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In this edition of our MLS Executive Interview series, we sat down with NNRMLS CEO Gene Millman to get his perspective on what the future looks like for the MLS.

To Gene, the future of the MLS keeps the consumer top-of-mind.

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When you think about your MLS in five years, what does it look like?

First and most importantly, I think that the MLS of the future is able to deliver a seamless user experience for its customers. I think that search criteria need to become more expansive. It’s not just about the number of bedrooms and bathrooms anymore, people want to be able to search by lifestyle. This isn’t a new idea, but it’s time to start implementing it.  

And I think that, in order to make some of these big changes we need to do better as an industry at breaking down the walls between each other and working together to allow our data to flow freely. Consolidation certainly is not the answer for everyone, but providing the best service to the consumer is.  

Do you think the MLS is smart to think about the consumer experience? 

I think historically MLSs have had a B2B mentality– don’t get me wrong, it’s critical to have a strong relationship with our brokers and our members – but at the end of the day, the broker and the agent need to be able to collaborate with the consumer. Everything hinges on the consumer making a buying or selling decision. And if the consumer fuels our business, then they should be part of the equation when we make business decisions. 

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What steps are you taking in Northern Nevada to move toward your vision of a more consumer-oriented MLS? 

We’re trying a lot of new things in efforts to build a more seamless experience for our customers, which we hope ripples out to their customers. We launched a new payment portal and internal CRM all based on an API platform to move toward more automation where systems can actually talk to each other.  

We’re also managing our mindset. We’re more actively putting aside egos and feelings to deliver a better experience for our members.  

What would you say is your biggest obstacle in trying to reach your future goals? 

I think it’s the vendors’ ability to adjust and change quickly. Things that used to take five years to bring to market are now taking two months. Having the ability and the equipment to keep up with change is critical, and not having it holds us back.  

There’s also still so much fear around change. We have to outgrow that fear and see change as a good thing. We have to get people to understand that what feels uncomfortable today will be the norm tomorrow.  

How can your technology partners help affect some of the changes that you’re talking about? 

It comes back to the speed of development. Tech partners today need to be able to anticipate change before it happens and bring things to market quickly. Remine is a great example of a partner that does that well. Their insight and personal experience give them an understanding of what’s important and what products need to be brought to the marketplace.  

Where do you get inspiration from outside of the real estate industry? 

With any industry, we get so focused inside our bubble. But it’s important to realize that all businesses have the same struggles, just in different ways.  

My father-in-law has been in business for 65 years. He’s in the furniture business – nothing to do with real estate – but I’ve learned so much from him in how to make business decisions and how to recognize opportunities.  

Any business that seeks to anticipate a customer’s need before the customer realizes it is an inspiration. Look at Amazon and Netflix. They’ve built a seamless user experience because they recognize what the user wants and build around it. 

How would you describe your leadership style in terms of trying to effectuate change in your own industry?

I read a lot of books on leadership by Warren Bennis and there’s a quote of his that I love:

"Leaders must encourage their organizations to dance to forms of music yet to be heard."

I really see this as the job of a good leader.  

My job as a leader is also to give my organization the freedom to fail. It’s human instinct to want to do things right — we have a fear of failure ingrained in us. A good leader is able to peel that away. Trying something different should never bring about criticism.