Last month, I shared with you some of the challenges that were outlined as part of the strategic plan established by the Board of Governors in February. This month, I want to communicate some of the “Guidelines” that were used in the creation of the 2006 Business Plan.

Guidelines for 2006 Business Plan:

Services- Provide a high level of services that meet the needs of members without competing with Realcomp members or Shareholders. 

• Exercise great care in the delivery of services that could be construed as competitive with the Brokerage Firms or Shareholder Associations unless it is mandated by the Brokers or Shareholders to pursue a certain path.
• Partner with other companies, as appropriate, to provide services.
• Provide an excellent public record data capability.
• Provide access to the MLS system and to the data through a variety of devices (i.e. cell phones).
• Determine if access to the MLS system via other browsers is feasible.

MLS Content- Maintain the value of the MLS content and provide the highest possible quality of information.

• Protect access to the information, how much information is made available, and how the information can be distributed.
• Educate the Brokers and Agents about the value of the MLS content, the need for protecting it, and their responsibilities.

Communications/Marketing/Relationships- Establish outstanding two way communication with Realcomp’s Subscribers and Shareholders.

• Make Subscribers aware of everything that Realcomp offers that can help them to be successful in their businesses.

Making Realcomp Relevant and Growing- Extend the reach of Realcomp throughout the State of Michigan.

• Create an organization that is progressive, has the capability to grow with state of the art technology, and offers products and services to meet Subscriber demands.
• Assess where to expand and create a plan to do so.
• Always assess competitive MLS systems and services.

Role of the Board of Governors- The role of the Board of Governors is to be knowledgeable about the challenges and issues, provide oversight of the organization and always focus on the best interests of Realcomp.

• Focus on the future, the policies, the strategy and the direction of the organization.
• Stay up to date and educated on issues by having more outside speakers participate with the Board of Governors or have the Board Members attend conferences to know what MLSs across the country are doing.
• Stay cognizant of the internal needs and industry challenges while keeping a pulse on the marketplace.

These were the guidelines that staff used in creating a proposed Business Plan for 2006. The Board of Governors will be reviewing this plan in April. Once approved, I will share some of the details with you.

Please let us know if we are on the right track! I can be reached by  email or by phone at 248.699.9120.

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