MLS Guides & Explainers
Plain-English explainers on how multiple listing services work and the rules, settlements and lawsuits reshaping them. Each guide cites its sources and is updated as events change.
- What Is an MLS? How Multiple Listing Services Work
Plain-English guide to the multiple listing service: who owns MLSs, participants vs. subscribers, rules, IDX and syndication, and how many MLSs exist in the U.S.
- NAR's Clear Cooperation Policy Explained (and the 2025 Listing Options)
What NAR's Clear Cooperation Policy requires, what counts as public marketing, office exclusives, and the 2025 Multiple Listing Options for Sellers with delayed marketing.
- The NAR Settlement and Commission Rules: What Changed
Timeline and practice changes from NAR's $418 million commission settlement: no compensation offers on the MLS, written buyer agreements, and court approval dates.
- Compass vs. MLSs: Lawsuit Tracker (NWMLS, Zillow, CRMLS, ARMLS & More)
Tracker of Compass's legal fights over MLS and listing rules: Compass v. NWMLS, Compass v. Zillow, Compass v. CRMLS, CRMLS v. Compass, OneKey, and ARMLS et al. v. Compass.
- Largest MLSs in the U.S.: The Biggest Multiple Listing Services
List of the largest multiple listing services in the United States — the 19 MLSs with 20,000+ subscribers — plus how many MLSs exist and which are biggest by subscribers.
- Utah MLS Guide: Every Multiple Listing Service in Utah
Guide to Utah's multiple listing services — Iron County, Kanab, Park City, UtahRealEstate.com and Washington County — the areas each serves and links to each official site.