MLS Membership
UPDATE: HA, AL Requested by: Maine Survey Deadline: November 27, 2007 Maine has attempted in the past to gain membership (electronic access) to the Maine Association of Realtor's Multiple Listing Service database, but has hit a couple road blocks along the way. Obviously, electronic access would significantly improve our efficiency in developing offers to impacted owners, particularly on appraisal waivers. Does your State Right of Way Group have access to the State Realtor's Multiple Listing Service? If yes, what are the arrangements that provide the access? considerations, any conditions, etc) Bill Pulver MaineDOT Property Office Director. ALABAMA My title is Chief Appraiser of the Right of Way Bureau of ALDOT in Montgomery. This is the “Central Office” of the organization which consists of nine (9) divisional offices from Mobile in the south to Tuscumbia in the NW corner of the state. At one time we subscribed to MLS service here in the Central Office, which has review responsibility and approval authority for all the Divisional Offices (statewide). As I remember, the only way that we could access their records was through me, as a certified appraiser and associate member. The MLS service was local in nature (Greater Montgomery Area including the three (3) surrounding counties). The cost was $600.00 per annum, and I had to install an MLS program on my computer. There was an additional charge for any additional computer being added to the service (we opted to not stay with the service & did not add additional computers). We were able to access courthouse records through another program called Emaps Plus which better served our purpose at the time and was comparable in cost. The Division Offices have their own sources for sales data which tends to be local in nature but generally comparable in cost to that referenced above. Our Birmingham office subscribes to a similar service provided by a regional company called “Courthouse Retrieval Systems”. I’m told it is a very reliable and rich source for real estate market data of the type needed by right of way agencies. The cost is as follows: 1) Initial set-up fee of $50.00 per computer. (Cost or other
2) The monthly cost is $125.00 for the 1st computer & an additional $15.00 for each addition computer. They have 13 computers on line and I believe the annual cost is $3,660.00. The coverage area includes the Birmingham Metro Area and four (4) surrounding counties. Our Mobile office has a similar service through “Metro Market Trends” of Pensacola, Fla. It is roughly comparable in cost to Birmingham and has an initial set-up fee of $200.00 to $300.00 and monthly charges of around $75.00 per computer. There appears to be a plethora of MLS listing services on-line and nationwide to gather listings for RHP’s etc. The MLS Services which enable searches of comparable sales data require that access to the system be granted to authorized state licensed Realtors (members) and state certified and licensed appraisers (associate members). ALASKA ARIZONA ARKANSAS No, the Arkansas State Highway & Transportation Department does not have access to the MLS. It is my understanding that there are several MLS in different regions of the State rather than one statewide MLS and fees are charged for each one. CALIFORNIA COLORADO CONNECTICUT ConnDOT's Office of Rights of Way doesn't subscribe to the Realtor's Multiple Listing Service. DELAWARE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA FLORIDA Generally, no. FDOT is a decentralized agency with eight separate districts. None of our districts have access to the State Realtor's Multiple Listing Service due to the membership requirements and annual fees (dues). Florida does not participate in the
payment of membership fees unless such membership is required as part of their job duties and responsibilities. We have one district using a General Consultant in the area of Right of Way Cost Estimating that does have a realtor member on staff which has access to MLS through that employee. Our districts use other various sales data services. GEORGIA HAWAII HDOT does not have access to the realtors' MLS systems. We have tried to obtain access & are willing to pay for it, but the realtor boards want us to be members to even consider giving us access. Also, we would have to join 3 different local boards to gain access to each. We are still trying to move forward to gain access. IDAHO ILLINOIS IDOT does not have a centralized agency access to a State Realtors' Multiple Listing Service. Rather, some of our district offices have direct access to local/regional MLS through employees who are brokers or through licensed staff appraisers who are associate members of the MLS. Associate members do not have full access to all MLS functions. Typically, they have read only privileges