Hive MLS and SourceRE Announce Investment and Long-Term Partnership

“This initiative signals a broader industry shift toward MLSs taking proactive control of their data ecosystems. Rather than relying on a small group of third-party solutions and major public entities with competing interests, Hive MLS and SourceRE are working together to build an MLS Data Exchange without vendor-specific constraints, technical dependencies, or timeline limitations.”

I’ve struggled— and I think the industry has struggled— to find a good naming convention for the type of solution Hive MLS and SourceRE describe in this release. They call their solution a “data exchange.” I believe this solution falls into the same category as other offerings in the market.

Comparable Solutions

DataCore from RECore:

“DataCore gives your organization complete control over its most valuable asset—your data. Easily manage, share, and protect information with a secure, flexible solution designed for the way MLSs and Associations operate. Keep your data flowing where it needs to go while ensuring it stays protected every step of the way.”

Amplify:

“At Amplify, we empower MLS organizations and national brokerage firms by placing them at the forefront of their ecosystem. Our pioneering real estate platform provides unparalleled control, flexibility, and adaptability, allowing MLSs to tailor their operations to meet specific needs.”

I believe all of these solutions can be traced back to AMP, which was RPR’s “Advanced Multi-List Platform.” AMP was shut down in early 2018, and at the time, it was described as:

“back-end multiple listing service database for small and medium-sized MLSs”

Carlos Grass, one of the co-founders of Amplify, later acquired AMP’s assets from RPR (which is wholly owned by the National Association of REALTORS®). I had the opportunity to interview Carlos and Paul Hethmon on my Listing Bits podcast, where we discussed Amplify, its solution, and the broader category. It’s a great overview of the space.

A Name for This Category?

I like to call these solutions “front-endless” MLS solutions—or perhaps “back-end database” MLS solutions would be just as fitting or maybe even “data exchange”. The goal here is for an MLS to say, “Here’s our data, come as you are.” Each company can then offer its own spin on the features and benefits of its solution.

I’m not sure how far off we are from a world where these solutions take off, but the fact that so many companies are bringing their own unique approach to this space tells me that something is brewing.