Empowering Members, Protecting Consumers, and Championing Equal Access
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
As a member of your Association’s Board of Directors, it’s both an honor and a priority to communicate clearly and transparently about the tools and resources that empower your success. Among the most critical of these tools is the MLS—an infrastructure built by and for real estate professionals to ensure trust, accuracy, and fairness in our industry.
Fairness, Accessibility, and Free Competition Pillars of the MLS
Today, I want to underscore not just the value of the MLS, but the tangible, measurable monetary and industry-wide benefits it delivers to you and the clients you serve.
A recent study from Zillow underscores what many of us already know—homes listed on the MLS sell for more. In fact, sellers in 33 states using the MLS achieved a 6.3% higher sale price, on average, than those who sold off-MLS. That’s a difference of $22,000 on a typical home sale. Even in areas with lower sale prices, the gains were meaningful–proof that our commitment to transparency and broad market access through the MLS results in real equity gains for sellers.
Beyond the numbers, the MLS provides a level playing field, allowing large brokerages and small independents alike to compete based on professionalism and service, not just scale.
The MLS isn’t just a listing tool—it’s a collective commitment to market integrity, one that benefits REALTORS®, consumers, and communities alike.
Sincerely,
Zina
The MLS is more than a database—it is the backbone of a fair, efficient, and transparent real estate marketplace. At CCAR, we are deeply committed to safeguarding the MLS as a shared resource that upholds professionalism, consumer trust, equal opportunity, and long-term industry sustainability, rather than profit-driven agendas.
The MLS plays an essential role in upholding Fair Housing principles. By maintaining a central, neutral platform, it removes opportunities for bias and discrimination; promotes objective, accurate listing information; and ensures that no consumer is disadvantaged by proprietary control over housing data.
This open framework ensures that success in real estate isn’t defined by proprietary interests, but by service, expertise, and trust. It helps create a real estate environment where accessibility and accountability are the standard, not the exception.
The MLS levels the playing filed for all because it is designed to promote marketplace efficiency and equity. By centralizing property listings in a neutral, trusted platform, the MLS allows the smallest, local brokerages to compete with the largest national firms on equal terms; it enhances consumer trust by providing the largest and most accurate pool of homes for sale; and it empowers all parties to collaborate, rather than compete in silos—leading to faster, more transparent transactions that benefit all parties.
The MLS: Created by Members, for Members
UPCOMING COURSES
MAY 13
Maximize Your Social Security Benefits | VIRTUAL | May 13 | 2:00 – 3:00 pm | Free | Instructor: Kinley Wong, CRPC, of Bridges Wealth Strategies | You’ve paid into the Social Security program for so many years, doesn’t it make sense to learn how to get the maximum Social Security Benefits you’re entitled to? Learn what NOT to do when filing for Social Security Benefits. | REGISTER >
MAY 14
Your Network is Your Net Worth–Referral Strategies That Really Work | VIRTUAL | May 14 | 10:00 – 11:00 am | Free | Panelists: Kama Burton, Broker-Owner, CMB Realty, and Brianna Ramirez, EQ1 Real Estate/ President, WCR Silicon Valley. | Join us for a session with two top agents who’ve mastered the art of turning relationships into business opportunities. In this intimate conversation, you’ll get insider strategies on how to leverage your existing connections and grow a referral network that drives consistent success. | REGISTER >
MAY 22
Selling in Fire Zones | VIRTUAL | May 22 | 10:00 – 11:00 am | Free | Instructor: Laurel Housh. | This webinar will cover how to read the Fire Zone determinations on the NHD, what a seller needs to disclose in fire zones, how to understand the FHDS, helping sellers understand the legal obligations when selling in fire zones, and much more. | REGISTER >
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