Key facts
- Brokerage leaders are urging MLSs to modernize technology and data standards.
- Frustrations include slow response times and territorial boundaries.
- Brokers warn they may find workarounds if MLSs don't adapt.
- MLSs are urged to become better partners and foster innovation.
- Data standardization and RESO certification are key concerns for multi-MLS brokerages.
- Some fear MLSs could become obsolete if they fail to evolve.
Brokerage leaders are calling on Multiple Listing Services (MLSs) to modernize their operations, warning that a failure to adapt could lead to brokerages developing alternative solutions. At the Council of MLS’s Open House conference, executives from major real estate firms voiced frustrations regarding slow response times, inconsistent data standards, and the inefficiencies created by territorial boundaries and outdated technology.
Panelists like Gretchen Rosenberg of HomeServices of America and Paul Boomsma of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World highlighted that brokers and agents are not receiving timely answers to project requests or questions about MLS rules. Holly Mabery of eXp Realty suggested that MLSs need to reduce their territorialism and streamline technology, allowing members to directly access data rather than navigate multiple logins and layers of software.
Al Becker of Jack Conway noted that his broker-owned MLS, MLS Property Information Network (MLS PIN), offers immediate responsiveness, but acknowledged the broader challenge of ensuring MLS governance structures meet the evolving needs of diverse business models. Dennis Cestra of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services, also president of West Penn MLS, stated that MLSs are often burdened with enforcing rules that others are unwilling to, and that their primary role should be as data aggregators and partners to brokers.
Mabery emphasized that artificial boundaries imposed by MLSs and Realtor associations force agents to join multiple MLSs, creating significant friction. She warned that if MLSs do not evolve with technology and collaborate with brokers, they risk becoming obsolete as agents and consumers demand more efficient solutions. Boomsma echoed this sentiment, suggesting that MLSs and brokerages need to move beyond managing exceptions and engage in more productive conversations about how to work together.
Rosenberg stressed the importance of data standardization, particularly for brokers operating across numerous MLSs, noting that non-RESO certified MLSs create a "tax" on businesses. She concluded by stating that brokers want MLSs to act as partners, not gatekeepers, especially since brokers supply the data that MLSs utilize.