MLS under siege… by brokers

MLS under siege… by brokers NEW YORK – While "under siege" makes a great topic heading for drama purposes, participants at a roundtable discussion during Real Estate Connect NYC this week dug into the meaning of the phrase, which set off a lively discussion. It was clear from brokers in the room that many are frustrated with current situations at their MLSs and governance issues came up as culprits several times. Not all MLSs are "under siege" as the topic implied; in fact, some are quite prosperous and foster innovation from brokers, which spreads throughout the marketplace. (Examples from the audience were the Houston Association of Realtors' MLS and MRIS, a broker-owned organization in the Washington, D.C., area.) Some common problems cited by brokers in other markets were:

1. Brokers feel restricted by antiquated rules at some MLSs, including things like not being able to display a property address on their Web sites.
2. Brokers with multiple offices that span across several MLSs are frustrated by the process of having to deal with different rules for each marketplace, as well as the fees they have to pay each one to be a member.
3. In many instances, brokers felt that the associations that operate the MLS were the problem, as they used time and money to work out governance issues that have little to do with the day-to-day business of being a successful real estate broker. Some brokers complained of "dead weight" at the association level, saying the board members were not tuned in to their needs.
4. Some brokers also had strong opinions about the perceived value of the MLS being the enabler to broker cooperation. They said that cooperation could easily be taken care of outside the MLS, in their opinions.
5. Brokers felt that their local MLS situations were hurting the industry by making it difficult to innovate and succeed.

What do other brokers think? What's happening at your local MLSs and do you feel that the system is in need of change?

--Jessica Swesey, Inman News

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