Perchwell CEO on landmark MLS shift to next-generation tech

Baldwin Realtors — representing about 3,500 agents in Baldwin County, Alabama — recently took on the tall order of moving its entire membership off a legacy platform onto a next-generation MLS system. The transition from Paragon to Perchwell followed a three-month parallel period and an intensive training effort — 135 sessions, including 60 in person and many held at brokerage offices. For Perchwell CEO Brendan Fairbanks, a 2023 HousingWire Rising Star, the initiative represents something bigger than a single conversion; a different pace of innovation for an industry that needs it. He sat down with HousingWire to discuss why this moment matters, what agents actually need from their technology and what the next generation of MLS software means for the profession. Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Jonathan Delozier: Baldwin Realtors is being described as part of a relatively historic moment — the first MLS in more than 25 years to move an entire membership off a legacy platform onto a next-generation MLS system. From your perspective, why is this significant for the real estate industry? Brendan Fairbanks: In MLS technology, not much has changed in...