South Carolina’s REsides CEO Colette Stevenson Named 2023 RISMedia Real Estate Newsmaker

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HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC – REsides, the first and only MLS to launch a revolutionary new equity-ownership model for its members, announced today that Colette Stevenson, CEO, was named a 2023 Real Estate Newsmaker by RISMedia. This year’s list honors a dynamic group of 310 individuals whose resilience and innovation were imperative to survive 2022’s precipitous shift in market conditions.

Newsmakers are recognized for their leadership, innovation and contributions to the real estate industry and their communities across 6 different categories. Stevenson was recognized in the Futurist category which honors forward-thinkers – the real estate professionals who are changing the conversation and demonstrated that they have the ability to redefine the industry and boast an exceptional ability to foretell what the future holds for real estate.

Stevenson is a real estate industry entrepreneur, change advocate, speaker & thought leader. She is recognized for being on the forefront of leading change in MLSs. Her “MLS Without Boundaries” vision centers on the belief that innovation & modernization will be the focus for the industry in the new real estate era.

Stevenson launched REsides in a real estate landscape dominated by big-tech vendors and other organizations that access, analyze, aggregate and resell listing data. “In many instances, these vendors became new competitors off the backs of agents and brokers,” she said. “These brokers see the dollars filling the vendor pockets, stifling innovation, and restricting their business models. It was imperative to seize the opportunity to shift focus – be the exception. It was time to recognize & reward brokers for the strategic value of the data, services, and technology provided by this new Real Estate Network.”

For the first time ever, REsides harnesses the power of ownership, an ecosystem without boundaries, by providing a business model where Brokers are always first and establishes real benefits for all who choose to participate. Unique to this model is that shareholders in REsides are like shareholders in most any other for-profit corporation – having all the financial and governance rights as seen in the most successful corporations in the US.

“Being named a RISMedia Newsmaker is such an honor,” said Stevenson. ‘I am excited to lead the next generation of MLS for the greater good of the entire real estate eco-system. I believe that giving consumers the best and most information is positive. Continuing to build on the data sets leads to Broker and Agent success by assisting them in how to interpret and advise their buyers and sellers on some of the most important and impactful decisions in their lives,” she said. “When the consumer is confident that they are making the most informed decision, the real estate community wins.”

Studies have shown that buyers and sellers are better off when represented by a knowledgeable agent in the marketplace. “In today’s market, many brokers and agents are at the mercy of large legacy tech companies which have created tech stack silos that are inflexible, non-responsive, unadaptable, and stale. This is the paradigm shift that the REsides model changes,” Stevenson said. “We envision a future where MLSs become the unquestionably best stewards of data; the catalyst for increasing data value, and the strategic developers of the most significant tools in the marketplace.”

REsides is the first and only MLS to launch a revolutionary new equity-ownership model for its members. Headquartered on Hilton Head Island, SC, REsides is ranked in the top 25% of all residential real estate MLSs in the United States. The Company services 2,000 members across South Carolina and Georgia and supports over $4 billion in real estate transactions annually. For more information, visit www.resides.io.