A critical foundation of American homeownership is the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). These independent, local broker organizations create highly competitive markets that are friendly to small business while ensuring equitable home ownership opportunities, superior customer service and greater options for buyers and sellers.
Simply put, local real estate organizations provide sellers access to the largest possible pool of potential buyers while creating the greatest number of housing options for buyers in one, centralized location.
Leveling the Playing Field
For people trying to break into this real estate market, MLSs level the playing field, allowing small brokerages to compete with large ones by creating hubs of local real estate market information where all broker participants have access to the same reliable and trusted data. As a byproduct, these data hubs spur entrepreneurship and innovation, allowing consumers to choose the type of broker they want to work with and what fee options they prefer, including those who provide many different service and fee options, from varied commission models to flat fees.
FULL TEXT: MLSs advance small business, equity in homeownership - RealTrends