The Houston Association of Realtors (HAR) has announced a data share agreement with Unlock MLS in Austin that will enable the associations’ subscribers to access thousands of additional listings across the state of Texas.
According to HAR, the agreement provides its 48,000 MLS subscribers access to all Unlock MLS listings in Austin and the surrounding area. The Unlock MLS listings – which covers Central Texas – will be accessed in the Matrix interface used by HAR subscribers and can be found by searching by city, ZIP code, subdivision or via a map search.
The new agreement is similar to HAR’s partnership with the San Antonio Board of Realtors (SABOR) that was announced last year. Between the two agreements, HAR said its MLS subscribers will have access to nearly 60% of the Texas housing market.
“This agreement with Unlock MLS, along with our existing collaboration with SABOR, will give our members a significant competitive advantage and help them better serve their clients in one of the nation’s most dynamic real estate markets,” said HAR President and CEO Bob Hale. “These partnerships are part of HAR’s ongoing commitment to expanding resources for our 48,000 members so that they are able to better serve their clients across the state.”
“Comparative market intelligence empowers agents to think differently about their own marketplace and deliver more robust and tailored market expertise to their clients. Unlock MLS subscribers now have an immense data set at their fingertips that will bring exponential value to their business,” added Emily Chenevert, CEO of Unlock MLS and the Austin Board of Realtors. “This forward-thinking collaboration between Unlock MLS, SABOR, and HAR will position Unlock MLS agents for long-term success in an increasingly complex and interconnected real estate market.”
Great! How much more do HAR members have to pay for the additional access to those markets?
Wonderful! I hope a partnership can be formed for the Dallas area.
What is the benefit to the typical agent? Are agents really going to be traveling between these cities selling houses? Maybe a one-off here and there, but I don’t understand what agents actually gain from this.