{"id":3054,"date":"2008-05-05T06:31:12","date_gmt":"2008-05-05T13:31:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/?p=3054"},"modified":"2008-05-05T06:47:26","modified_gmt":"2008-05-05T13:47:26","slug":"how-do-you-spell-mls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/3054\/how-do-you-spell-mls\/","title":{"rendered":"How Do You Spell MLS?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Once, many years ago, I spelled CRB wrong and offended a bunch of brokers who held that designation.\u00a0 I spelled it \u201cCRS.\u201d\u00a0 Easy mistake for someone new to the REALTOR\u00ae business.\u00a0 Heck, I hardly knew the difference between an agent and a broker back then, so how was I to understand what a big deal it was to confuse a couple of designations?\u00a0 Of course, back then there were only a handful of designations \u2013 presently we have around 70 designations<\/a>\u00a0 that are recognized in the industry.\u00a0 It must be really tough for a newbie to understand all the alphabet soup today.<\/p>\n

It is probably also tough for a newbie to understand what MLS means.\u00a0 Sure, the easy answer is Multiple Listing Service, but what is the purpose of the MLS?\u00a0 I think many REALTORS\u00ae, and surely most of the general public, believe that the primary purpose of MLS is for collecting property data so it can be efficiently searched\/distributed.\u00a0 Even Wikipedia agrees with this common description of MLS<\/a>.\u00a0 Over the years, I have often been asked by sellers why they cannot enter their own listing in the MLS so it can be distributed like other listings.\u00a0 This post details what I try to explain to these sellers.<\/p>\n

Data distribution is certainly an important side function of MLS, but I argue that it is NOT the most important function.\u00a0 If it were, then we should open up MLS to anyone who wants to enter a listing.\u00a0 After all, if we had more data (including FSBOs, bank properties and government seizures) it would make data distribution even better.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

\"mls\"To understand what MLS\u2019s primary function is, you need to go back to the beginning.\u00a0 The first MLS predates the founding of NAR by more than 20 years.\u00a0 It goes all the way back to 1887 in San Diego<\/a>.\u00a0 Needless to say, that original system was not computer based.\u00a0 The first computerized MLS<\/a> came about in 1975.\u00a0 The public display of listings did not occur until the Internet explosion in the early 1990\u2019s, and REALTOR.com was founded in 1997.<\/p>\n

Okay, that\u2019s more background than you probably wanted, Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Once, many years ago, I spelled CRB wrong and offended a bunch of brokers who held that designation.\u00a0 I spelled it \u201cCRS.\u201d\u00a0 Easy mistake for someone new to the REALTOR\u00ae business.\u00a0 Heck, I hardly knew the difference between an agent and a broker back then, so how was I to understand what a big deal […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":35,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-3054","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"hentry","6":"category-enduring-interest","7":"category-real-estate","9":"no-featured-image"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":10381,"url":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/10381\/the-end-of-the-mls-as-we-know-it-part-546\/","url_meta":{"origin":3054,"position":0},"title":"The end of the MLS as we know it? (Part: 546)","author":"John Rowles","date":"November 23, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"A few of the comments on my last post about the moves Google seems to be making in the direction of a more robust National Real Estate search have focused on what this means for MLS. The consensus (hope?) is that Google's move in that direction, as well as RPR,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Real Estate"","block_context":{"text":"Real Estate","link":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/category\/real-estate\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":18134,"url":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/18134\/overnight-news-cant-sell-without-help-dang-real-estate-is-not-the-special-olympics\/","url_meta":{"origin":3054,"position":1},"title":"Overnight News: Can\u2019t sell without help? Dang. Real estate is not the Special\u00a0Olympics.","author":"Greg Swann","date":"May 12, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"I don't know how closely people are following this clear cooperation mishegoss. It boils down to this: Brokers who can't sell without the MLS are plotting to handicap those who can. The MLS is a fall-back for good brokers and a crutch for bad ones, but it is beyond absurd\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Group Therapy"","block_context":{"text":"Group Therapy","link":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/category\/group-therapy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Ya think it's easy?","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/BHBNewTopImage-300x225.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2392,"url":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/2392\/a-bolt-from-the-blue-for-the-ftc\/","url_meta":{"origin":3054,"position":2},"title":"A Bolt From the Blue for the FTC","author":"Russell Shaw","date":"December 18, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"I have to agree with the FTC 's initial action but for all the wrong reasons. And I don't agree with them now pursuing the case further. A few days ago a Judge dismissed the complaint filed by the FTC against a Detroit area Multiple Listing Service. The position of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Disintermediation"","block_context":{"text":"Disintermediation","link":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/category\/disintermediation\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"bold from the blue","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/12\/bold%20from%20the%20blue.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2953,"url":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/2953\/big-news-on-data-standards\/","url_meta":{"origin":3054,"position":3},"title":"Big News on Data Standards","author":"Dave Phillips","date":"April 12, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"photo credit: wfyurasko I\u2019m guessing that the main purpose of BHB is not to spread the news \u2013 especially NAR news. \u00a0Being the resident NAR insider on BHB, I promise I will not use this site to spread NAR propaganda\u2026er\u2026news.\u00a0 But this quiet piece of information is actually VERY big\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/category\/general\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":630,"url":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/630\/beat-the-devil-sunday-whats-the-highest-buyers-agents-commission-you-can-find-in-your-market\/","url_meta":{"origin":3054,"position":4},"title":"Beat the Devil Sunday: What’s the highest buyer’s agent’s commission you can find in your market . . . ?","author":"Greg Swann","date":"November 12, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Let's print up a junk mail envelope: Doug Quance may already have won! Witness:I think I might have found a winner... I searched our MLS yesterday, and found a co-broke of 20%! New construction 4 bed 2.5 bath listed at $270K. http:\/\/brokersfirstrealty.com\/2006\/11\/12\/commissions-incentives-and-ethics\/ It's no typo... the listing agent spelled it\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Marketing"","block_context":{"text":"Marketing","link":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/category\/marketing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2801,"url":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/2801\/zillowcom-makes-its-first-mls-wide-feed-agreement-and-in-the-process-disintermediates-its-first-idx-cartel\/","url_meta":{"origin":3054,"position":5},"title":"Zillow.com makes its first MLS-wide feed agreement and, in the process, disintermediates its first IDX cartel","author":"Greg Swann","date":"March 19, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Here's the PR, which the vendor cheerleaders will have reported:*Leading real estate Web site Zillow.com and MLS Property Information Network today announced a partnership to feed listings from the New England area MLS to Zillow.com on a daily basis. This partnership initiates the first participation at the MLS level in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Disintermediation"","block_context":{"text":"Disintermediation","link":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/category\/disintermediation\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3054","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/35"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3054"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3054\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3054"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3054"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloodhoundrealty.com\/BloodhoundBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3054"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}