Interviews
Daniel Jones: Redefining the MLS
August 25, 2024
By Arianna Marino
As the CEO of North Carolina Regional MLS (NCRMLS), Daniel Jones leads an organization that champions data integrity to meet the evolving needs of real estate professionals and consumers alike. To Jones, NCRMLS is more than just a company; it is a dynamic entity to be treated and cared for like a person. This dedication Jones has to NCRMLS is the same dedication NCRMLS has to its members, serving them with unwavering commitment. This subscriber-centric approach has established NCRMLS as an information powerhouse in the real estate industry.
Jones's story is nothing short of inspirational. Born hard of hearing, he faced unique challenges from an early age. Struggling with hearing aids that frequently got lost or damaged, he learned to approach obstacles differently, developing a remarkable adaptability that has defined his career. Jones’s first exposure to the real estate industry came through his father, a licensed real estate agent and contractor. However, it wasn't until he worked for a brokerage himself that he uncovered his passion for the industry.
Jones’s spirit of perseverance and evolution is mirrored in the philosophy of NCRMLS, which has thrived under his leadership. In the following interview, Jones discusses his journey to NCRMLS, his methods for balancing the demands of his professional life with personal commitments, and the significant influence his family has had on his success. Join us as we explore the inspiring path of one of the brightest and kindest minds in our industry.
Industry Origin Story
How did you get involved with real estate?
My dad was a licensed real estate agent and general contractor who built some homes in Leland, NC. During this time, I had an appreciation for real estate, but I didn't grasp the intricacies of the business until I worked for a REALTOR® brokerage. I started paying attention to the MLS when I had to go from computer to computer with CDs for public records (REDS) and listen to modems squeal as they tried to squeeze home pictures through a phone line for the Ambiance MLS system.
What inspired you to pursue a career in MLS particularly?
It all started as curiosity and my deep dive into the technical workings of the early MLS system. My technical curiosity grew from the MLS Platform to the MLS rules and the inner workings of REALTORS® and relationships with consumers. So I joined the local MLS Committee. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing and digesting the conversation around the table for the MLS Committee, and my appreciation for the MLS knew no end. I became intrigued with the spirit of this cooperation and clean data.
How have your early experiences shaped your current role?
I have been hard of hearing all my life, born this way. So I had to approach things differently in school and in growing up because I didn't have the best hearing aids around... and more often than not, being an active boy meant my aids got damaged or lost more times than I can count. I had school books that I read in advance of class, and I imagined myself teaching "me". By the time the teachers were on the topic, if I felt a little lost on what they were saying, I at least knew what they were talking about. Looking back, I am a little amazed that I graduated as Salutatorian, but I'd say my parents' level of care for my academics instilled in me that giving up is not an option. Life for me meant I had to adapt and evolve. NCRMLS has become synonymous with that philosophy.
If you weren't working in MLS what would you be doing?
I might be a teacher. I love to learn, and I learn by teaching or sharing what knowledge I have. I might be a writer as well. Writing stories and sharing thoughts is something that takes time for me to do, but I do like to catch imaginations, put them to paper, and apply a "what if" story to them.
MLS Redefinition
How do you see MLS technology transforming the market in five years?
I believe that MLSs will be redefined and be better understood by consumers. Website searches are likely to be less "browser interaction" and more integrated into the Operating Systems. Imagine a world where I can type in Cortana, "what homes are for sale in Wilmington, NC" - and the answer won't be a webpage pop-up. It will be AI giving me the information I need. I imagine a world where the consumer is tapped into a VOW agreement and marketplace where a buyer-agency interaction is seamless. That's all I'll say there... for now.
What is the biggest challenge facing the industry?
OLD
I think our biggest challenge is keeping the "spirit" of the MLS. The MLS is being redefined as some will continue to offer blanket, unilateral compensation and be challenged for it, while others will not. With no compensation promise, are data-share relationships now essentially MLSs with two or more governing bodies? The opportunity here is that we get to redefine ourselves.
NEW
Speaking for MLSs, we have to own who we are. If we don’t take ownership of what we are as an entity, whether we are still called MLSs or whatever we want to call ourselves - then someone else will define us for us. The challenge is in losing control and floating adrift, being lifeless in a rushing river. I’ll paraphrase: the biggest challenge for our industry is resisting the urge to wait and be told what to do and when to do it. Don’t be driftwood.
OLD
“I think our biggest challenge is keeping the ‘spirit’ of the MLS.”
NEW
“If we don’t take ownership of what we are… then someone else will define us.”
What should the industry do to address these challenges?
OLD
Lawsuits, misinformation, and consumer awareness are the biggest challenges we obviously face, but all those things are secondary only to subscriber education and communication. If our MLS subscribers and participants are not cognizant of the values that the MLS brings to the table (or brought to the table before the lawsuits), then misinformation and all its mayhem come to our doorstep. We have to do better to provide a holistic view of the real estate industry and how the MLS, the Association, and the law works hand in hand with the consumers' best interests in mind. We're focused on the mayhem, we have to be. We have to turn our attention to the fallacies that brought our mayhem to life as well.
