Tim Dain NorthstarMLS logo
Illustration by Lanette Behiry/Real Estate News

Tim Dain returns to MLS arena, sees positive changes ahead 

Dain took the reins of NorthstarMLS in September, overseeing an organization that works with more than 22,600 agents and brokers across two Midwest states.

October 17, 2022
3 minutes

Key points:

  • A real estate industry veteran, Dain brings a range of experience to an MLS which has become a regional economic engine.
  • As the real estate market adjusts to current market conditions, Dain sees MLSs as a stabilizing force that can work together to provide services to clients.

Tim Dain is back in the MLS game at a pivotal time, as the industry is in the midst of foundational changes while striving to remain a critical cog in real estate.

NorthstarMLS hired Dain as CEO in September. In his new role Dain will oversee an organization that works with more than 22,600 real estate agents and brokers across Minnesota and into western Wisconsin. Dain will also oversee the expansion of the organization's common data platform to other regional MLSs and Realtor associations.

Dain brings a broad range of industry experience to his new role — he worked as a real estate agent, broker, MLS executive and MLS technology vendor before returning to an MLS leadership role. This experience has helped him build relationships with a broad spectrum of the industry.

"This eclectic network of friends and colleagues has provided prospective and guidance that I find invaluable to the organizations and brokers and agents that MLSs serve," Dain said in an email.

Dain succeeds John Mosey, who is retiring from the role after 20 years, during which time NorthstarMLS became a regional economic engine. In 2021, the organization facilitated 104,631 real estate transactions valued at $35.5 billion.

Dain's return to the MLS world comes at a time when, he believes, the industry is going through significant changes — ones that will benefit real estate agents and their clients. Dain shared his thoughts on where the industry is headed and how it can adapt to the changing real estate market.

Opportunities in a cooling market

At NorthstarMLS, Dain sees this as a time for the company to introduce slight shifts to its operations and structure for the future of the organization, region and industry.

"We'll have new opportunities to partner with comparable organizations in the Midwest and nationally, in addition to taking a fresh look at our internal competencies and how they align with what we see in the near-term future," Dain said.

What MLSs should be doing right now

In this time of economic and market uncertainty, stability is key. Dain said brokers and agents shouldn't need to worry about their MLS being available to provide the tools they need to navigate a changing market. Any changes MLSs make should be focused on improving processes and access to information.

Where MLSs are going

More MLS organizations are working together to deliver value, rather than trying to deliver it alone, said Dain. He noted several examples of this collaboration, including MLS Grid and MLS Aligned, which bring together MLSs from across the country to improve services and increase efficiency.

 "It's becoming obvious that we're looking to resolve shared market problems through cooperative efforts between MLSs and often in tandem with the broker community we service," Dain said.

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