What is the MLS?
The MLS stands for Multiple Listing Service. The MLS systems are governed by private entities, and the rules are set by those entities with no state or federal oversight, beyond any individual state rules regarding real estate.
MLS systems set their own rules for membership, access, and sharing of information, but are subject to nationwide rules laid down by NAR (National Association of Realtors).
A MLS may be owned and operated by a real estate company, a county or regional real estate board of realtors or association of realtors, or by a trade association.
Membership of the MLS is generally considered to be essential to the practice of real estate brokerage search to find real estate MLS listings for sale by Realtors® and other realty professionals that are members of your local MLS Multiple Listing Service.
The benefits of the MLS system is that an MLS subscriber (real estate professional) may search the MLS system and retrieve information about all homes for sale by all participating brokers. MLS systems contain hundreds of fields of information about the features of a property. These fields are determined by real estate professionals who are knowledgeable and experienced in that local marketplace. Whereas public real estate websites contain only a small subset of property data.
But now you can search like a pro! Click the links above or below to find homes for sale, new homes and resale homes, new construction, acreage, lots, land and investment property.