NEW
We need to start by knowing the heart of our MLS, its soul and what makes it tick. This is a work of passion. It takes desire and hunger to know your company this well. This is also a work of empathy. You have to see the company from different perspectives. This passion and empathy develops active listeners. The Board learns, adapts, grows, learns and adapts and becomes a fresh heartbeat. Fresh ideas will explode like newly formed neurons etching new thoughts in the brain of the board room. Define who you are, be an active listener and surround yourself with people that are smarter than you. Take this exercise on yourself, and instill it into the culture of your business. Live purposefully.
How do you approach industry changes and disruptions?
We gather information from as many avenues as we can, so we can march forward with the best adaptations possible. I normally try to stack a Plan A, Plan B scenario around disruptors because - this might surprise you... but there are disruptors to disruptors too! Data integrity is pretty easy to implement, but yikes... I don't think there ever was a time that an MLS existed without an insistence on change or disruption.
Passion, Vision, & Balance
How do you approach decision making and strategy as CEO?
NCRMLS is a person to me, an entity. I have been entrusted to take care of this person and ensure that it is behaving as we (the board) envision. Decisions become instinctive in this role because with our philosophy - we are subscriber-centric in most of our actions. We survey, we have advisory groups, we have charters and outreach, all of this information that we listen to and digest. I try to keep my ear to the ground on all of the critiques or praises to be attentive to where we need to be next. We have established a charter that is dedicated to being circumspect of the industry as a whole... beyond us. All of this, coupled with my passion in this industry allows me to be decisive and very informed. We are an information powerhouse.
What is your leadership style and how has it evolved?
I am called a visionary; I do have quite an imagination and before I study why I "can't" do something, I study how I "can" do something. I've fallen on my face a couple of times and experimented here and there to learn what works, and what doesn't work. My board has learned I can be brutally honest, and I was once tone-deaf and maybe naive in how my honesty would resonate with others. So I've evolved in principle, to always remain honest - unapologetically. However, I have evolved in strategic communication. I try to capture every opportunity to educate and bring more depth to topics, and to engage in very healthy dialogue.
What challenges have you led your team through recently?
Well, here's a small example: We are a mostly transparent organization for our owner MLSs and Associations. A project that comes every year at the worst time of the year is our annual reports. In October 2023, we started breaking down the annual report into monthly bites. These "bites" were easily digestible and could be reviewed by our owners' boards regularly so that our annual report wasn't this whopping glob of sudden information in an overwhelming book. This has become a success. We experiment, collect feedback, tweak, and keep adjusting until we think we've perfected a project.
What do you consider your biggest achievement?
Balance is my biggest achievement, but it's a daily motivation. I love my family more than anything else in this world, and watching my little ones grow to become the ages they are now: 19, 24, and 25 is like watching sand fall from an hourglass, you can't undo gravity... you can't undo the time that you spent without them. So my professional life has to be balanced. While I am thoroughly proud of NCRMLS tripling its size in subscribers and doubling its size in owners, all organically, it all means so much more to me to share this success with my personal and work families by my side.
An Entrepreneurial Team
What’s your strategy to build a successful team?
I listen. I don't know it all, but I will happily share what I do know and "why" I think the way I do. After that, I listen. A successful team is one that can communicate and has ownership over its projects. So I listen, and I serve.
How do you measure success for your team?
We rely on feedback. We have annual surveys, and our phone lines are always open. People know my email address and phone number as well, and most of the time, it's a great pleasure listening to what they have to say. For someone to take the time to bang on the keyboard or call the phone, there's passion involved. While I would hope that the communication isn't passionate anger... There's passion for the consumer, passion for the MLS, or even passion for the livelihood of the agent. All of those things are important to me. Success, to me, is measured by aligning with the passions of our subscribers and owners.
How do you foster innovation and creativity within the team?
I have told my team many times, “consider yourselves an entrepreneur in your own department.” A business owner in your own role in this company. As a business owner, you thrive off of the resources around you (your peers). With all that in mind, what would you change? Change it, improve the processes, and let's keep checking in. So much has evolved with this mentality over time... my team has taken a life of its own and people have shifted into positions that they love. We still have work to do, because we practically tripled in size in 4 years, but we learned how to flex and bend to pressure and change so well.
Can you tell us about a recent project?
There's not a day at NCRMLS when we don't have a project happening. One I believe I can share is how we've divided up our large board so that all our member MLSs can have equal voices yet be efficient at the same time. I'm especially proud of our governance structure which gives us a lot of flexibility and the ability to hear the voices of everyone. It gives us the ability to debate and hash out tough decisions and conversations. With this, we felt confident in our expansion to Georgia and establishing a Georgia Charter with two MLSs and an Association.
What’s your key to maintaining a productive and happy team?
In business school, an underlying philosophy that I was taught is that employees are a mirror of their employer. Of course that can't entirely be true, but I hold this thought close to my heart. Happiness has to be mine before I can ensure that it is in my team. Productivity has to be my responsibility before I pass it on to my team. I have to own up to the mistakes, the failures - because they are mine. I don't have to own all the success or accolades of NCRMLS because they are most assuredly not mine to hoard. All the success and accolades of NCRMLS are because of the hands, hearts, and soul that made it possible... my team.