At 2025 NAR NXT Governance Meetings, NAR repealed or amended (effective January 1, 2026) 18 MLS Policy Statements found in the NAR MLS Handbook. These changes are being made to modernize legacy MLS policy which is no longer relevant in a constantly changing MLS industry.
There is particular interest in the policy changes regarding “Association Membership as a Prerequisite to MLS Participation” (Policy Statements 7.25 and 7.7). realMLS is a Multiple Listing Service operating in the State of Florida. Florida is part of the 11th Circuit. In 1991, Thompson v. Metropolitan Multi-List, Inc., was decided by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, requiring real estate associations to provide non-member licensees with access to essential services like the MLS without requiring association membership. Based on this 1991 ruling, realMLS has since offered MLS access to those choosing not to be a member of a Realtor Association.
NEFAR is realMLS’s shareholder. Historically, Multiple Listing Services were created by the members of Realtor Associations since the early 1900’s. For the first 100+ years of their existence, most MLSs were operated as a service and committee of the Realtor Association. The cooperative nature of the MLS benefits from the Code of Ethics provided by the National Association of Realtors. So, while realMLS does not require Realtor membership to gain MLS access, realMLS customers who choose to be Realtors receive significant member benefits from their professional trade organizations. NEFAR members can read more about these benefits here: https://nefar.realtor/realtors-benefits/
Finally, regarding several of the other policy changes, realMLS has always been and will remain a progressive and future focused MLS.
- Separate CEO since the 1990’s
- Independently manage all reciprocal agreements and contracts for service
- Created the DBA name of realMLS in 2018
- Built a Data Integrity policy and set fine amounts based on the local marketplace
- Local onboarding rules apply to ALL realMLS Customers
- Allow ALL MLS Participants and Subscribers the right to IDX displays
- MLS service area of Florida (realMLS customers licensed to practice real estate in Florida)
- Local policy regarding transmission of MLS listing data based on listing broker approval
For more, click here for the FAQ from NAR.
realMLS is the preferred provider of advanced tools and resources to promote a healthy marketplace. Any questions regarding the recent changes can be directed to Support@realMLS.com. Thank you for being a customer of realMLS!