with full access to sale and for sale data. The districts that have this access pay a fee out of their annual budgets. One district, after paying an initial one time associate member fee of $60, pays $820/year for MLS access and direct access to five county's assessor's records. In addition to this access, they also receive an area wide newsletter that includes home sales statistics per quarter and per year which notes the increase or decrease in sales prices from the Springfield, IL area as well as other real estate trends and news. A second district has a similar service with its local/regional MLS. Another district has been granted access to one county's assessor's records at no cost. It took many years, numerous conversations and diligent work by our staff with these MLS groups before they would even consider association with our agency. INDIANA IOWA KANSAS KENTUCKY LOUISIANA MAINE
MARYLAND In Maryland, the State Highway Administration - Office of Real Estate, subscribes to the local MLS Service. The service is available state wide to realtors/brokers, real estate appraisers, and office assistants. The annual base subscription rates generally range from $93 to $258 per quarter, depending on category of subscriber. Attached are the schedule of fees and charges, rules, and FAQ’s. The information provided within MLS is essential tool to our entire acquisition process. The system provides historical MLS data and tax records which we use for in-house appraisals, waivers, project real estate cost estimates, and review of appraisals submitted by independent fee appraisers. In addition, the active listings are used in preparation of relocation studies. The MLS system also compiles and reports statistical data for specific regions (counties) with local real estate trends, as well as other useful information. I utilize the information within the MLS on a daily basis as a review appraiser. Without this information, our efficiency and customer service would be significantly reduced. In my opinion, the MLS is the most valuable cost effective tool we have within the Office of Real Estate.
MLS Appraiser.pdf
MLS rules_regs.pdf
MLS NewSubscriberFAQs_0604v1.pdf
MASSACHUSETTS MICHIGAN MINNESOTA The Minnesota Department of Transportation as a state agency does not enjoy access to the Metropolitan/ Minneapolis & St Paul - MLS. However, a licensed realtor serving within MnDOT's Central Office of Land Management, secures and maintains personal access to the Metropolitan/Minneapolis & St. Paul MLS; thereby, allowing reasonable research capability for MN DOT's - Central Office of Land Mgmt. Access or log-on capability is restricted to the individual/realtor, and fees are assessed equivalent to an associate member of the MLS. MISSISSIPPI If you have a broker’s license and/or an appraisal license, you can join through the local board of realtors to obtain the MLS service. Once you are approved by the local Board of Realtors, then you can make application and gain access to the local MLS service for a fee. The fees for the Jackson Board total approximately $1,200 to join and $350 for
annual dues plus approximately $150 per year per agent. Each local MLS area and Board has its on rules and regulations, data base, etc. and vary by geographical area throughout the State. Since we are centralized in Jackson, MS, and we work projects on a statewide basis, it would not be practical or cost effective for the ROW Division to join every local MLS / Board of Realtors in the State. As you know, we rely on building our comparable sales data base from our on search of the market and confirmation of sales data for each project we work. Also, in 2007, MDOT ROW Appraisal has begun electronic storage and retrieval of comparables sales on a statewide basis. We are not prohibited from accessing MLS, but, generally, it is not cost effective or practical to do so. MISSOURI MONTANA NEBRASKA The Nebraska Department of Roads is not a member of a State of Nebraska, Realtor's Multiple Listing Service. NEVADA NEW HAMPSHIRE NHDOT ROW Bureau has access to New Hampshire MLS, as well as Maine, Massachusetts & Vermont thru Northern New England Real Estate Network (NNEREN). In order to gain access a ROW Appraisal staff person had to join the local board of realtors, which in our case was the Concord NH Board of Realtors. The NH Board of Realtors allows appraisers to join as associate members. The cost is $185 per year plus $92.50 per year for each additional affiliate member who has access to MLS. As a member or the Concord Board of Realtors, we were eligible to become members of the Northern New England Real Estate Network. Cost is $300 per year (paid $75 per quarter) for each person with access to NNEREN. NEW JERSEY NEW MEXICO NEW YORK NORTH CAROLINA NORTH DAKOTA NDDOT does not presently subscribe to MLS.
