300 public MLS Web sites

300 public MLS Web sites Saul Klein at the Internet Crusade tells us that in his extensive research he's found that about 300 MLSs throughout the nation have a public Web site where consumers can search for local real estate listings. That's roughly a third of the nation's MLSs. In some markets, brokers have pushed to shut these sites down, saying they compete with their own Web sites and aren't part of the MLS' mission to serve brokers and agents. However, Klein says that brokers in other markets like the public MLS sites and seem to work well with them. The DOJ would seem to be in favor public sites, given its position in the antitrust lawsuit against the National Association of Realtors. But are these sites a solution for local markets? Inman News is challenging readers to make a case for whether public MLS sites would work or wouldn't work in their individual markets, and why? Who wins and who loses? Who has one now and how does it work (or not work) in your market? --Jessica Swesey, Inman News

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