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Shortcomings of MLXChange
By Eric Bramlett | November 30, 2007
***Edit - you can fill out the survey directly to First Am by clicking the “MLXChange Survey” link above***
The Austin Board of Realtors recently changed our MLS service provider from TEMPO to MLXChange. TEMPO was definitely flawed, but it was functional (and we all learned to work with it.) Switching systems would have been the perfect opportunity to address the problems, and improve upon TEMPO. Obvious problems like lack of Mac compatibility, lack of Firefox compatibility, load times, etc…
When we switched to MLXChange, none of these problems were addressed. However, this isn’t my soapbox to gripe about the old problems that weren’t addressed. I would, however, like to address the shortcomings of MLXChange - the functionality that TEMPO had, that was lost in the new system.
I’m going to start a list, and please feel free to comment on a solution, or any other problems that you see. Again, please address functionality that we had with TEMPO, that we now do not have with MLXChange. I will continue to edit this post to include relevant solutions/problems.
- Clients can not bookmark their Client Gateway link. (No solution - confirmed with MLXChange help desk.)
- Can not create searches using latitude & longitude parameters (drawing a map box) and save them for later use, or for a client’s Gateway.
- We are unable to send a client a link to their Client Gateway without sending “Agent Recommendations.” This is confusing to the client, if we merely want to send them a link to the Gateway.
- Inability to open the map search in a new window.
- Tempo had the ability to open multiple listings in the same window, and you could just scroll. Now, if you want to view multiple listings, you have to keep hitting the “next” button, which is much slower.
- The load time of MLXChange is much slower than Tempo.
- MLXChange freezes often.
- You can’t open a listing in a new window. With Tempo, you could open a listing in a new window & drag it to a second screen, so you could run comps, enter listings, etc without printing the sheet off. With MLXChange, we’re killing more trees!
- MLXChange has broken many of the features provided by 3rd party service providers (such as virtual tours.)
- You can’t refine a search using the map feature. Example: With Tempo, you could run a search, pop the map, and use the polygon, circle, or square tool to refine the search further by area.
Topics: Austin Texas, MLXChange, Real Estate Marketing |
November 30th, 2007 at 11:56 am
For agents using MLXChange, the map search is terrible. The Tempo search by map opened a map in a new window, giving us a broad area in which to look. MLXChange has a window pop up that is only about 2 inches tall. How restrictive is that? The other really irritating feature is that we can not hit the back button. Doing that sends you back to the home page and knocks you right out of whatever you were doing.
November 30th, 2007 at 12:20 pm
I agree, Sam. I will post “not able to open the map search in a new window,” since the back button was (technically) supposed to not work in TEMPO. Thanks for the input.
December 2nd, 2007 at 2:42 pm
What is need is for lots of agents to contact ABoR tech support and ask for the map feature to be changed. They don’t seem to cnahge much without quite a bit of input.
December 2nd, 2007 at 6:01 pm
The two things with mlx exchange I have noticed is that it freezes alot which is pretty crazy annoying. I dont know if its just freezing on me but its driving me insane.
Also before if you clicked on 10 listings and then brought up an agent view it would all come up in a big list on one page. Now it comes up with only one listing and you have to press next to see the next one. So if you want to see the 8th one you have to page though the first 7. So you cant do a simply find to get to the 8th one in a list or something.
December 10th, 2007 at 1:54 pm
Eric,
A few years ago I met with representives of Tempo durring a session that included brainstorming of ideas to improve their Client Gateway product. At the session I suggested at least 10 enhancements that were available with IDX providers and provided the tempo representives with URL’s to check the functionalities… Did any of those improvements get added. NO
You would think that with the amount of money our boards collect that they could come up with a better product.
December 11th, 2007 at 9:26 am
What can we do to get Tempo back??? Tempo and MLXchange are both owned by First American. Isn’t there something we can do? MLXchange is horrible.
December 11th, 2007 at 1:34 pm
Jodi,
The best thing you can do is get elected to your board. Once there are tech savvy agents who actually have the agents best interests in mind at the board level then you can influence the direction the product updates take.
December 13th, 2007 at 2:38 pm
Jodi and I were talking earlier and I told her that we should not try to get Tempo back for 90 days. Crazy? My thought is that in this somewhat down market there will be agents leaving the business. Perhaps the ones not tech savvy to wade through MLXChange will leave too. Wouldn’t that make the odds better for the rest of us to do more business? OK, never mind. I really would like Tempo back sooner.
December 13th, 2007 at 4:08 pm
[…] If you would like to voice your concerns about the shortcomings of MLXChange, please do so on this thread. If you would like to simply sign the online petition to revert to Tempo, please comment with […]
December 14th, 2007 at 2:14 am
Eric,
I swear to God MLXChange is the worst MLS software ever created. I have used it here in the NYC suburbs for about four years now and it has never improved in any way and continues to be bloated crap. The worst part about it is that it only runs on Internet Explorer. Who the h*ll still uses Internet Explorer? I also went on my first listing presentation last week and as I was working on the CMA the software kept crashing over and over and over again. I haven’t used Tempo but I say screw Tempo and screw MLXChange. Get FLEXMLS!
