In July, major changes are coming to the National Association of REALTORS®. Last year, during the 2017 REALTORS® Conference and Expo, the Board of Directors voted to make changes to the way local MLSs interact with real estate agents and brokers. From their statement:

Currently, many local MLSs require all members of a brokerage to join their brokers MLS. Whether or not the brokers MLS is the best fit for every agent in the office, they are still required to join and pay all of the associated dues, subscription costs, and fines. And if they don't? If an agent chooses to join a different MLS instead, one that better fits their needs and budget, their broker could be fined or even kicked out of their MLS.

With MLS of Choice, agents will be able to join the MLS that works best for them - even if it's not the same one their broker joins. Brokers won't be fined or penalized by their local MLS if their agents don't join. Brokers will also be able to recruit and retain talented agents who may not participate in their local MLS.

MLS of Choice goes into effect on July 1st, 2018. Now's the time to evaluate your options and choose the MLS that will best fit your needs. Agents and brokers looking to save money and get more for less are joining our nationwide network, My State MLS.

With My State MLS, your listings get more exposure than ever before. We syndicate directly to Zillow, Trulia, and Realtor.com, as well as over 85 other websites through ListHub. Your listings are seen by agents and buyers across the US from a single platform. If you're licensed in multiple states, you can finally manage all of your listings from one place. Need to list multiple types of sales - like auctions, manufactured homes, or multi-family buildings? My State MLS gives you a flexible solution that works for you, all for just $35 per month or $320 annually.

Where do my listings go? Listings are syndicated to ListHub, which feeds to over 85 different websites. My State MLS listings are fed directly to Realtor.com, Trulia, Zillow, their network of websites, and Homes.com. My State MLS uses advanced syndication that shows our members as the listing agent on Zillow at no extra cost. Members can promote themselves by branding their listings on third party websites, where allowed.

What is FIND? FIND is a powerful tool that allows members to search millions of property listings and records throughout the entire country. FIND has the ability to look up listings, history, details, and public records by map location as well as other criteria. Listings can then be added to a report that can be printed, saved, or emailed directly to your clients. FIND is powered by REALTOR.com

Do I have to be a licensed real estate professional to join? You must be a licensed real estate broker, associate broker, or salesperson. Auctioneers licensed to sell real estate and attorneys in states that allow attorneys to represent clients as real estate brokers are also welcome. Appraisers and lending institutions are also allowed to subscribe for comparable data. Your Real Estate license number is required when creating an account. Your firm must also be a participant.

How can I access properties if I'm not a member of my local MLS? Many agents are concerned about accessing properties for showings if they aren't part of their local MLS. However, under Board of Choice, REALTORs are able to purchase services from boards they aren't a part of - including ekeys. (source)

How much does it cost to join your board? My State MLS is not associated with any board. Your $35 per month (or $320 annually) covers your MLS membership.

Can I sign up my whole office? Absolutely! We offer special pricing for offices when everyone signs up. Give us a call at 1 (888) 769-7657 or visit our new real estate tips and insights blog learn more.