Four multiple listing service (MLS) partners in the greater East and South Bay Areas recently agreed to streamline system capabilities so participants and subscribers may access thousands more listings through one single point of entry. This means Silicon Valley Realtors now have access to thousands more listings, enabling them to provide better service to their clients.
In addition to having access to data from MLSListings Inc., their multiple listing service provider, members of the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors now have access to data from the East Bay MLSes: Bay East Association of Realtors, Contra Costa County Association of Realtors, and East Bay Regional MLS (Oakland Berkeley), without having to connect to separate MLS platforms. Requiring just one log-in, this new streamlined platform will bridge the gaps that once separated data from each of the respective platforms. This agreement strengthens the existing data share between the MLSes by giving agents and brokers extensive access to property information.
"As an association representing over 5,000 members engaged in the real estate business on the Peninsula and in the South Bay, our goal is to provide our members with the necessary tools to best serve their clients. With access to more data, our members will have the ability to compare the Peninsula and South Bay homes to East Bay listings with ease," said Denise Welsh, president of the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors.
MLSListings, which specializes in the counties of Monterey, San Benito, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz, now has more data share agreements than any other MLS in northern California, providing exposure to more the 100,000 agents in northern and southern California. The agreement between MLSListings and the three East Bay MLSes exposes their members' listings to more than 30,000 real estate professionals in northern California. With the additional 80,000 brokers and agents in the current data share with CRMLS of Southern California, this means more than 125,000 California real estate professionals will be able to view member listings and have access to each other's property listings. By late summer, MLSListings will be adding data from The MLS of Los Angeles and the Palm Springs Association of Realtors to its platform, which will also add to subscribers' portfolio of information.
"The future of real estate is to build bridges and not borders. MLS borders have no meaning to buyers and sellers, and should not exist in our industry," said Quincy Virgilio, chair of MLSListings.
Welsh said greater access to more data provides Silicon Valley Realtors the ability to remain the first source of information to their clients and run market comparisons with them. Their listings will have exposure to hundreds of thousands of buyers, sellers and browsers throughout the state, which will aid in the service to people relocating from other areas.
"Everyone can benefit from this collaboration. The more information we have on hand, the better equipped we are to serve our clients," added Welsh.
The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) is a professional trade organization representing over 4,000 REALTORS® and Affiliate members engaged in the real estate business on the Peninsula and in the South Bay. SILVAR promotes the highest ethical standards of real estate practice, serves as an advocate for homeownership and homeowners, and represents the interests of property owners in Silicon Valley.
The term "REALTOR®" is a registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and who subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.
Variations of this article have appeared in local area newspapers.
For further information, please email or call the SILVAR office at (408) 200-0100.