Project Upstream Revealed

For a few years now, industry leaders have been working together to address data problems, producing almost two years ago a solution concept called "Upstream." Not long after that, the WAV Group was asked to consult on the technical side of the development of the project. Our non-disclosure agreement has prevented us from saying much about it. However, now we are very pleased to be allowed finally to share some information about the concept. In an announcement this week, UpstreamRE, LLC, the standalone company that will direct the effort, announced that it is deep into serious negotiations with the National Association of REALTORS®, exploring ways to leverage the significant assets and capabilities of NAR's Realtor Property Resource unit to support key components of Upstream's functionality.

Upstream is not an MLS!

Real estate firms across America have obstreperous data management problems. Three of those problems include the disorderly replication of add/edit; the replication and inconsistency of data formats; and the challenge of perfecting copyright. These challenges that face firms are interrelated in many ways.

[ Definition: Obstreperous – noisy, difficult to control, unruly, unmanageable, disorderly, undisciplined, rowdy, disruptive. ]

The Solution for Duplicate Add-Edit

When a firm acquires a listing, there are many actions that often take place before that listing is placed in the MLS. For example, firms likely create a transaction in their back office system that allows expenses such as sign services, photography service, staging, or other expenditures to be ordered and tracked. Franchise firms are also required to enter the listing into the franchise system for accounting. Although some of the larger MLSs have created a new status for tracking this pre-listing data management need, most do not.