- We Already Have RPR, Realtor.com, And Zillow, That Could Be Quickly Converted
- Real Estate Is Local, And We Have RESO To Fix Differences In Data
- Getting 532 MLS Systems To Quietly Go Away Is Like Herding 532 Feral Cats
Nope. On Monday, I published a story about the new Compass marketing plan and how open they were about hiding data from buyers using their own words. I’ve long believed that their strategy is to be the center of the real estate universe (think the exact opposite of a blockchain solution with a distributed network). But I digress…
Then I read an opinion column in Inman News: The future of the MLS: A proposed path toward a national network by a real estate broker of @properties Christie’s International Real Estate. I make this point because Compass just purchased his firm, and the deal is expected to close in 2025, so their thinking is aligned.
The author’s idea behind a national MLS is to make it easier for agents who have to work with several MLS systems due to the market areas they cover. There would be a state-by-state setup to account for the various rule differences and stitch them together to form a national MLS. The national database would not be tied to any software vendor like Matrix, FlexMLS, Rappatoni, etc. Of course, a primary goal of a National MLS would be to give the agents access to listings all over the country.
The biggest question is – who runs this? NAR is stretched too thin with legal expenses and is likely to see a collapse in membership over the next several years.
Plus, there already is a robust standards organization to facilitate easier sharing of data among the MLS systems known as Real Estate Standards Organization (RESO)
Realtors Already Sort Of Have A Few National MLSs
- Realtor.com which started as Realtors Information Network (RIN) about 40 years ago. It began as a private network for Realtors in 1995 and then was pushed out to the public in 1996. A very knowledgeable colleague and friend of mine told me that the saying at the time was, “RIN doesn’t mean you have to say you’re sorry.” Ha.
- Realtors Property Resource® (RPR) The modern version of RIN is called Realtors Property Resource® (RPR). Realtors have free use of it, but it costs them an excessive amount of money to build and maintain at the time, around 2012. If NAR actually wanted to do it, they could make RPR a national MLS tomorrow.
- Zillow – We all know that the current pseudo-national MLS is really Zillow, and they’ve invested billions since their launch in creating a property profile for every single residence in the U.S.
Final Thoughts
I hear about other entities with aspirations to start a national MLS, and I don’t blame them. It’s a massively valuable asset for anyone to control. Currently, Zillow and NAR have existing entities that could readily be converted to an MLS, but they haven’t done so. The fact that it hasn’t happened might offer the answer. Why? NAR is mired in legal costs and is in danger of experiencing a collapse in membership in the near term. Zillow seems to be the logical horse to bet on if there was a play here.
According to RESO, there are 532 MLS systems in the U.S. as of January 2025. While many MLS systems are merging with their adjacent systems to improve cost efficiency, I would think a national merger effort would be like herding 532 feral cats. It would take years, and to what end? On top of that, we are starting to see Realtor associations separate from their associated MLSs because they have different goals. We’ve seen that happen in Colorado and Detroit already.
I’m not sure what the answer is, but we are definitely in the early stages of consolidation. Try not to Blink…182, or you’ll miss it.
Did you miss the previous Housing Notes?

Housing Notes Reads
- Transforming Emptying Houses of Worship [Counselors of Real Estate]
- What is an MLS and How Many MLSs Are There? Multiple Listing Service FAQ [RESO – Real Estate Standards Organization]
- Multiple listing service [Wikipedia]
- The Conscious Uncoupling Of An MLS And Their Association Owners [Housing Notes]