How Do MLS Numbers Work?
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Multiple Listing Services
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Real estate professionals established the Multiple Listing Services (MLS) to help market property listings. The service began in the late 1800s when real estate brokers gathered together and agreed to offer compensation to other brokers who brought buyers for their listings. It was a cooperative effort between the brokers, where they agreed to help one and other sell each other's listings.
Local MLS
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Multiple Listing Services are typically locally based, servicing a specific region or area. When a member of the service includes a listing on the MLS, it enables the listing to be viewed by other members of the service who may have a buyer for that type of property. A MLS number is assigned by the local Multiple Listing Services, and typically is assigned in chronological order. For example, it is fair to assume a property with a lower number, in the same Multiple Listing Services area as a listing with a higher number, was listed first. If a property listing expires, and is relisted with another agent, it would normally be assigned a new, higher MLS number.
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Data Bases
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Over the years, members of the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the largest professional real estate association, spent considerable effort and expense in developing the Multiple Listing Services. The individual Multiple Listing Services are private data bases that are paid for and created by local real estate professionals to assist them in marketing client properties, or to help buyers locate properties. These listings are often included on Realtor.com. Because the numbers are assigned by the local Multiple Listing Services, it is possible to have two or more listings on Realtor.com with the same MLS number.
Antitrust Lawsuit
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The National Association of Realtors has set the policies for traditional Multiple Listing Services. An antitrust lawsuit filed against the association by the United States Department of Justice in 2005 resulted in the NAR revising its policies to allow internet brokers to participate in the service.
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