LISLE, Ill., July 20, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED), the Chicagoland multiple listing service (MLS) representing over 40,000 real estate professionals in the Chicago area, has become the first MLS to launch the Broker Public Portal (BPP). BPP will be going to market with the Homesnap brand and with the full suite of consumer and agent-facing features offered by Homesnap. MRED customers will receive access to mobile real estate app Homesnap Pro and other benefits as a result of MRED s participation in and support of the BPP initiative. This is the first time that brokers in Chicago have supported an MLS-sponsored consumer home search experience in their market.
The BPP initiative is a collaboration between real estate brokerages, real estate franchisors and Multiple Listing Services (MLSs) across the United States to create a national home search experience for consumers that is more straightforward and clear than those offered by advertising-driven media companies. In May, the BPP board announced it had partnered with Homesnap, creator of highly-rated real estate apps for consumers and agents, to launch BPP under the Homesnap brand. This will include an iPhone app, Android app, and mobile and desktop websites. The experience will be free from ads and paid agent placement. Instead, consumers can easily collaborate with their own agent, or connect instantly to the listing agent, ensuring information and answers from a pro who truly knows the home, neighborhood and local market conditions.
"MRED is thrilled to be the first to implement BPP for its customers," said Rebecca Jensen, President/Chief Executive Officer of MRED. "It was critically important to our leadership that the Fair Display Guidelines be the guiding light of this project, and we are proud to support a grassroots effort that has backing from all corners of the real estate industry. Homesnap has a great track record in other markets and we are very excited to bring it to the Midwest as part of the suite of services we provide to our real estate professionals."
"We commend MRED's early participation in and bold support of BPP," said Guy Wolcott, co-founder and CEO of Homesnap. "This initiative is designed to help MRED create nationwide listing exposure and lead generation for their members without having to pay to advertise their listings online. MRED customers will enjoy many direct benefits, including access to Homesnap Pro and a robust platform to collaborate with their clients and each other. We are thrilled to be working with MRED and expect they will set the precedent for other MLSs to follow suit."
"MRED shares our vision of home search defined by simplicity, integrity and common sense," said BPP Co‐Chair John Mosey, CEO of Twin Cities-based NorthstarMLS, which serves Minnesota and Western Wisconsin. "Consumers and agents in greater Chicago will now be able to work together more easily, with better information, than ever before."
About MRED
Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) is the real estate data aggregator and distributor providing the Chicagoland MLS to more than 40,000 brokers and appraisers and nearly 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 three 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 five 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.
About BPP
The Broker Public Portal LLC is a collaborative venture between real estate brokerages and MLSs to create a national consumer home search experience defined by simplicity, integrity and common sense. The portal aims to provide consumers with direct access to the most comprehensive, timely, and complete property information while adhering to fair display guidelines. The BPP initiative is backed by 115 MLSs and real estate companies, including franchisors, independent brands, big brokers, and small brokers, operating in diverse markets across the country and collectively representing over 500,000 real estate agents. It will be funded by, and rolled out through, local MLSs. More information can be found at http://brokerpublicportal.com.
About Homesnap
Homesnap is the highest-rated mobile real estate app, used by millions of consumers to explore homes and search listings. Homesnap Pro, the professional version of Homesnap, is the fastest-growing mobile app for agents – now available to every agent in 40 MLSs with over 300,000 members. Both are powered by a specialized homes database that combines MLS data, property tax records, census data, geographic boundaries and more.