The origins of MLS listings goes back to the nineteenth century, when real estate brokers used to gather at the real estate association offices and talk to each other about the properties each of them had for sale. From these discussions, agreements were made for compensating each other for finding buyers for each other’s properties. This is how MLS Listings or multiple listing services began. Today, of course, technology has improved the service which began from word of mouth hundreds of years ago.
When a real estate broker obtains a listing contract from a seller, the broker places the information into a database that is shared by every broker and real estate agent in the area who is a member of the MLS listings, or Multiple Listing Service. By doing this, the mls listings broker is offering any member the opportunity to sell the property, and receive as compensation, a rate of commission, stated in the listing information. Besides serving as a means of agreement between brokers, the MLS listings database is also searchable, and an invaluable tool for any real estate professional in learning more about MLS Listings.
A MLS Listings or Multiple Listing Service contains hundreds of customized fields of information that the trained real estate professional can use to find home or other properties that fit the widely varying needs of their clients. These features add to the complexity of the MLS Listings service. Some real estate companies have websites that allow the public to view a very condensed or limited version of the MLS listings available on MLS related websites. The prospective buyer has to contact a real estate professional to obtain further information about MLS Listings and other properties that interest the client.
The obvious benefits of using a MLS Listings service or a multiple listing service involves the aggregation of many listings by many sellers, and there are currently over eight hundred multiple listing services in the United States. More than half of all buyers used a multiple listing service in their property searches, according to a study done in 2007. MLS Listings or Multiple Listing Services are an excellent example of how collaboration and networking combine to create a successful business model.
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