There are many challenging issues facing real estate agents, brokers and, in turn, MLSs and local, state and national Associations, including:
- Inefficiencies and expense from disparate rules and standards among MLSs, especially as agents and brokers continue to expand the markets they serve across MLS service areas.
- Legal challenges regarding advertising permission policies.
- Use of MLS data by lead generation companies to sell leads back to agents and brokers.
- Consumer access to listing data.
- Competitor access to listing data, and use of such data for advertising purposes.
- Innovation and competition in listing services and software.
- How and when do agents engage consumers on the web while complying with agency disclosure and representation rules?
- Should there be an offer of compensation? What form should it take?
- Who runs and owns the MLS?
- And many more.
A question is whether some of these issues can or should be addressed in a united fashion to provide guidance to local MLSs while allowing them to enhance the value they provide their members, who, in turn, can provide more value to consumers.
- Should MLSs unite to create a federated entity to foster cooperation?
- How should such an organization be formed?
- How should such an organization be run?
- What powers should it have?
- Who can join?
These basic organizational issues impact:
- Standard MLS rules and enforcement.
- Standard data formats.
- Data sharing among MLSs, with the public . With each other, with members' clients, and with the public. Who are the members of the MLS?
- Advertising, syndication, choices, control.
- Confidentiality of specified data.
- Security, compliance with consumer laws, protection of contact and other private data.
- Offers of compensation.
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