The cyberattack on MLS vendor Rapattoni, which took down 23 MLSs nationwide for weeks in August, has left real estate agents and brokers wondering how they can prepare for the next time something like this happens. (After all, hackers are virtually guaranteed to target MLSs again in the future.) Podcast host Marki Lemons Ryhal speaks with two members of NAR’s MLS Technology and Emerging Issues Advisory Board, who delve into the issue and offer cybersecurity action items real estate pros can take now.
Meet the guests:
Jeffrey Levine, ABR, CRS, an associate broker and director of productivity at Keller Williams Realty Service in Boca Raton, Fla., serves as the chair of the MLS Advisory Board. He previously served as chair of NAR’s MLS Issues and Policy Committee. Levine, who began his real estate career more than 22 years ago in New Jersey before moving to Florida, has overseen 10,000 real estate sales transactions and thousands of leases totaling over $3 billion in volume.
Andy Bencosme, CRB, is a member of the MLS Advisory Board and the principal broker and co-owner of Century 21 Village Realty in Sierra Madre, Calif. He also serves as the current chair of NAR’s MLS Issues and Policy Committee. Bencosme has previously served as the chairman of the board for the California Regional Multiple Listing Service—the largest MLS in the nation—and he is an adjunct professor of real estate at Mt. San Antonio College. He has been recognized twice as the REALTOR® of the Year by his local board, the Arcadia Association of REALTORS®.
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Podcast Transcript:
About the Host
Marki Lemons Ryhal, host of The REALTOR® to REALTOR® Series, is a managing broker, bestselling author and national speaker with more than 30 years of marketing experience. She aims to change the industry conversation through the podcast to benefit you and your clients. You'll hear Lemons Ryhal mix it up with real estate professionals across the country, discussing the methods they’re using to address market challenges, improve sales or save time and money. Plus, hear anecdotes about extraordinary experiences they’ve had in the field.