Change in Direction for Upstream

Since I became CEO just over a year ago, I've been engaged in discussions with the leadership of NAR, Realtors Property Resource, and UpstreamRE about the best way to move forward with the Upstream project. Since NAR's funding assistance comes to an end this year, we've reached a strategic decision that the initiative will be moving to a new technology vendor in 2019.

Upstream is a technology that promises to revolutionize the way brokerages manage and syndicate data, and we continue to wholeheartedly support the objectives of Upstream and our broker members. NAR and RPR have worked closely with our brokerage partners, MLSs, and technology vendors from around the country. Since 2015, we've invested approximately $13 million and committed significant time and expertise to take Upstream from concept to testing to launch, driving innovation that will continue to benefit Upstream into the future. Today's decision is an opportunity to move the development and implementation of Upstream forward without dependence on member dues dollars. And it's a strategic direction that's true to my "not invented here" philosophy. Meanwhile, the intellectual property created by RPR over the past three years remains an asset to the association.

Be assured that NAR and RPR will continue to partner with our broker members and MLS partners to ensure a smooth transition to the new technology vendor.

Following is the text of the news release that is being sent tonight:

Upstream Charts New Direction

Upstream finalizing agreement with a new vendor to power the brokerage data platform

SEATTLE – UpstreamRE, LLC, owners of Upstream, the comprehensive real estate brokerage data management project created by a broad-based industry coalition, is finalizing an agreement with a new vendor to power the brokerage data platform. As a result, UpstreamRE, LLC, has amicably agreed to part ways with the National Association of Realtors? (NAR) and Realtors Property Resource? (RPR), its wholly-owned subsidiary and Upstream's technology development vendor.

After the release of the system earlier this year, discussions began between the leadership of NAR and the leadership of UpstreamRE, LLC, to allow Upstream to take a different approach in 2019 and to allow NAR and RPR to focus on its new strategic initiatives, which have changed since the agreement with Upstream was signed years ago.

"We are proud of the work we have done with Upstream to help them gain their footing and reach this next phase of their launch, and we are pleased that a new plan is being implemented that will propel them forward and help them become the tool we've always envisioned they would be for our members," said NAR CEO Bob Goldberg. "This project has been an amazing opportunity to drive innovation and conversation among our brokerage community and gain their input into building the tools they use every day in their business. As I've said since the beginning of my tenure as CEO, we are not in the business of inventing at NAR; we've supported Upstream to the extent that makes sense for both our strategic missions and now it is time for them step out on their own."

"NAR's provided both critical funding resources and an experienced product development team in RPR during a time when we needed to both build and test the concept," said Dan Elsea, president of brokerage services at Real Estate One in Southfield, Mich., and chairman of the UpstreamRE Board of Managers. "What was once just an idea moved to real-world testing thanks to NAR's support. As Upstream's 'go to market' business model evolved it made the most sense both for NAR and for Upstream for this project to roll out in brokerages using a different vendor. This is a win for both NAR and Upstream."

"The brokerage community truly appreciates NAR's significant support during this early phase of the project's development," said Craig Cheatham, president, and CEO of The Realty Alliance. "Upstream's founders, which represent small, medium and large real estate companies and every business model, have an association representing them that understood our industry's current data problem and took dramatic steps to partner to lay the foundation for developing a solution."

Upstream's leadership paired its discussions with NAR with a review of various options for powering the Upstream project in 2019 and beyond. With the completion of RPR's development of the Upstream system that process is now complete and Upstream has selected a new vendor well positioned to deliver Upstream's industry-wide platform and at a speed of implementation necessary to secure significant adoption during the coming year. Upstream expects to announce the name of the new vendor in January 2019 soon after final negotiations on a definitive agreement are complete.

"Our team is more excited than ever about the future of the Upstream project," said UpstreamRE, LLC CEO Alex Lange. "NAR and RPR played a key role in getting us to this point, and now we are well positioned with our new vendor to take the next steps. We expect a very large number of brokers and agents will begin to enjoy some of the first benefits of the Upstream platform in the new year, as a result."

Brokers and agents currently working with the RPR-powered application in pilot markets will convert to the new version of the platform, developed by the new vendor. Upstream will continue to run in parallel with support from the RPR team during the transition.

Press Contacts

Alex Lange

President and CEO

UpstreamRE, LLC

Main: (731) 937-1770

About

UPSTREAM? is a broker data management company for the real estate industry to provide a single, central point of entry, a repository and a distribution platform designed for all types of real estate data and images, to improve efficiency, providing broker/agent accountability over data which they have generated and for which they are responsible, and enhancing the consumer's experience by delivering more accurate, timely and consistent property information. UPSTREAM? is a broker owned company and is governed by a board of managers which represents large, medium, and small real estate companies, along with brands and networks from across the industry. For more information about UPSTREAM and its leadership visit UpstreamRE.com.

The National Association of REALTORS? is America's largest trade association representing 1.3 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial industries.

Realtors Property Resource, LLC? (RPR?), a wholly owned subsidiary of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS?, is an exclusive online real estate database created to support the core competence of its members. The parcel-centric database, covering more than 160 million residential and commercial U.S. properties, provides REALTORS? with the analytical power to help clients make informed decisions while increasing efficiency in the marketplace. For more on RPR, visit blog.narrpr.com.