What's an MLS?

Quick Contents

Introduction

• MLS stands for Multiple Listing Service. "MLS" has organizational, generic, and specific meanings:
  • Organizational meaning: an organization that enables its member real estate agents to exchange information about real properties for sale. Usually such an organization will represent all real estate agents in a territory consisting of one county up to several counties.
  • Generic meaning: a database of real property listings.
  • Specific meaning: the technology the organization uses to maintain and disseminate its database of real property listings (such as a set of paper documents and filing cabinets, or a computer application program).
• To distinguish between the two meanings, the industry often uses the phrase "MLS provider" to refer to an organization that operates the application program. Most people refer to the application program as the MLS. The company selling MLS application programs is an MLS vendor.

The Evolution of MLS Technology

• Like most businesses in the pre-computer era, MLS providers once maintained listing information primarily on paper. The MLS provider disseminated listing data by printing books, usually on a bi-weekly schedule. (Virtually all MLS providers still print books, because a large fraction of real estate agents continue to rely on them. This fraction is decreasing, however.)
• The next step was to replace the paper database with a database application program running on a minicomputer or supermicrocomputer. Early MLS programs featured a prompt-driven, scrolling teletype-style user interface (similar to early MS-DOS applications as well as to MS-DOS itself). Users accessed the MLS from their offices via modems and "dumb" terminals.
• Further advances occurred on both the host and client side.
  • On the host side, MLS programs became friendlier and screen-oriented, with menus and online help replacing the "hostile" prompts of the early systems. Initially MLS programs remained character-based and compatible with character terminals. These types of MLS programs still dominate the current installed base. Examples include the Master System and Maestro System from FNIS/VISTAinfo.
  • On the client side, a major advance was to replace the "dumb" terminal with a terminal emulator program running on a personal computer. The first such terminal emulators were generic telecommunication programs such as ProComm and Qmodem. However, the specific nature of the MLS application and the real estate agent's work habits stimulated the development of specialized terminal emulators. The most advanced example of this trend is PC Access for Windows. This program, now in its fourth major version, contains many features to squeeze extra utility out of existing character-mode Multiple Listing Services. PC Access for Windows comes close to giving the MLS the type of functionality sophisticated users have come to expect from GUI (graphic user interface) applications. PC Access allows the MLS provider to add significant value to an existing terminal-oriented MLS, avoiding enormous costs of upgrading and user retraining. Even better, users can upgrade from terminals or generic terminal emulators on their own schedules.
• The next steps in database evolution will probably be toward "client/server" technology. A client/server database provides full-GUI functionality on the client side, along with database integrity and efficiency on the host side. All major MLS vendors are currently offering (or developing) client/server MLS programs.
  • The major question in the move to client/server is whose client/server technology will dominate. Several database vendors offer proprietary client/server development tools. However, lately the World Wide Web has focused everybody's attention on Internet and Intranet technologies. These are having a growing impact on the real estate industry. MFM Communication Software will be in the forefront of these developments.

MLS Vendor

• FNIS/VISTAinfo
  100 Washington Square, Suite 1000
  Minneapolis, MN 55401
  Fax: 612-661-1704
  Technical Support: 800-347-6367
  

Last modification date: Friday, January 17, 2003 00:58:03