Agents Decoded: How to get more from your MLS
It may not be flashy, but your MLS is still one of your most powerful tools. Here’s how to use it better — and why it needs your support.
The direction of your business depends on decisions you make every day. Agents Decoded can help you by presenting the perspectives of seasoned pros who have been there, made mistakes, and found success.
For most real estate agents, the MLS is like plumbing: invisible until something leaks, backs up, or explodes. It's always there — essential, unseen, occasionally infuriating.
But while it's easy to gripe about outdated interfaces or frustrating workflows, your MLS is doing more for you than you might think. And its long-term health? That matters too — for your listings, your clients and your bottom line.
Let's break down how to get more from your MLS, what tools you may be missing — and why you should care about the future of the MLS world.
Love it or hate it, you're married to it
The MLS is a strange mix of indispensable and infuriating. Agents complain — often with good reason — about clunky UX, duplicate data entry and mysterious rules. However, despite its flaws, it remains the backbone of cooperation in residential real estate. Our MLS is the envy of agents across the world, for good reason.
Without the MLS, listing visibility would suffer. Agents would struggle to access accurate data. Collaboration between brokerages would take a hit. In short: Business would get harder.
For all its quirks, the MLS is more than just a property database. It's a system of shared trust — a place where agents agree to play by the same rules.
What your MLS might be doing for you (that you don't know about)
Behind those clunky menus may be real tools that can make your life easier.
Your MLS might include:
Showing services like ShowingTime or other scheduler integrations
Market stats and CMAs you can customize and brand
Lead gen tools you didn't know came free with your dues
MLS-connected CRMs, virtual tours, and listing syndication management
Education perks like on-demand training CE credit courses, webinars — and yes, even free subscriptions to resources like Real Estate News
Many agents barely scratch the surface of what their MLS actually offers — and that's a missed opportunity. So don't just log in, upload, and log out. Poke around. Ask your MLS rep for a walkthrough. Take a training class. Even if you're a grizzled veteran, you might discover something that saves you time or money — or both.
Making the most of what you've got
You don't have to love your MLS. But learning to live with it — and even get more out of it — is worth your time.
Here are a few quick ways to do that:
Customize your dashboard or homepage to reduce click fatigue.
Use the mobile version or app for quick access in the field.
Save your favorite searches and templates to cut down on repetitive tasks.
Join a committee — no, really — and have a voice in tech upgrades or policy decisions.
Don't suffer in silence. If something's broken, confusing, or costing you business, escalate it. Your MLS exists to serve members, and it can't fix what it doesn't hear about.
Most MLSs want agent feedback, and when enough people speak up, changes happen. Don't underestimate your voice.
Why the MLS landscape matters
The MLS world is in flux — and that flux affects you.
Consolidation is accelerating. Lawsuits are challenging long-standing practices. The DOJ is circling. And somewhere in the noise, the fundamental idea of cooperation — of shared data powering fair competition — is at risk.
That matters.
If MLSs weaken or fragment, you might end up managing multiple systems, duplicating data, or paying more for the same information. Pocket listings and private networks could gain more traction. Consumer trust could erode. And that whole "we're in this together" idea? Gone.
In other words, the MLS system isn't just software. It's infrastructure that ensures access, consistency, and cooperation. And when infrastructure breaks down, the entire neighborhood feels it.
Final thought: Advocate, don't abandon
You may never be passionate about your MLS. That's fine.
But it's worth a second look — not just for what it does today, but for what's at stake if it falters tomorrow. Learn what tools are available. Speak up about what's not working. And push for change from the inside out.
Because a strong, responsive MLS helps everyone — agents, brokers, and ultimately, clients.
Jay Thompson is a former real estate agent, broker-owner and industry outreach director. He is currently an industry consultant and sits on several boards. The views expressed in this column are solely those of the author.