With the number of multiple listing services participating in a reciprocal deep-linking service powered by realtor.com operator Move Inc. set to grow from two to nine, more than 47,000 real estate professionals in 19 California counties will soon be able to see confidential information about shared listings from the source MLS.
Two MLSs — MetroList Services Inc. and i-Tech MLS — were on board in September when Move announced that it would provide the deep-linking service, powered by the company’s “Find” search tool, to any California MLS.
Today Move said four more MLSs have signed on to an “industry-first agreement” that gives members of participating California MLSs access to an additional layer of detail about shared listings data, including offers of cooperation and compensation, agent contact information, and showing details.
Three more MLSs “have agreed in principle” to become part of the reciprocal “deep-linking” group, Move said.
“We are delighted to see the FIND deep reciprocal linking technology facilitating the collaboration among these innovative MLSs to provide deep listing information from the source MLS for their agent and broker customers,” Move CEO Steve Berkowitz said in a statement. “These agreements allow the participating MLSs to deliver accurate, detailed and timely information to agents and brokers throughout the reciprocal network — a marketable differentiator for Realtors in their service to buyer and seller clients.”
The four MLSs that have signed up to participate in the deep-linking group are:
- Bay Area Real Estate Information Service Inc. (BAREIS)
- San Francisco Association of Realtors (SFAR)
- Sutter Yuba Association of Realtors (SYAR)
- Nevada County Association of Realtors (NCAOR)
The three MLSs that have “agreed in principle” to join are:
- Bay East Association of Realtors Inc.
- Contra Costa Association of Realtors
- East Bay Regional Data Inc.
BAREIS is a broker-owned MLS that serves about 7,500 members in five counties: Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Solano and Sonoma.
East Bay Regional Data is owned by the Oakland Association of Realtors, the Alameda Association of Realtors, the Berkeley Association of Realtors, and the Delta Association of Realtors.
Headquartered in Sacramento, MetroList Services is the largest MLS in Northern California, serving 17,000 members in seven counties: Sacramento, Placer, El Dorado, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced and Yolo.
I-Tech MLS is a joint venture of the Glendale Association of Realtors and the Pasadena-Foothills Association of Realtors.
Move makes the Find search tool, which provides access to data aggregated by Move, available at no charge to MLSs nationwide that allow sold listing data to be displayed on realtor.com.
Last summer Move announced “Find” agreements with three MLSs serving the Chicago, Boston and San Francisco markets that allow consumers using realtor.com to see sold listings data, including who represented the buyer and seller. Move said at the time that it was providing access to between 5 million and 6 million sold records per year, including more than 3 million sourced from MLSs.
Last year, Move tested an agent-ranking tool, AgentMatch, that enabled consumers in two markets to search for agents using sold data and other statistics mined from MLSs and other sources.
The tool sparked controversy and debate, and Move acknowledged the difficulties of using an algorithm to rank agents when it concluded the AgentMatch pilot program in December.
Realtor.com President Errol Samuelson said at the time that Move still intends “to create the most accurate and complete resource for consumers looking for a Realtor online, and to continue moving the industry forward with innovative solutions.”
During AgentMatch testing, Move said it would need the approval of MLSs that supply it with sold data in order to expand the program into additional markets.
