Key facts
- MLSs may require up to a 50% copyright interest in certain listing content, subject to quarterly registration.
- Participants must be allowed to opt out of assigning a copyright interest to the MLS, NAR said.
- Brokers retain the right to independently use and license their own listing content, per NAR.
- An optional data feed policy lets MLSs set local eligibility and licensing rules that are reasonable, objective and applied equally.
- A new policy statement says MLS data use must comply with participation or licensing agreements and connect to brokerage or valuation work.
- NAR also updated qualification criteria for its MLS Committee; specific details were not outlined.
The National Association of Realtors adopted four multiple listing service policy recommendations at its NAR NXT 2026 conference on Sunday, November 8, 2026, the association said in an announcement the same day. NAR said the changes are tied to its 2026-2028 strategic plan to modernize MLS policies. The recommendations came from NAR's Multiple Listing Issues and Policies Committee.
The most consequential change for brokers and MLS operators is a revision to MLS Policy Statement 7.85 and a new optional policy on copyright protection of MLS data. Under the revised policy, MLSs may, at their discretion, require up to a 50% copyright interest in certain listing content to strengthen copyright enforcement, subject to quarterly copyright registration requirements. MLSs must give participants the right to opt out of assigning a copyright interest, and brokers retain the right to independently use and license their own listing content.
NAR said copyright ownership and enforcement have grown more important as listing photos and data are syndicated across portals, IDX sites and marketing platforms, and as MLSs face more frequent questions and disputes about unauthorized scraping and reuse of listing content.
A second optional policy covers MLS data feed services. It allows MLSs to set local eligibility and licensing requirements for data feeds, provided the rules are reasonable, objective and applied equally to all participants. Participants must still retain access to MLS listing information and data feeds for their own listings. NAR said the effect on brokers and vendors, including how quickly and under what conditions they can obtain broader feeds for brokerage websites, back-office systems and analytics products, depends on how individual MLSs implement the optional policy.