Despite an announced “withdrawal” date of January 1, as of early this morning (1/8/07) direct public access to the San Francisco Multiple Listing Service remains active and available. Any insiders care to re-set our reader’s expectations?
In related MLS search news, Redfin has upgraded their site to display open houses (not including broker’s tours), HOA dues, and anything else they’re “allowed” to show for listings on the SFAR MLS; local brokerages continue to launch their own publicly available search sites (with varying degrees of usability/functionality); and CleanOffer continues to gain momentum with their agent sponsored search tool (which requires an agent-client relationship and “commitment” to access).
UPDATE: A “plugged in” reader gets the scoop: “With the demise of MLS Alliance (which gave MLS users in the Bay Area access to each others’ listings), public web sites are the only vehicles available for listing information to be exchanged between users of different MLSs so, until [SFAR] can find a replacement for MLS Alliance, the [public access] site probably will stay up.”
∙ The Wrong Reasons (The Right Results?) [SocketSite]
∙ Redfin Adds HOA and More For Each Listing [Redfin Blog]
∙ About CleanOffer [cleanoffer.com]
I had emailed the Board about this and got the following response:
“it was to be January 1 but the date was pushed back to February. With the demise of MLS Alliance (which gave MLS users in the Bay Area access to each others’ listings), public web sites are the only vehicles available for listing information to be exchanged between users of different MLSs so, until we can find a replacement for MLS Alliance, the site probably will stay up.”
I just returned from the Inman conference in NYC and have returned home to Toronto with a renewed appreciation for our glorious MLS system. Close to 97% of all properties for sale are listed on this network. I found it amazing that many of the U.S. markets are without an all inclusive MLS network. I was even more amazed that some (like NYC I was told) are without any at all.
I learned of your site at one of the blogging seminars so I read this post with interest.