Leadership Lens with Faith Geronimo

CMLS director Faith Geronimo, shares her experience with building an MLS system from the ground up and leading her members through the transition.

First, watch the video message Faith used to announce the transition.

A little background…At CMLS2017, my team and I were inspired to create a new MLS system. At the time, we had been shopping for a new MLS system for our members, but we couldn’t find one that met all of our needs. After listening to several sessions, my COO looked at me and said, “we should build again.” One year later, we started our second MLS build. On February 15, 2024, we retired our 27-year-old system and moved all our members to our new built for the ground-up system. I was recently at a conference a week after the cutover, and a colleague said, "Wow, it must have gone well if you are here." 

How did you develop this transition plan? 

We created our transition plan drawing from our experience spanning 27 years of software releases. We wanted to ensure each broker's journey towards a successful transition. To start, we envisioned what success would entail for individual brokers and worked backward from there, identifying essential steps, pitfalls to avoid, and critical milestones to achieve.

In our transition from REsearch to HIMLS, we prioritized delivering the smoothest experience possible for our users. To achieve this, we deliberately extended the transition period to over 6 months or more. We also introduced our “Beta Brokerage” program, where brokerages could fully transition to the new system months in advance while retaining access to both platforms. 

To do this, we worked with our developers to create a synchronization feature between the old and new app, ensuring that our users can do their work in either system. This gradual transition approach provided users with a generous runway to acclimate to the new system while also allowing us to gather valuable feedback and adjust our software development roadmap accordingly.

Were there mistakes you learned from in the past that helped inform it?

We have been providing MLS software services for a long time, and in that time, we have quite a bit of experience to draw from with great releases, not-so-great releases, and pitchforks-and-torches releases. Our long history gives us a clear understanding of what will cause a member to pick up the phone and contact us for help or to complain. 

How have your members responded to HIS’s efforts to ensure an orderly transition?

The response from our members has been overwhelmingly positive. One of the most popular services we offered from the start is called the “Concierge Service,” wherein members can visit a consistently manned Zoom room during office hours to get help from our Technical and Customer Support staff. In addition, we also provided them with a special phone number and email for alternative contact methods.

Beyond that, we created a comprehensive rollout plan measuring our progress every step of the way, and we never missed a single deadline. We wanted to ensure that every single agent was supported in a way that best suited their needs by accommodating various learning styles, offering one-on-one help, or providing training sessions with their peers. We empowered brokers to switch off the old system when their agents felt comfortable doing so. Having that choice helped as we got closer to the retirement date of our old system. By that time, over 50% of all brokerages had fully transitioned to the new system. Members continue to utilize the resources provided during the transition, like the Concierge Zoom Room, and they have provided valuable feedback to us about how the transition is going. Next, we plan to visit the outer islands, where many of our members are, to conduct in-person training and provide hands-on assistance.

How do you decide when to implement change, and which changes to prioritize?

Embarking on a ground-up rebuild of an application that is not only beloved but also foundational to our Realtors' careers is a monumental decision. Initially, we envisioned making incremental changes to minimize disruption. However, it became apparent very quickly that to truly innovate, we needed to rethink everything from the ground up. Taking a step back, we engaged with our stakeholders and board of directors to secure their buy-in. We communicated the risks associated with our "break-fix" model—illustrated memorably with Legos and a skit during a shareholder meeting. We explained that our former system, burdened by technical debt, left us on borrowed time, and we highlighted the need for responsible, forward-looking change. We are proud to say that HIMLS was built for and by the agents. 

In 2020, while we were all holed up in our homes, we worked with agents via Zoom to do user testing. Hundreds of hours and sessions to gather feedback on their thoughts about the app and how they would like to see improvements. The feedback loop continues to his day. We have a very complex document that manages every single epic, story, and task – 9,000 and counting - with a well-rounded team focusing on every aspect of the app, always keeping the customer at the forefront and answering the question – can they do their job and how can we make it easier for them?

Now that we have launched HIMLS, we’ve laid a new foundation for innovation. Our work continues as we explore new products and services, determining whether to adopt industry-leading solutions or to create our own. As we often say in our office, “The best is yet to come.”

How have you developed and reinforced a customer service-first mindset across the whole organization?  

First, I know it starts at the top. I take a multifaceted approach that prioritizes leading by example, recognizing exemplary instances of customer service, and explicitly emphasizing its importance in every company-wide meeting. As a leader, I firmly believe that my actions speak louder than words, so I work DAILY on demonstrating the value of prioritizing customer satisfaction through my own interactions with clients and customers (internal and external). Whether personally resolving complex issues or going the extra mile to ensure every customer interaction is meaningful, it's important to me to set standards of excellence that inspire my team to follow suit.

I also make it a point to spotlight instances where exceptional customer service by my staff has had a tangible impact on our business success. By sharing these success stories in team meetings and company-wide communications, I feel it underscores the significance of prioritizing customer needs and showcases the direct correlation between outstanding service and long-term business growth.

At the end of the day, I'm old school: the customer is always right... even if they're technically not. But we are in business because of them, give them that respect- not always easy, I know. HIS treats people like their own family.