Tag: selling

The MLS


In 1908 the National Real Estate Exchanges was first established. One of the early goals of the National Real Estate Exchanges was to facilitate an effective cooperation system which could be used by brokers to sell real estate. Early days of cooperation among REALTORS.


The National Real Estate Exchanges set out to find good ways to communicate the benefits of – and the salable features for – properties available to be purchased through National Real Estate Exchange members – cooperation among members.


Each month property information was delivered by member-brokers to offices of member-brokers – the earliest stages for REALTOR cooperation. The earliest forms of the sharing of property information.
Information drop-offs: 1) head over to the local real estate office, 2) drop off information about properties.


Preceding the dropping off of property information at real estate offices, brokers met at the office of their local trade associations to discuss properties. Participating brokers agreed to compensate one another. A collaborative effort to sell homes – Help me sell my property, I’ll help you sell yours…


MLS’s have come a long way. Today, Florida has over two-hundred twenty-thousand REALTORS – #1 in the country. California has in the range of two-hundred thousand REALTORS. In Texas, over one-hundred fifty-thousand REALTORS.


Using Texas as an example, those 150,000-plus Texas REALTORS access property information through multiple listing services managed by the Texas Real Estate Commission.


One of the oldest MLS’s in Texas is the Austin Board of REALTORS Multiple Listing Service.


The Austin Board of REALTORS began 1918. Forming ten years after the National Association of REALTORS was established. Today, the Austin Board of REALTORS Multiple Listing Service serves over 18,000 real estate professionals in eighteen Texas counties.


MLS’s are locally organized and managed. The importance for local management of MLS’s can by illustrated using Texas as our example.


In Texas, property descriptions include information about kitchens, bedrooms and property taxes. Add in oil leases and mineral rights. Considerations pertinent to oil and gas interests.


Florida property listings – or New Jersey property listings – prioritize such interests. Texas listings would. Hence, the benefit of locally managed MLS’s.


The largest MLS in Texas is the Houston Association of REALTORS Multiple Listing Service. Houston’s MLS was established in 1918 and today serves over 160,000 REALTORS. The Houston Association of REALTORS Multiple Listing Service is the 10th largest MLS in the country.


The California Regional Multiple Listing Service is the largest MLS, consisting of over 40 associations, boards and smaller MLS’s.
California REALTORS are also served by two additional MLS which are among the largest in the country – the LA/Westside MLS and the California Regional MLS. The LA/Westside MLS has over 16,000 members.
The largest MLS in New Jersey – the 39th largest MLS in the country – is the Monmouth-Ocean Regional REALTORS Multiple Listing Service. Established in 1936, Monmouth-Ocean Regional has over 11,000 members.


The second largest MLS in New Jersey is the Garden State MLS. Established in 2010, the Garden State MLS is the 89th largest MLS.
The National Association of Real Estate Exchanges became the National Association of Real Estate Boards in 1916. By 1972, the National Association of Real Estate Boards became the National Association of REALTORS. The NAR.


Of note, the National Association of REALTORS is independent of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers – NAREB.
Founded in 1947 in Tampa, Florida, members of the NAREB are REALTISTs, not REALTORS.


The NAREB is the oldest minority business association in the country. The NAREB is an equal opportunity and civil rights advocacy organization. Focusing their efforts the advancement of African-American real estate professionals.


Headquartered in Maryland, the NAREB was organized by Black real estate professionals who had a goal of forming their own real estate trade group. Incentivized to do so because at that time, Black real estate professionals were prohibited from joining the NAR.


The first NAREB convention was held in Atlantic City, New Jersey in 1948.
Today, the National Association of REALTORS establishes policies for a majority of the MLS’s.


NAR members join local boards and associations. Of which there are about 1,600.
NAR members are REALTORS. With over 1.5 million members, the NAR is the largest trade association in the United States.

ROI – outdoor kitchens and fire pits


Think of those captivating outdoor kitchen designs you fell head-over-heels in love with while you were scrolling through the pages of Unique Homes. Or while being online through Dwell. Or Dezeen. Or Home and Design.

When thinking through ideas which enhance outdoor living space, your wallet – I.e.: economics – is a factor. Economics will affect your decision. The proverbial… “Yes, we should…” Or, “No, we shouldn’t …”

Rather than allowing your wallet to prevent you from converting your backyard into THE destination point for friends, for family and for admiringly-curious neighbors, transitioning your backyard into the local must-see, data suggests,  can be a wise financial move on your part.

To this effect, let’s look at how two trend-setting hardscaping ideas in 2025 not only enable your interior living space to seamlessly flow into your now-great outdoors. Let’s also look at how smart hardscaping decisions also equate to…GOOD ECONOMICS.

For example…

Throwing burgers on the grill while you take in the crispness of fresh evening air? This is an experience best brought to life for you with an outdoor kitchen. Yes, start preparing your steaks outside. Confidently knowing that the fabulous outdoor living features you now own are the fruition of money well spent. 

Your inset grill. Those stainless steel drawers. The built-in ice chest and sink. Touched off by the granite or the concrete – your choice – counter space.

According to Remodeling Magazine and CNN Money, adding an outdoor kitchen can yield between a 100% and 200% ROI. Dependent upon, of course, how extensive your design is.

In the 2023 Remodeling Impact Report – published by the National Association of Realtors – by adding that outdoor kitchen you’ve been thinking about, what can you expect as your return on investment? A 100% ROI.

Or…think about an evening with the adults out back. Enjoying cocktails-and-conversation on a cool, brisk autumn evening. With a fire safely and brightly simmering in your fire pit.


Come to think of it, it is truly a wonder how any backyard at all doesn’t have a fire pit.

According to the National Association of Realtors, as well as the National Association of Landscape Professionals, the ROI you can expect by adding a fire pit? A 56% ROI.

Enhancing memories in your backyard? Check.

Loving your home even a little bit more? Check.

A good ROI? Check.

All that’s left is…to start dreaming about your very own customized design.

Real Estate and AI

One does not really sell a home. So then can one really, effectively push for a deal to close? Yes. And, no.

People really kinda’ buy homes. So pulling a buyer in, to a great experience offered to that buyer – an experience which “stars the home” so to speak – could be an effective approach to consider. Then engaging your buyer in an interactive way. Rather than selling a home to a buyer. Ideas and approaches. Aligned with the effective use of AI. In real estate.

By observing data, and in this form, “data” could be consumer behavior, then by thinking through responses to observed data, a real estate professional could craft their own foundational buyer-inquiry follow-up system. In this manner, AI could facilitate added value for the real estate professional. In their market. For buyers. And as such, for sellers too.

With an emphasis placed upon the buyer’s experience. Adding to a value-add the real estate professional delivers. By facilitating an interactive experience for the buyer. Less of a need to push deals. More so, the focus having been transitioned to, pulling buyers in through a great virtual experience. Delivered by the Realtor.

Data…Feedback…Response.