Warburg broker and REBNY technology chair Steven Goldschmidt

The Real Estate Board of New York is updating the technology behind its residential listing service, Crain’s reported, and switching to Stratus Data Systems from RealPlus Online Listings Exchange. The new service, which is compatible with applications and software that allow more programs to access information from the listing service, will be implemented in January, but the switch won’t be complete for a year.

“We needed a system that could keep up with the times,” said Steven Goldschmidt, a broker at Warburg Realty and chair of REBNY’s technology committee. “We are going from a 1995 Audi to a 2013 Lexus.” [more]

Leigh Zaph is planning on registering his three-person firm, Manhattan Homes, as a Virtual Office Web site.

From the December issue:
A new breed of online brokerage is springing up in New York, altering
the landscape of real estate sales in Manhattan and worrying
traditional firms, who fear the changes may hurt their business. In the past, New York firms have contended with Web aggregators
like StreetEasy and Trulia, which gather and post information on local
brokerage listings. But thanks to a recent settlement between the federal Department of
Justice and the National Association of Realtors, the Real Estate Board
of New York is now sharing all of its members’ listings directly with
online brokerages, known as “Virtual Office Web sites.” These VOWs, as they are called, allow consumers to view those listings — including those from other firms — online. Experts say the change will have far-reaching consequences for the
industry in the coming year and beyond. Some believe VOWs could also
pave the way for a comprehensive Multiple Listing Service, which has
long been resisted here.  More

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