December 14th, 2007 at 4:53 pm
You can actually email an agent report to a client - can you say major MLS rules violation? Who gets fined for that one???
Can’t email a client unless you’ve already added the client to the database.
The default report to email is the customer short report. It should be the full one.
The default link to send out is the agent web page. If you have not set that up, they client gets a dead link.
December 19th, 2007 at 8:40 am
MLXchange also breaks the compatibility between Realtour and your listings. You used to be able to upload the photos from Realtour to your MLS listing. They now have a message saying “Photo upload is currently disabled while we figure out how to get it working with MLXchange”
December 27th, 2007 at 11:57 am
It is a disaster for clients as well! My gateway is toast, no saved listings, saved searched, broken links, links that are links but that look like text. Little photos, broken links to virtual tours, inability to track price changes, never mind the mapping issues. No more daily updates. It is a complete and utter mess.
Return to the old system if possible, it wasn’t perfect but it worked! Demand better from your Association! Someone, maybe multiple people should be fired for this. It has severely hampered the system for buyers and sellers and agents right in the middle of a very delicate time in the whole industry.
I am one very unhappy would-be-buyer and hope-to-be seller.
December 27th, 2007 at 2:00 pm
Braxton,
I belong to two MLS systems, in Orange county you can also email the agent report…
Complete with confidential comments?!?
Which is one of the reasons I never put in the clients contact info anymore or put in the lock box combo.
What is the point of us having a private comment section if it is NOT PRIVATE?
January 10th, 2008 at 9:36 am
First, I’m far from an advocate from for MLXchange, its lack of compatibility with anything except IE is annoying, and it always seems like you have to click 20 different buttons, check boxes, and drop down menus just to complete one task, but after 4 or 5 years I’ve kind of gotten used to that.
That said, I will say I don’t seem to experience the “technical glitchesâ€, i.e. screen freezing that you guys seem to be experiencing. Also I’m not sure which version you guys are running, but 4.0 which was just released to us on Dec. 11th has a lot of upgrades, especially to the mapping functionality. You can save client searches using the map with the rectangle, polygon, etc., I do use multiple windows with IE although you do have to perform the search again, because when you open a second window it defaults to your start page. Also although you do have to click through the individual listings, I actually like that because as you’re clicking through you can click the “selected†box and then email your client just the properties that fit their needs.
January 10th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
I wanted to post the email that I have to send my clients in order to get them a link to the Client Gateway. It’s pretty absurd. Here’s my template:
Jarrett -
Great talking to you. Please click on the link BELOW my signature, and then click “my searches” - disregard the agent recommendations. This will automatically update & notify you when new properties come available that match your search criteria. Let me know if you see anything else here that you would like to look at on Saturday.
I look forward to meeting you.
Thanks,
January 10th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
I don’t use the client gateway too much. I usually email clients a link directly to their listings and bypass the gateway. I find it’s easier for clients to use, then I can use my pwn email templates.
January 30th, 2008 at 10:37 am
I’m tired MLXchange. The software is still not ready to be put into practical use. I went to First American Corp’s website to file a complaint. –I said that I would not do business with any First American product or service, INCLUDING First American Title (even though I love them) until ABOR goes back to Tempo. This software is unacceptable, and we’re going to get sued because of incorrect information that it spits out. I know so many agents who’s clients are very upset about the data and the inaccuracies of the client gateway. Here’s the link to to the First American Corps’ MLXchange comment section… Feel free to let them know how you feel if you so choose… Hitting them in the wallet may be the only way to make a change for the better for our MLS.
http://www.keysurvey.com/survey/99246/12f2/
January 30th, 2008 at 10:45 am
First American Corporation, which owns the company that owns Tempo and MLXchange has a Matketlinx online survey. Go to http://www.keysurvey.com/survey/99246/12f2/ and leave a serious complaint about how bac the program is. We need to bombard them. Eric - please help get the word out. Thanks fo Jodi Gregg for the link.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:05 am
I went ahead and framed it in & added it as a page link:
http://www.ericbramlett.com/blog/mlxchange-survey/
February 17th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
I am in Arizona we are using Innovia/Marketlinx. We are having all the same problems, the freezing, search inconsistancies, complicated and multiple steps for simple searches, getting “logged out” and on and on…
We started a BB to keep track of the problems as they wearnt acknowledging them if they could not duplicate them. The inconsistant restults, be they errors or actual searches that work , is one of the biggest problems. Ergo, duplicating is difficult. At any rate here is a link to our BB. It is good (well not good really, but comforting?) to know you are experiancing the EXACT SAME ISSUES!