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) is the real estate data aggregator and distributor providing the Chicagoland multiple listing service (MLS) to nearly 40,000 brokers and appraisers and 8,000 offices.  MRED serves Chicago and the surrounding “collar” counties and provides property information encompassing northern Illinois, southern Wisconsin and northwest Indiana.  MRED delivers over twenty products and services to its customers, complementing connectMLS™, the top-rated MLS system in the country for two years running according to the WAV Group MLS Technology Survey.  MRED is the 2013 Inman News Most Innovative MLS/Real Estate Trade Association, and for four consecutive years the MRED Help Desk has been identified as one of the best small business centers in the United States and Canada by BenchmarkPortal.  For more information please visit MREDLLC.com.

– See more at: http://globenewswire.com/news-release/2015/05/07/733658/10133342/en/MRED-Ready-to-Host-the-Mother-of-all-MLS-Events.html#sthash.9GDUkHBH.dpuf

MRED Chicagoland Report for March, 2015

MRED Chicagoland Report for March, 2015.

All expectations in 2015 are for a healthy and energetic selling season. National stories have been highlighting an increase in new construction sales and pending sales, but national stories are not always readily applied to the local scene. All the same, if ever there was a year to list or purchase a home, wider economic factors seem to indicate that this is the one.

New Listings in Chicagoland were up 19.3 percent for detached homes and 9.4 percent for attached properties. Listings Under Contract increased 34.5 percent for detached homes and 21.6 percent for attached properties.

The Median Sales Price was up 13.1 percent to $198,000 for detached homes and 16.2 percent to $180,100 for attached properties. Months Supply of Inventory decreased 5.4 percent for detached units and 7.6 percent for attached units.

On average, more people are employed and making more money than they were at this time last year. The jobs picture, as a whole, looks promising. Employment drives home-buying activity, so it is ever critical to watch labor statistics as a key indicator for the residential real estate market. Coupled with the mostly positive jobs picture, it is widely expected that mortgage rates will remain as they are for at least the first six months of the year.

MRED real estate professionals can log into MREDLLC.com and click on the Statistics tab to get the latest Lender Mediated and Monthly Market Indicators Reports.  You can also click on the Local Market Updates choice under the Statistics tab and use our Interactive Market Analytics map for the latest local market metrics.

Any questions?  Please contact MRED’s Help Desk at 630-955-2755 or help.desk@MREDLLC.com.