Another leading MLS says no to NAR’s delayed marketing option 

NorthstarMLS says its current system meets the needs of sellers and "there is no need" to adopt the additional delayed marketing option that the National Association of Realtors has presented.

"NorthstarMLS's current Active status already supports the spirit of NAR's policy, allowing sellers to opt out of IDX and syndication at the office level while ensuring listings are available for cooperation within the MLS," Minnesota-based NorthstarMLS said in a blog post last month.

California Regional MLS, the nation's second largest MLS, took a similar stance in April, and like NorthstarMLS, called out pressure placed on NAR by large brokerages with an interest in ending Clear Cooperation, which Compass said earlier this month it "will not adhere to."

How we got here: NAR announced in March that it was keeping Clear Cooperation and adding a complementary policy — Multiple Listing Options for Sellers — which it said is designed to provide "more options and choice when marketing a property, while also supporting fair housing by providing buyers and their agents with equal access to important MLS property information."

NAR is giving MLSs until Sept. 30 to implement that policy, with some MLS discretion around the ability to temporarily delay marketing a home through the Internet Data Exchange (IDX).

What NorthstarMLS had to say: The delayed marketing option "risks creating information silos and reducing listing accessibility, which conflicts with our mission to provide accurate, reliable data to all participants," the NorthstarMLS blog post stated. "We believe it's time to focus on empowering our subscribers to serve their clients effectively, not on implementing complex rules that add little value." 

The delayed marketing category is "ineffective" and "could confuse sellers and frustrate consumers," NorthstarMLS said in its post. That's because Zillow, Redfin and brokerage websites that use VOW feeds could display all listings, unlike "the thousands of NorthstarMLS IDX websites or Realtor.com, which does not use a VOW feed."

What NAR had to say: "NAR's Multiple Listing Options for Sellers policy gives consumers greater choice and flexibility in marketing their homes for sale, while preserving local MLS discretion and optionality," NAR said in a statement shared with Real Estate News. "The policy, which was developed based on extensive feedback from the MLS community and other stakeholders, gives each MLS unfettered discretion to implement delayed marketing exempt listings in a way that is most suitable to their local marketplace."

What the nation's largest MLS had to say: Bright MLS offered this statement on July 7 when asked if they would be adding the delayed marketing option: "The policy announced by NAR has effectively been a part of Bright's policies and system options for years." Bright also highlighted its "Internet No" option and last summer's removal of a time limit on "Coming Soon" listings.