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MLS - The service built by REALTORS® for REALTORS®

By David Elya

Real Estate Broker/Owner with BROOKVIEW REALTY

September 05, 2007 06:43 AM

Are you tired of paying MLS fees to more than one MLS?
Tired of inputting new listings into multiple MLS's?
Tired of searching one or more MLS's to find comparable properties for your CMA. Or having to perform multiple searches to locate the "right" property for your buyer client.
If so, simply urge your Broker to join only one MLS.
There is no economic reason to belong to more than one.
If you're a REALTOR®, encourage your Broker to only choose your local REALTOR® owned MLS.
The advantages of belonging to a REALTOR® owned MLS are many. Some of the benefits include:
Working with other REALTORS® who subscribe to the REALTOR® Code of Ethics.
Being able to resolve procuring cause issues at your local board of REALTORS® through arbitration.
Data sharing of many active listings with other local REALTOR® owned MLS's. This results in significant exposure for your listings and better search results for you as a buyer's agent.
Access to a ream of historical sales data, off-market data.
On going training that the REALTOR® owned MLS provides.
On-line forms for easy data input.
Public data records.
A voice in important local, state and national REALTOR® public policy issues.
An agreement of compensation and co-operation between REALTOR® brokers and agents.
The support of NAR, the National Association of REALTORS®. One of the largest trade associations in the United States.
In this ever changing world, you have many options on where to post your listings. Google, Truilia, CraigsList, a broker owned MLS, etc.
Belonging to and supporting a REALTOR® owned MLS is a smart choice. Let the power of belonging to your local REALTOR® owned MLS assist you in your profession!

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New Jersey Real Estate James Boyer Morris, Essex & Union County NJ Realtor

RE/MAX Properties Unlimited, Real Estate - Morristown, NJ

I am tired of a mls which is not responsive to our changing needs, and is very lazy when it comes to keeping up with technology.

Sep 05, 2007 06:46 AM

Bruce Goughnour

Sugar Hill, GA

Atlanta Associate Broker

David - This post really strikes a nerve with me. I agree with you wholeheartedly. Here in Atlanta we have 2 services (neither are REALTOR® owned). One is very, very costly to join as a company so many smaller agencies, with good, available homes, do not use their service. That particular service, however, is perceived by most agents as the easier one to navigate (the slicker one), so which one do most agents use when searching? Of course - the one that doesn't have all of the listings!! It is extremely hard to honestly say that you are truly doing all things in the best interest of your client unless you essentially double your work effort when searching for properties, computing CMAs or just getting market data via the MLS systems. I have to teach both systems and ensure that agents in this office know that they could be missing something vitally important if they don't use both. It's doubly embarrassing when a customer finds a property first on an IDX site, informs their agent about the property and asks "Why didn't you show me THIS home?" Well, it's because I didn't look in both of our MLS sites. Here's a towel to wipe the egg off your face............

Sep 05, 2007 07:09 AM

Andrew Clemente

United American Mortgage Corporation - Anaheim Hills, CA

I agree. I have belong to two MLS, but only because I moved. Now the only reason I kept the other one was because reciprocal listings took too long and never accurate as if I did it myself. I live right on the border of two counties. I focus now on the mortgage business so I will dropping one. Good post!

Sep 05, 2007 07:13 AM

Anonymous

RACHEL BURNSIDE

IT IS VERY TIME CONSUMING BELONGING TO TWO MLS'S . AND YOU ARE SO RIGHT NO ONE LIKES TO DO THINGS TWICE AND BELONGING TO TWO MLS'S YOU MUST OR FACE FINES AND PENALTIES . I'M NOT ONE FOR GIVING MONEY AWAY SO I LET ONE OF THE MLS'S GO . OF COURSE IT WAS THE ONE THAT PENALIZED THE MOST .

Sep 06, 2007 08:28 AM

David Elya

BROOKVIEW REALTY - Rochester, MI

ABR, CRS, e-PRO, GRI, SFR - Associate Broker

Rachel: Read my response to JR. It's not all about the fines & fees. It's about the type of MLS you and your Broker choose to belong to.

Realcomp II and MiRealsource MLS have two different types of ownership servicing many of the same areas in Michigan. Realcomp II is an Association of REALTORS® owned MLS, while MiRealsource is a broker owned MLS without the requirement of being a REALTOR®. (MiRealsource changed the REALTOR® membership status requirement about two years ago.)

The membership (subscriber) starts with the participating Brokers. The Brokers have the authority to join as many MLS's they choose. The Brokers have the power to choose which MLS to ask their agents to join.

In my post, I pointed out the benefits of belonging to an Association of REALTORS® owned MLS.

For your information, merger talks have been on again off again for quite awhile now. But because of the two very different types of ownership now in place, it's not as probable as it may have been before the REALTOR® membership requirement was dropped by MiRealsource. The biggest challenge may now be, how it data share/merge two different types of data (REALTOR® owned data and Broker owned data)? Is it fair/correct to merge the two types? Would non-REALTORS® benefit? Would REALTORS® benefit?

Just a few of the topics left to be worked out.

Other reading

Sep 06, 2007 09:58 AM

Gary Smith

Agent Marketing Today - Commerce Township, MI

David, Well written information. I didn't know real source was not an association MLS.

