Context with Mike DelPrete Emily Girard: MLS Whack-A-Mole
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Jan 21, 2026 Emily Girard, CEO of Unlock MLS and the Austin Board of Realtors, delves into the complexities of MLS and real estate tech. She talks about the importance of MLS for equitable access and informed decisions. Emily expresses frustration with reactive policies like the Google listings fiasco and critiques the Clear Cooperation Policy for distracting from meaningful evolution in IDX and VOW. Also discussed are Flex listings as a privacy-focused option gaining traction in Austin, alongside the need for secure, real-time data access to drive innovation.
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MLS As A Network Of Relationships
- MLSs are more than data plumbing; they're networks of cooperative professional relationships that enable transactions.
- Emily Girard frames MLS value as relationship-driven infrastructure, not just technical utility.
Ruined Weekend: Google Listings Alert
- Emily recalls getting a weekend-ruining alert about Google displaying listings and immediately calling her COO Stan to investigate.
- Her reaction exposed frustration at being forced into reactive enforcement rather than strategic collaboration.
Stop Wholesale Data Replication
- Reduce wholesale replication of MLS databases to regain control and manage real-time access.
- Provide secure, real-time APIs so consumers build on live access rather than static copies.