OHIO As an agency, Ohio DOT does not have access to any of the many MLS services throughout our state. We do have access if one of our employees is also an "outside" sales agent who is a member of one of the respective boards. OKLAHOMA We do not currently have access to the MLS. OREGON There are 2 primary MLS systems in Oregon: WVMLS (Willamette Valley MLS) and RMLS (Regional MLS). The WVMLS covers the central valley mostly in the Salem Oregon area (about 3 counties) and the RMLS covers most of the rest of the state with a couple of exceptions along our Pacific coast (which to my knowledge has no MLS). WVLMS has a data sharing agreement with RMLS so most of the listing end up there. RMLS has a web based system that is available to members. The RMLS requires that you are a member of the Board of Realtors in order to gain access. Membership in the Board requires either a certified appraisal license or a real estate broker license. Oregon Dept. of Transportation (ODOT) has a designated individual in our headquarters office who maintains an Oregon Real Estate Brokers license for the sole purpose of maintaining membership with the Board of Realtors and access to the RMLS. ODOT has 5 regional offices throughout the state that conduct our acquisition activities. Of these 5 offices, 2 regional offices and Property Management folks in the Salem HQ office have access to the RMLS system (these offices benefit the most from the data available in RMLS). The Broker Designee in Salem is the point of contact for any required access. Appraisers in the regions are given limited access to the system (they cannot add or edit listings except for "company" listings -- but we don't list anything). In RMLS they are set up as "Input Personnel" for this purpose. This provides a different level of access than what a Broker or Agent would enjoy. Generally, the costs for this run as follows: Broker License per year $230 Board of Realtors per year $260 RMLS Fee is $45 month for entire agency (no individual fees) These costs are split among the 2 regions and HQ that benefit from these services.
Our Region 2 office which serves the Willamette Valley, the area covered by WVMLS, independently maintains access in that MLS. I have attached a schedule of costs as published by the WVMLS. PENNSYLVANIA PA is a big state and there is no one MLS system for the state and even multiple MLS Offices within any given District. Each of our 11 District Offices approach getting this information in different ways: some are able to just subscribe to the MLS on a limited basis to get only sales information for comparable data, others subscribe to get listing and sales data, in areas with uncooperative MLS offices someone on the Right-of-Way staff maybe active in listing and selling properties and they bring their subscription information into the office to make their jobs at the DOT more efficient. For those District Offices that are able to get a subscription to the MLS, each District Office contracts directly with that MLS and pays the subscription service thru their District funds. Someone from the Right-of-Way Unit will make a case to the top guy and their fiscal people on the cost and time savings of having this information at their fingertips. The hurdle is usually not the DOT but the MLS’s willingness to provide the subscription PUERTO RICO RHODE ISLAND SOUTH CAROLINA SOUTH DAKOTA No. TENNESEE TEXAS UTAH Utah was cut off from the MLS several years ago. We now only have it through several licensed real estate agents on staff (only they can sign in and retrieve the information for the other staff). It isn't ideal, but it works. VERMONT Yes, we have joined the two MLS services, covering the State of Vermont, within the last year.
