Nov. 22, 2011 - How Clareity Consulting Is Constructively Working on the IDX Policy Issue
 By now everyone already knows that the IDX Policy draft reviewed at the Anaheim meetings, designed to address social media, "apps", and provide other modernizations, was not ready for prime-time. You've probably read Jay Thompson's open letter describing how broken the policy creation process is.
It would be so easy for us to develop policy improvements on our own, but it's not enough for us to be smart or able to craft good language - even with input from some of the smart folks who comment on our blog. We feel a more rigorous process is needed all along the way, involving stakeholders throughout. So, during NAR meetings, Clareity Consulting crafted a process, grounded in stakeholder involvement, to constructively address this issue and hopefully emerge with an optimal result.
1. To keep future policy efforts grounded in what brokers actually want, Clareity is conducting a broker survey on IDX Policy changes, in collaboration with Realtrends.
2. Clareity will facilitate a small workgroup to develop a policy draft reflecting broker interests. The workgroup will include some smart, interested brokers and MLS executives/staff (we already have some lined up, including Council of MLS representation), likely an attorney, and ideally someone from the new NAR PAG (TBD). The policy recommendation we create will be heavily annotated to provide the thinking behind each change, so that future discussion does not require re-hashing old discussions and policy elements that we rejected ("Did you think of this?")
3. We will vet the policy draft along with annotations with MLS executives (including Council of MLS leadership) at the Clareity MLS Executive Workshop at the beginning of March and document recommended changes. MLS Workshop recommended changes, if any, will be reviewed by the workgroup and possibly incorporated. Even if unincorporated, change recommendations will remain documented by the workgroup.
4. In early March, right after Clareity's MLS Executive Workshop, the policy recommendation draft and survey results will be published to the public and contributed to the NAR IDX Workgroup/PAG to help move the policy forward. Since this recommendation is grounded in stakeholder involvement, it should be much closer to adoptable.
Clareity believes that, when it comes to a policy that is supposed to represent the assets and interests of brokers, the first step is to understand what brokers want from the policy. Second, we need to involve key stakeholders - bright, knowledgeable and interested parties. And third, to create a well-vetted work product well prior to midyear NAR meetings allowing ample time for review and discussion before going to DC. If we do this, and the NAR policy making body leverages the work product, the upcoming IDX policy meetings should be more productive, and policy can be brought into line with current needs.
We hope you’ll support this effort and we welcome your suggestions and ideas.
- Gregg & Matt
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