Why an agent must be more than an ‘unopinionated order-taker’
Real estate professionals have an obligation to put their clients’ best interests first. Sometimes, that means telling them their inclinations may be wrong.
April 6, 2026
Sam DeBord
Sam DeBord is CEO of the Real Estate Standards Organization (RESO) and the author of Working with Real Estate Data, organized real estate's premier technology course for onboarding and professional development. He has served as President's Liaison for MLS and Data Management with NAR, and has also worked as a management consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers, managing broker for Coldwell Banker Danforth, a mentor for NAR REACH, and a board director for association, MLS and venture fund organizations.
- The modern real estate marketplace: A victim of its own success?The plumbing may need some upgrades, but overall, the MLS system flows smoothly. Ironically, the efficiency we take for granted could now be putting it at risk.February 16, 2026
- Decoded: Why MLSs across the globe choose RESO standardsReal estate doesn't stop at the border. Sharing a common set of rules improves the transparency and efficiency of transactions in the U.S. and beyond.May 5, 2025
- How the MLS has endured, and what the future holdsIn the third of a three-part series, RESO CEO Sam DeBord explains why rules are critical to the MLS and how shifts in the industry influence MLS functions.April 15, 2024
- The North American MLS as a model for the worldIn the second of a three-part series, RESO CEO Sam DeBord offers a look at the MLS outside the U.S. and Canada.April 7, 2024
- What every real estate professional needs to know about the MLSIn the first of a three-part series, RESO CEO Sam DeBord explains what an MLS is — and what it isn't — and how definitions of the MLS can vary.March 29, 2024