MLS/Association News

“We have to protect our brokers and agents” from the risks of violating the NAR deal to settle commissions lawsuits, said Merri Jo Cowen, CEO of Stellar MLS.

“We have to act as an industry. We have to do something,” Jason Haber, co-founder of the American Real Estate Association, told Real Estate News.

The transformative newspaper exec moves into the permanent CEO role at the National Association of Realtors — the U.S.’s largest trade association — this week.

Consolidation has slowed, and data sharing is on the rise. Some members fear more competition for listings, but for MLSs, it’s “an expansion-based opportunity.”

Despite market headwinds and uncertainty around practice changes, NAR membership has remained resilient, with big gains in Washington state.

Members of ARMLS and Metro MLS will be able to choose between ShowingTime and Aligned Showings after resolution of a lawsuit filed by Zillow in December.

The Houston Association of Realtors formed a data share partnership with the largest Latin American MLS, giving members access to listings across 22 countries.

The organization added a concessions field in May that allowed listing agents to specify an amount or percentage — but opted to remove those options this week.

At a meeting Monday, association members approved a change in bylaws that will allow the sale of the nation’s 16th-largest MLS to move forward.

South Florida’s Broward, Palm Beaches & St. Lucie Realtors is taking a two-pronged approach, using ads to educate consumers while helping members stay informed.

MRI offered to buy the nation’s 16th-largest MLS — then upped its offer — and wants association members to consider it at a July 29 meeting about the sale.

A U.S. District Court judge has approved a motion from the plaintiffs requesting reconsideration of a case originally filed against NAR in 2020.

There’s “going to be a point at which it doesn't make sense to belong” to small, local MLSs, one broker-owner — and member of 7 MLSs — told Real Estate News.

Four MLSs go Coast 2 Coast in Florida; North Carolina MLS expands into Georgia, each serving about 20,000 members.

The state association is rolling out buyer agreements and other forms that it believes offer a balance of simplicity and agent protections.

The California association has been the subject of a DOJ inquiry and a scathing CFA report. Updates released this week may allay some of those concerns.

A new statement takes aim at “misinformation and concern” surrounding the proposed sale of REcolorado and provides details on the buyer and his intentions.

After unveiling a scathing critique of the association’s buyer agreement last week, the CFA is back with a new report focused on C.A.R.’s listing contract.

New FAQs from the MLS and from its current owners, DMAR and SMDRA, shed light on user fees post-sale, but the timing and price of the deal remain undisclosed.

The Department of Justice is keeping a sharp eye on the industry as the August 17 deadline for settlement-mandated practice changes draws closer.