The Austin Board of Realtors’ Unlock MLS is planning to make its multiple listing service available to real estate professionals who do not have membership in a realtor association.
“We’re all about providing you with maximum flexibility to run your business your way,” said Unlock MLS on its website. “We believe that you deserve the freedom to adapt your business model as the needs of your clients, marketplace, and industry evolve. To that end, Unlock MLS will no longer require realtors membership to access Unlock MLS services beginning June 1, 2025.”
Unlock MLS added that the “new flexibility empowers brokers and agents to shape their business as they see fit. Whether you choose to stay connected to a professional trade organization like a realtor association is now entirely up to you.”
On April 1, Unlock MLS will publish information for brokers who want to set up an MLS office and how agents will be able to update their subscription status to this multiple listing service. Unlock MLS took aim at the National Association of Realtors (NAR) for operating an inflexible framework for real estate professionals.
“We believe agents and their brokers need choices regarding realtor membership in today’s fast-changing real estate landscape,” the organization stated. “We intend to provide you with maximum flexibility and let brokers of record make individual business decisions. When there is increased choice, the result is a more dynamic, competitive, and healthy marketplace for everyone.”
NAR reacted negatively late last year when Phoenix Realtors introduced its MLS Choice, which was promoted as being “the first time brokers will be able to offer their agents the opportunity to access both the MLS and legal forms, along with several existing benefits, outside of the traditional three-tier membership system with local, state and national associations.” NAR began the process of revoking the charter for Phoenix Realtors after the Arizona group refused to withdraw MLS Choice.
NAR did not immediately comment on Unlock MLS’ announcement.
Good Afternoon,
Would you please email me the details of unlocking MLS to those Realtors outside our geographic area. I would like to understand the specifics of this proposal. At first glance, I wonder about the competency of those Realtors seeking access since it undermines the expertise local Realtors have about our markets, the correct forms necessary in our area and the general awareness of communities outside their scope of knowledge.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Carrie Downs-Kelley
Hello Carrie, you’re wrong about that. I’m a Broker, and I just Canceled with my local Realtor association, and I still have full MLS access, and I reduced my annual cost by more than 50%.
Do you have to be a broker in TX?
Heath, are you an agent on Cape Cod?
Is this for research only or can you also put your listings in?
You can put your listings in. It’s full MLS membership without have to be a member of the local, state, and national association.
I applaud Austin Board of Realtors. They are taking action to right the unjust wrong imposed on them by local and national organizations that are illegally requiring membership. These organizations are forcing agents and brokers to support them by trying to control access to local MLS. The Department of Real Estate does not require a licensee to be a member of any organization so why do these groups feel that they can take it upon themselves to be a governing body for licensees. Most new agents today must fork out thousands of dollars just to be able to start trying to sell real estate. Is it no wonder most agents are having a hard time surviving. Yes it is time to break up the unfair monopoly that are CAR and NAR. I think all MLS should follow Austin and Arizona.
Membership in NAR should be voluntary and up to the broker or agent that sees the benefit in that membership. MLS access is not enough to establish geographic expertise in a market, imho.
i hope this is a trend. The recent NAR settlement had nothing to do with us but everything to do with a few top union mobsters avoiding total implosion. it sickens to pay them my annual dues.
OK… will MLS only agents retain the REALTOR designation? Will MLS only agents retain all designations they have earned and paid annual dues. Will MLS only agents be able to list properties or only view properties? What about TXR zip forms -will they be available to MLS only agents? Who will govern the MLS handle disputes etc.? – ABOR? If you retain membership in ABOR, TXR and the NAR what rules continue? A Lot to unwind here folks.
No, they won’t be Realtors. Any designation that also requires an NAR membership would not be retained. MLS only agents have full MLS rights and can list properties. TAR forms are only to be used by TAR members so they won’t be able to use them (and Zipform won’t have the library available to them). Not sure what kind of disputes arise out of using a data platform, but Unlock MLS would deal with those. If you retain membership in the associations, nothing changes. It’s actually very simple. While I hate being a member of NAR, TAR benefits are worth the dues. Someday soon NAR will be forced to remove the 3 association membership rule and we’ll be able to just be in TAR and/or ABOR.
Any connection to the Warren group?
I stumbled upon their website and they are offering all the mls data to investors (for a fee of course)
So.. we pay our mls dues
Input all the data… and now a big company steals our data … something wrong here
In TX Realtors pay their (local) boards to have access to that area’s MLS, (enter new listings, chg listing status, run comps etc), they don’t pay NAR. But to be a member of that board, you pay NAR fees. Brokers must join each respective board to have access to that area’s MLS. If you’re a broker in Dallas and want access to the Houston MLS, you’ll need to join the board of realtors in Houston. There are ongoing board dues to have this access, any agents hanging their license w that Broker must pay each respective board to have access to the area MLS. So are these realtors outside of Austin going to pay that board to have access to the Austin MLS ? These othr realtors have No broker involved?
NAR is a non-representative self-serving entity that did NOT allow discussion or Vote by it’s paying Realtors whether or not to make such a pathetic “Settlement” that hurts Buyers and their Agents. It needs to be replaced. One group of Agents said the ONLY REASON they remain a member is for the darn Forms. It is terrible organization. Asking is license Real Estate Agents who are not MLS Members are competent shows the ignorance of just what NAR does. Shut the NAR down.