By: Victor Lund
“Many of the Nation’s MLSs have the need to provide localized services on top of a larger data set. The days of having a different MLS every 15 miles are over. The costs of operating small MLSs are too much of a financial burden to local agents and brokers. The largest and most successful regional data sharing initiative is CARETS in the Los Angles area. All of the regions’ MLSs put listings into a central data repository that is then synchronized into the various regional MLS systems of Los Angles. This allows participant (brokers) and subscribers (agents) to avoid joining multiple MLSs, and avoid duplicate listing entry, management, and reporting. It cures a problem called overlapping market disorder. This is accomplished while preserving the local MLS and local service off…
