Under pressure from NAR, Phoenix Realtors cuts MLS Choice
The Arizona association had been facing the loss of its charter after offering a discounted, non-Realtor membership option that included MLS access.
With its charter on the line, Phoenix Realtors has dropped its MLS Choice program, which allowed non-Realtors to pay half the price of a regular membership and access the MLS plus other products including transaction forms.
The move brings the Phoenix association "back into compliance with NAR's Constitution and Bylaws," the National Association of Realtors said in a statement released today. It also ends the charter revocation proceedings NAR launched in December 2024.
NAR noted in its Feb. 20 statement that Phoenix Realtors will continue to offer non-Realtors access to Arizona Regional MLS, "as it has done since 1996." Phoenix Realtors will also provide "certain products and services to non-Realtor licensees who purchase non-member access" to the MLS.
But Phoenix Realtors "emphasizes that this is not a membership of any kind and licensees who purchase non-member NAR access are not Realtors," the NAR statement said.
How we got here: NAR has faced its share of challenges of late, including a push to make membership optional. The MLS Choice program — despite the Phoenix association's efforts to clarify that it was a non-Realtor program — was seen as a serious violation of NAR policy.
"This matter was never about MLS access, and NAR policy on this has not changed," NAR said in its announcement that the issue had been settled. "MLSs have local discretion to determine individual participation requirements based on their market and applicable law.
What Phoenix Realtors had to say: NAR's announcement included an unsigned statement from Phoenix Realtors that read, "After working together productively, Phoenix Realtors and the National Association of Realtors (NAR) have reached a mutually beneficial agreement that ensures Phoenix Realtors' non-member offering complies with NAR's constitution, bylaws and the three-way agreement," which requires real estate professionals to join local, state and national associations.
The NAR-provided statement also made clear that the Phoenix association "remains committed to the Realtor brand" and that "this outcome supports both Phoenix Realtors and NAR's ultimate goal of helping Realtor members succeed and the real estate industry to thrive."
A separate statement shared later by Phoenix Realtors CEO Andy Fegley included additional details about how his organization and NAR "worked together to clarify the marketing around MLS Choice" and assuage concerns that the offering "conferred local association membership, caused confusion for consumers and weakened the Realtor brand."
According to the statement, NAR and Phoenix Realtors worked together to "clarify the marketing around MLS Choice" and introduce an updated offering known as "non-member MLS access."