Jim Harrison, CEO of MLSListings, in a guest post for Inman News
Why we need to make room for the emancipated MLS
“The birthplace of the current MLS was the local Realtor association. For much of the past 50 years the Realtor association has been the owner, master and effective parent of the MLS.
Even today, all but a dozen or so of the 719 operating MLSs continue to be owned, operated and parented by the same local association that originally gave birth to them. It is true that some have escaped association control and have managed to morph into regional or business centered entities, but that is not the norm.
Just as the original MLSs reflected the values of their parent associations, the fact is that today over 700 of these organizations are still operated in strict compliance with their parent organization’s traditional values, which haven’t changed much over the past 50 years.
Today, the industry has accepted the fact that one of many things that has to change is the continued existence of over 1,200 local associations. The industry also recognizes that many of its current threats and challenges have been caused by a lack of change and adaptation, which are so critical to survival in this current disruptive environment.”
Yup…
