NORCAL MLS Alliance provides Silicon Valley Realtors one-stop access to property listing data
MLS Listings Inc., the multiple listing service provider of the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors, and six other leading MLSS in Northern California, officially launched the Norcal MLS Alliance last week. The data share collaborative will give Silicon Valley brokers, Realtors, appraisers and their counterparts in Northern California one-stop singlelogin access to thousands of listings throughout 22 counties, from the Greater Bay Area and Silicon Valley, to as far south as Monterey County, and up through the Central Valley to Sacramento and Nevada.
When fully implemented the seven-member
alliance will benefit over 55,000 brokers and agents who serve more than 11.5 million people across over 20,000 square miles. According to officials, this means homebuyers and sellers will have expanded property listing search options and more marketing exposure for their properties.
This development is being hailed by Realtor associations in the Bay Area. “This collaboration, along with new innovations in MLS technology enables us to provide our members and subscribers with easier access to a familiar platform and comprehensive data from neighboring markets,” said Walt Baczkowski, chief executive officer of the San Francisco Association of Realtors, in a press release. “The simplicity of a single login, single pay MLS membership/subscription gives real estate professionals comprehensive access to more data.” Realtors and brokers will have easy access to property listings throughout a wide geographic area from their respective MLS platforms. The alliance will include properties in Alameda, Amador, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Marin, Mendocino, Merced, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, San Benito, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus and Yolo counties.
“This unprecedented collaboration will provide an expanded data share system by opening a much wider area for our members and will allow them to better serve their clients,” said Paul Cardus, CEO of the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors.
At a meeting last week with members of
SILVAR, MLS Listings officials said brokers and agents will experience significant benefits from the new expanded data system while continuing to utilize familiar technologies from their home MLS systems. It will also reduce the number of data feeds (including IDX) necessary to run their businesses and eliminate the need for multiple entry of listings into various regional
MLS systems, saving time and money.
The NORCAL MLS Alliance unites four separatemlsoperating systems and databases—rapattoni, Black
Knight’s Paragon, dyna Connections’ connect MLS System, and Core Logic’s Matrix systems. According to Robert Bustamante, MLS Listings Director of Compliance, joining one MLS will open access to data from six other MLSS. Each MLS will maintain its own platform, rules, and protocols. Lockbox and key systems will not change, and coverage areas will maintain separate key codes.
The NORCAL MLS Alliance grew from the existing MLS reciprocal access model and will continue to evolve as technology improves.
Bustamante said efforts will continue to have additional regional MLSS sign on to provide members and subscribers with greater access to MLS data across the state.
“We pride ourselves in our ability to evolve and keep current so our members can stay relevant today,” said Bustamante.
Information provided in this column is presented by the Realtor members of the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors at www.silvar.org. Send questions on any topic to rmeily@silvar.org.