by G. Sax, Director of Growth Management, RESO
Welcome to “Three Questions,” an interview series that introduces you to real estate industry professionals, their businesses and how they interact with real estate standards. The goal of the series is to humanize the tech side of the industry, fun included.
This week’s interview is with the quiet but mighty Rich McGonigle, the MLS Director at MLS Technology in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We talked about RESO workgroup meetings, the MLS-association relationship and the gift of being a nerd. Enjoy!
Q1: You attend a lot of workgroup meetings. You are kind of a lurker, too, choosing to hang in the background rather than on the microphone. What are you looking to gain from those meetings, and why should others who would rather observe than speak up follow your lead?
Rich: I like to hear from people that are much smarter than me, and I want to learn from those people.
The best way I can do that is to immerse myself in the workgroups, listen and watch what other people are doing to see what’s important to them.
There’s always a risk of people feeling like they don’t belong, but those groups are very good at making people feel wanted. I’m naturally an introvert, but I get what I need just by attending.
If you also do not feel the need to be on camera or to raise your hand during every Zoom call, you should know that RESO workgroups provide a welcoming space for all members.
Q2: I feel like your email address, which ends in tulsarealtors.com, speaks directly to the confusion that occurs for new entrants into real estate tech. It is often difficult to know what an MLS is, what an association is, when an MLS is an association and why they are so tied together. Are you able to explain it in a way that makes sense to the world?
Rich: MLSs bring forward cooperation for all of their subscribers in terms of home listings.
The association does not necessarily color what we do on the MLS side. We are allowed to drive the MLS in new and innovative ways without burdening ourselves with the logistical and civic concerns of an association.
We obviously promote our MLS side to association members, and it’s true that there tends to be confusion about where MLS Technology begins and the Greater Tulsa Association of REALTORS® ends.
The association has members, and the MLS has subscribers. It’s always a challenge to make sure that each group, which includes a lot of overlap, sees the value in separating the nonprofit association and the for-profit MLS business. I believe we do a great job of doing that.
Q3: It’s no secret that it requires patience and nerdy fastidiousness in order to work closely with MLS data for 15+ years, as you have done. But it looks like you were a data nerd even before you entered the MLS space, working as a technician for a company called Computer Nerdz.
Now that you have moved on to NRDS from Nerdz, was it inevitable that you were going to have a nerdly career in technology?
Rich: Yes. 100%. I’ve always been drawn to tech, because it feels like, in its own way, a form of artistry that can shape reality.
A nerd can change data, and that’s a control I don’t always have in the rest of my life.
I feel like if I hadn’t been involved in real estate, it would have been something even nerdier.
I’m not ashamed of the time I spent at Computer Nerdz, but I am ashamed of their name.
