by G. Sax, Head of Communications, 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, we caught up with Shaun York, Executive Director of Technology at Homes.com. We talked about newsworthy changes (to put it lightly) at Homes.com, the evolution of the RESO Data Dictionary and practical tips for handling yourself in a business acquisition. Enjoy!
Q1: Combining the talents of Homes.com and Homesnap seemed like an obvious move from the jump. How have things evolved since the CoStar acquisition in terms of collaboration?
Shaun: I specifically work on the MLS ingestion side. We have combined all of our teams into one. I make sure that we receive the 500+ data feeds that we work with.
We consolidated into the Washington, DC, office, and they did a good job of incorporating engineering and management.
They have leveraged our experience in this space and with organizations such as RESO while also leveraging their very large resources. We didn’t really have that previously, so it’s been a good match.
Q2: You have been working with data for the entirety of the 21st century. What do you see as some critical next steps for real estate data management, and how would you like to see the RESO Data Dictionary evolve over the next five to ten years?
Shaun: The Data Dictionary evolving towards a commitment to expanding certification into enumeration fields for things as simple as spelling and delivery – making sure that agents are communicating things the same way – is tremendous.
We haven’t had a chance to participate in this process, but we are all for it. The fact that you are taking inputs from multiple companies in a data-driven approach is marvelous.
As far as the data analytics aspect of data management, having a better understanding of what’s out there and making it easier to consume and understand is a great leap forward.
As an organization starts to mature, which RESO is doing, focusing on the core issues is the most important step. Once we’ve done that, understanding utilization is the next logical step.
Q3: “Being Acquired is Hard” is something that should go on a t-shirt, because it would sell. What can you say about the experience of being at Homes.com during the acquisition by CoStar?
Shaun: (Laughs.) It is hard.
You have to be very flexible. You have to be ready to listen to input from other people. And you have to be willing to collaborate on new experiences.
If you come into it with that mindset, you can be successful. If you come into it thinking your way is the right way, you will probably get shown the door.