We had major difficulties joining and getting access to MLS information, but did prevail in the end. Charles Ferry, our Review Appraiser, headed up this effort. Charlie’s phone number is (802) 828-5355. VIRGINIA Three of our nine districts (with the largest metropolitan areas) have some arrangement which I will summarize below. The first is paraphrased and the next two are the email responses I received. There is contact information with each if you have further questions or you may feel free to contact me. Several of our more rural districts have services available but have chosen not to use them based on cost/benefit business decisions. Our Northern Virginia (NOVA) District has four employees enrolled as affiliate members who have access to sales and listings but no input. The person in charge of this function (Jim Moore, 703 383-2271) is out this week but another employee reported that he understood the cost to be $1,032/Yr. This is for residential information which MLS members are required to enter. Commercial is optional and there is little available from MLS but they also subscribe to a private service (Co-Star) for $7,000/yr that provides detailed and verified transaction info along with descriptions and contacts for commercial transactions. The cost of real estate and living in NOVA is far above the rest of the state. The following is from our Hampton Roads District (Norfolk/Virginia Beach area): We have access to a system called REIN…..Real Estate Information Network, Inc. It is on two (2) computers in the Appraisal Section and is password protected. We pay a monthly subscription fee of $100 per computer or $200/mo. and a User fee of $45/quarter per computer or $90. We can access only sales not listings or properties for sale. Here is some data about it: Overview and History Real Estate Information Network, Inc. (REIN, Inc.) officially formed in August of 1997. It is the product of a merge of two multiple listing services into one; the former Metro MLS, Inc. which served real estate brokers in the cities of Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth and Suffolk and outlying areas west of Suffolk since 1970, and the Virginia Peninsula Association of REALTORS® MLS which served brokers in Hampton, Newport News and Poquoson and the counties of York and James City. The two MLSs combined their listing databases into one system, and today REIN, Inc. serves real estate brokers from Williamsburg, east to Virginia Beach and south to the North Carolina border. REIN is an independent MLS owned by broker stockholder members. REIN's customers are the broker stockholder firms and their real estate agents, appraiser members and affiliate businesses. Currently, there are approximately 516 member firms, which represent approximately 660 offices, 8,000 real estate agents and 160 appraiser members.
REIN, Inc. is governed by a (9) nine-person Board of Directors. In addition to the Board of Directors, a Sales Manager Advisory Committee (SMAC), comprised of nine (9) sales managers, keeps all forms and contracts up-to-date and to consider all requests from the Board of Directors. John M. Worrell Transportation Right of Way Agent Specialist, Senior VDOT, Hampton Roads District (757) 925-2608 The following is from our Richmond District: Our fee structure is changing as of 1/1/08. In January we will have to belong to NAR, VAR, and have appraiser membership in the Richmond Board. We will have access to tax records, as well as read only access to sold, pending, and active listings. The Sold and Tax Only category, which is what we had, is being eliminated. The cost will go from $180 per year to $806 per year ($314 dues and $123 per quarter MLS fee). We also have to attend the REALTOR ethics training. Every fully licensed person is supposed to belong. Unlicensed people, such as clerical assistants, don't have to belong. We are only getting two memberships for our two full time licensed appraiser employees - Randy Snow and myself. Phyllis Lilly Phone: (804) 524-6320 Fax: (804) 524-4608 Email: Phyllis.Lilly@VDOT.Virginia.gov I hope you find this information useful. Please call if you have questions. Michael C. McCall, MAI Chief Appraiser, VDOT 1401 E. Braod St., Richmond, VA 23219 Phone: (804) 786-3029 Fax: (804) 786-1706 Michael.McCall@VDOT.Virginia.gov WASHINGTON Washington State DOT subscribes to the Multiple Listing Service. Each of our Regions (6 of them) that wants to join and HQ has a membership in the service(s) that cover their area, if at all possible. Some of the MLS affiliates will not allow our government employees to use the service Our HQ Appraisal and Relocation offices belong only to NW Multiple Listing Service, which covers most of the counties in western Washington.
One of the conditions of belonging is that the person responsible for the subscriptions be a Certified General Appraiser. All other subscriptions to the service are called "Associates". Each person who uses the service must have their own subscription and attend training in how to use the online electronic system. There is a one time setup fee of $100 for the office. The first agent/appraiser is billed at $70/month. Each additional agent/appraiser is billed at $37/month. Eight hours of training on the system is required before an agent can use the system. One of the main conditions is that the registered agents/appraisers agree to not use the information for personal gain. If you require additional information, please contact me directly. Shirley E. Hughes Appraisal and Appraisal Review Program (360) 705-7311 WEST VIRGINIA WISCONSIN No, Wisconsin does not have direct access. WYOMING Right now Wyoming has three employees who belong to the MLS on their own. They are not reimbursed for costs and pay full price. We would also be interested in the results of Main's survey.