Share this article!

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) is pursuing an indefinite study of its Clear Cooperation Policy, with no deadline on when it would come to a final decision.

Real Estate News reported NAR’s MLS Technology and Emerging Issues Advisory Board, which has been studying whether to keep or drop the policy, came to the conclusion not to make a recommendation. A NAR spokesperson said the board “opted not to make a recommendation about CCP or take any other action,” but instead passed along its feedback from industry stakeholders to NAR’s Leadership Team. However, the Leadership Team did not set a deadline on when a final decision would be reached.

The NAR spokesperson added that its ultimate decision will be based on how the policy fits into “the broader context of the issues facing NAR and the industry,” adding that the organization “must also consider ongoing litigation and DOJ investigations.”

The policy is relatively new – it was only established in 2020 – and it mandates that listing brokers upload their publicly marketed listings within one business day to an MLS. NAR has argued that the policy works for sellers seeking to reach the widest number of potential buyers. The organization also claimed that not having this policy creates so-called pocket listings that create an exclusionary market where sellers could lose money and minorities would not be able to have access to certain listings.

NAR’s action comes as the Council of Multiple Listing Services (CMLS) put its support behind the organization’s course of action. CMLS CEO Denee Evans stated, “Repealing CCP hastily is both reckless and unnecessary. Many adjustments to the policy have been proposed and should be evaluated more fully over a more deliberate timeframe. NAR should not view CCP as an ‘either/or’ problem, but as an opportunity to fine-tune mandatory listing submission, the remaining pillar of MLSs’ unique role in the residential real estate market.”