Center for REALTOR® Development 027: Realtors Property Resource® (RPR®) — Accessible Data with Veronica McManus
Today's episode is the final installment of a three-part series that highlights some of the NAR member benefits. RPR® helps REALTORS® provide and analyze data for your clients when they request it. Today's guest, Veronica McManus, is the director of industry relations with RPR®. In this episode, she and Monica discuss some of the benefits of this program for REALTORS® and their clients, as well the many reports available in the system and how to engage with them.
Veronica is in her 7th year with RPR®, and she works with MLSs and associations to encourage their engagement and usage of RPR®. She and her team are the connection between RPR® and the REALTORS® that use it. Realtors Property Resource® is a parcel-centric property database that contains over one hundred million property records from over 300 data sources on commercial, industrial, residential, and land parcels across the country.
RPR® originated when the NAR noticed that clients were coming to their REALTORS® with this data already. They housed it in a central location so their REALTORS® can provide accurate data to their clients. The public seems to love this data, so it's important to know how you can best engage with the product. For a basic beginning webinar, visit the blog: blog.narrpr.com.
One of the key benefits for the RPR® is that once their client comes to them about a house or a piece of property, the REALTOR® can immediately look up the address of the property and access the data. One of the things that sets RPR® apart from accessing information on your MLS is the report section where there are many different reports that can be created, how they can be shared with the consumer, and the quality of data they contain.
Some of the reports they have on RPR® are property reports, mini property reports, sellers reports, valuation reports, market activity reports, school reports, and property flyers that can be easily linked to other platforms. They also have neighborhood reports that share economic, demographic, quality of life, and market statistics. The REALTOR® is able to put up to 10 PDF documents into their reports. Veronica describes how we may use some of these reports in our marketing.
Many of the reports are very long, but you can go into the report details and pick and choose which information is most pertinent or most appealing to you and your clients. You can go in and create a custom template that will easily generate your reports going forward. This also makes it easier to create a report that suits your clients' needs, in a very short amount of time! This has helped REALTORS® get a client because they are able to connect with them quickly.
You have the ability to go into reports and suppress some of the estimated values for values. If you're responding quickly to a lead, they don't necessarily need to have the RVM. This keeps people from getting too far ahead with pricing with the customer.
The AVM is the automated valuation model, and the RVM is the REALTOR® valuation model market. This was one of the biggest data points NAR hoped to deliver with RPR®. This can be compared to the data that other places are using, such as Zillow. There are some differences between RPR® and Zillow. To determine the RVM, RPR® uses the averages of three different algorithms and also looks to the MLS for accurate and up-to-date information on active and pending list prices. The RVM also show you details, so you or the client can know which comps were used to estimate the price. The reports are also very helpful to share with your industry partners, as they add value to both you and your partner.
The REALTOR® is bringing their wisdom and experience when they interact with the reports within RPR®. They know what is going on in the markets and have often seen the properties, so they are able to change and engage the data in ways other companies are unable to provide.
Some of the other tools RPR® has to offer are traffic counts, flood maps, and heat maps. You can also view distressed properties on RPR® and provide resources to those homeowners. Some other ways REALTORS® are using the resources provided by RPR® are while door knocking and during open houses; utilizing the app has been a game changer for many people! When you can have some of the general information available for people asking questions, it creates a strong initial impression and makes the REALTOR® central to the transaction.
If you're not using RPR®, now is the time to start! Your competitors are likely using RPR®, and they are closing more business. Visit the blog for more ideas on how to use this free member benefit to save money, save time, and close more deals.
Guest Links:
NARRPR.com — Realtors Property Resource®
Blog.narrpr.com — RPR® blog
Additional Links:
OnlineLearning.REALTOR® for NAR Online Education
Training4RE.com — List of Classroom Courses for REBAC and REBI classes.
CRD@REALTORS.org
Host Information:
Monica Neubauer
Speaker/Podcaster/REALTOR®
Additional Bio:
Veronica McManus is a director of Industry Relations with RPR®. Before she joined RPR®, Veronica was a full-time agent, office manager, and education director. A REALTOR® since 1994, she was her association's past president, REALTOR® of the Year, and Massachusetts Women's Council of REALTORS® State President. A graduate of the Instructor Training Institute, Veronica is a certified continuing education instructor in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, and New Jersey. She also has her broker's license.