Sep 06, 2007 12:17 PM

Terry Lynch

LAR Notary and Closing Services - Saint Clair Shores, MI

Dave

I agree with you on this, I belong to both Realcomp and Mirealsource. They had data sharing a few years back and I'm tired of the "they said we said" going on between them about getting another agreement in place.

Sep 06, 2007 04:16 PM

David Elya

BROOKVIEW REALTY - Rochester, MI

ABR, CRS, e-PRO, GRI, SFR - Associate Broker

Gary: Thanks for your comment. Glad to inform you.

Terry: FYI, when data sharing was in place a few years back, MiRealsource was a REALTOR® owned MLS. Perhaps if data sharing was in place now, a MLS may be weakened? No need for REALTORS® to belong and pay for two MLS's.

Sep 07, 2007 12:05 AM

Anonymous

Tom Neveau

I also belong to both MiRealSource & Realcomp MLS. The underlying reason why realcomp won't budge is because of job loss!!!!! Belonging to both, I see the inovative things that MiRealSource has done for their membership, free con-ed, Listingbook, now a Service Call Center which will benefit us smaller Brokers, are just a few things to mention. Realcomp has been just a me-too organization.

With the slump in sales, i think everyone is watching the bottom line. NOW is the time to step-up and get this TWO MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICES a rest and settle it for-and-for-all!!!!!! Enough with the excuses!!

Sep 07, 2007 03:20 AM

Anonymous

Tom Neveau

Just another comment on the two multiple listing services. If for any reason you think the MLS is not important, Microsoft or another huge company will be glad to take over the operations and charge you whatever THEY want for the information you need!! Remember, these are YOUR listings and YOUR information. Why let somebody else make money off YOUR efforts!!!!

Sep 07, 2007 03:24 AM

#10

Anonymous

APT

I totally agree with you about belonging to one MLS. My broker requires us to belong to Realcomp and MI Realsource. I am forced to pay $29.00 per month for a service (MIREALSOURCE) I do not use. With the current business climate we need to cut costs and belonging to one MLS is a great start.

Sep 09, 2007 04:40 AM

#11

Frances C. Rokicki

Fran Rokicki Realty, LLC - Bolton, CT

Broker-Mentor,CRS

In Connecticut, we have merged together into one MLS. It is not Realtor sourced. I have no idea who the company is. The days of Realtor owned and run, I believe is vanishing. I was told by a staff person on my local board, that, oh, well NAR owns Realtor.com. That is why they have the auto-feed from the mls. So, our listings, that we give to the mls to post (we pay a fee for that privilege), then go directly onto Realtor.com, so that, we pay more fees to have them on the internet. Oh, there is a box on the mls data sheet that you can check off, if you do not want it on the internet (though it does not say, for Realtor.com) So, keep getting those listings, you are supporting many entities besides your own.

Sep 09, 2007 04:51 AM

Keith Perry

Coldwell Banker - Hiram, GA

REALTOR - West Metro Atlanta

We have two services here and use both with no problems.

Sep 09, 2007 04:56 AM

Anonymous

ronstockel@hotmail.com

DAVID

I AM ALSO FOR ONE MLS RON STOCKEL C-21 TOWN & COUNTRY ROCHESTER MICHIGAN

Sep 10, 2007 03:11 AM

#14

David Elya

BROOKVIEW REALTY - Rochester, MI

ABR, CRS, e-PRO, GRI, SFR - Associate Broker

JR,

Why all the SHOUTING????

You mentioned the word REALTORS. That is the main ingredient. MiRealsource allows any agent to belong. Not just REALTORS. Realcomp on the other hand is "The REALTORS MLS".

That is why the two MLS's cannot share data. One data set is water, one is oil. It doesn't mix. I suggest that if you want one MLS, encourage your broker to only belong to one MLS. The REALTOR's MLS.

If you would like to withhold mls fees, that would be your Brokers choice.

Feel free to call me. To discuss. No more SHOUTING please. How about a discussion?

Sep 23, 2007 09:23 AM

David Elya

BROOKVIEW REALTY - Rochester, MI

ABR, CRS, e-PRO, GRI, SFR - Associate Broker

Sorry JR,

I have deleted your comments. I believe in free speech, but in order to address your concerns I need to know who I am speaking to? I have asked you several times for your name so that I can better explain what's been happening and so far no ID by you. Feel free to have a conversation with me when you are ready to identify yourself.

Oct 08, 2007 12:56 PM

Anonymous

Jim

Hey Dave I agree 100% as a Realtor in a MLS transitional area (Downriver) I was once FORCED to join 3 MLS's, Downriver, Monroe County, and Realcomp then someone had the bright idea to add MiRealSorce (at that time Real Matrix) to the mix. Enough is enough. It's getting to the point that I'm better off doing a Realtor.com search for my buyers and telling my sellers there is an extra fee for each board I input the listing into! Data sharing is a cute ploy but it isn't enough! It's time for, at the very minimum a regional MLS if not National... even if it isn't a cost saving it's worth it just as a time saving measure and to ensure that ALL area Realtors have access to my listings and my buyers get to see all of the homes available. With more and more Realtors listing out of area homes for banks and private sellers this is ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT issue effecting all of us!!!

Nov 01, 2007 03:29 PM

#17