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A Call to Consolidate New York MLS Systems NOW

By
Managing Real Estate Broker with Howard Hanna Rand Realty License # 49FA1074963

My company is 30 minutes or less from the Bronx, Dutchess County, and Rockland County. I belong to the Westchester-Putnam MLS. I sell in other counties, though, and guess what? I belong to half a dozen other MLS systems to make that happen. Not only is this expensive, it is crazy.

We all get the same TV and radio stations, read the same newspapers, and shop in each other's towns. Yet, if I want to do business 10 miles away across the Tappan Zee Bridge, I almost need a passport.

The Greater Hudson Valley MLS, Mid-Hudson MLS, Westchester-Putnam MLS MLS of Long Island and Bronx MLS should all be one system, or at least share data. In Connecticut, the whole state just consolidated down to just three, and that number looks to be shrinking. It makes sense. Not only is it more broker-friendly, it is more consumer friendly. People don't spend their lives in one town anymore. Americans are more mobile now, and the trend has always been a sort of evolution from areas in and closer to NYC to the suburbs. How many more houses in Rockland would sell if the Bronx agents could access that data? How many more people in Westchester, one of the most expensive counties in the Union, would live in southern Dutchess if they had more access to the inventory?

Why should we have to incur the expense of more dues to belong to a different MLS systems just because they are across a county line or a Bridge? Who does that help, except the MLS accounts receivable? Do we need a statewide system like Connecticut? I doubt it- I have no designs on doing business in Buffalo or Schenectady. But the New York City Metropolitan area is a different matter. We should no longer have to pay so many extra exorbitant fees just to do business in our own back yards.

One area, many MLS's 

Marty Remo
RE/MAX Benchmark- Marty Remo-CDPE, E-Pro - Monroe, NY
HV Home Team

I agree. It make no sense at all. We would all benefit from being under one system.

Dec 31, 2008 03:09 AM
Rick Glogowski
Keller Williams Buffalo Northtowns - Buffalo, NY
Committed to Your Real Estate Needs

Buffalo Niagara, Rochester & Syracuse is combinng MLS. It helps because I work areas that fall into Rochesters MLS and I don't pay the MLS dues for that area.

Jan 01, 2009 10:02 AM
Jeffrey Dolfinger
24/7 Realty Inc. - Poughkeepsie, NY
NRBA Member

Amen, I list acorss many of the same counties and its nuts!  Consolidation would benefit everyone!

Jan 04, 2009 11:08 AM
Eileen Hsu
Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Manhattan, NY
LICENSED REAL ESTATE SALESPERSON

Hey - We have no MLS here in Manhattan. Outsiders really have no access to our Manhattan listing.... It drives people crazy.

Jan 15, 2009 11:57 AM
Laurie Mindnich
Centennial, CO

On the east end of Long Island, we use the MLSLI. Also available is HANFRA; used in the Hamptons is OREX. Three entities, all costing money, to cover an area that would require ONE. It's insanity.

Jan 19, 2009 09:39 AM
Elaine Cooper
Fillmore Real Estate - Brooklyn, NY
Multi Family House, Co-op & Condo Specialist - Brooklyn, NY

Isn't Rebny the MLS for Manhattan?

Jan 28, 2009 01:23 PM
Jennifer Fivelsdal
JFIVE Home Realty LLC | 845-758-6842|162 Deer Run Rd Red Hook NY 12571 - Red Hook, NY
Mid Hudson Valley real estate connection

I agree that the existing way of doing business is not good for either agents or consumers.   It is such a waste of my time having to work with several platforms and all the data entry required.  Back in the summer of 2007 NYSAR sent out a survey about this issue but nothing has happened as far as I can tell.

Feb 27, 2010 01:41 PM
Dawn Pfaff
NYStateMLS - East Greenbush, NY
NY State MLS President

Philip, the reason it has to be a statwide system is that there is nowhere to stop.  You don't need anything north of Dutchess, but the Dutchess people need Columbia, the Columbia people need Albany, who need Saratoga....It just doesn't stop.  These region wide efforts don't make any sense, since the internet makes consolidation possible.  We are licensed to sell in the entire state no 1 or 2 counties. 

Mar 11, 2010 01:00 PM
Morgan Evans
Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Manhattan, NY
LICENSED REAL ESTATE SALESPERSON

Sometimes being in Manhattan it feels like living in a bubble because we don't experience having to go from town to town to sell anything, we go from block to block.

Mar 23, 2010 02:30 AM