BeachesMLS partners with RetroRate; MLBOR joins Hive MLS
The South Florida MLS is the first to offer assumable loans tools to subscribers. Plus, Hive MLS moves further into the Smoky Mountains region with new partner.
Editor's note: From regional and statewide players to locals focused on a single market, multiple listings services and Realtor associations are the backbone of residential real estate. Here we highlight some of the latest news about the organizations that are shaping the future of the industry.
BeachesMLS partnership helps members tap into assumable loans
BeachesMLS has announced a new partnership with RetroRate, a startup that launched earlier this year to surface properties with assumable loans. The South Florida MLS will be the first in the nation to offer agents and homebuyers integrated tools to identify and capitalize on this loan type, according to a news release.
Assumable loans allow qualified buyers to take over a seller's existing loan and interest rate, which may be significantly below current market levels.
BeachesMLS subscribers can use RetroRate's AI-powered platform — which will be integrated into Flexmls — to search for listings with assumable loans. RetroRate's features include loan scoring, side-by-side loan comparisons and a concierge service that streamlines the assumption process, according to the company.
"Our mission has always been to provide members with forward-thinking resources that help them stand out in a competitive market," said Dionna Hall, CEO of BeachesMLS. "Through partnerships like RetroRate, we're giving Realtors data-driven tools that help them better understand evolving factors such as the mortgage lock-in effect and guide consumers toward smarter, more confident homeownership decisions."
The collaboration comes at a pivotal time for housing affordability, noted RetroRate Co-Founder and CEO Andy Taylor. Assumable loans, which Taylor described as "the key to scoring" lower mortgage rates, "remain invisible on nearly all MLSs, brokerage sites, and real estate portals."
"We're proud to partner with BeachesMLS, who recognize that shining a spotlight on these loans, right when they're first entered into the MLS, is a way to help their agents get more homebuyers into homes," Taylor added.
Hive MLS welcomes MLBOR
Hive MLS, one of the nation's fastest-growing multiple listing services, has announced the addition of the Mountain Lakes Board of Realtors (MLBOR) in a move that expands Hive's reach across North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee.
Hive said the partnership brings its scalable infrastructure, advanced tools and operational support to the nearly 330 real estate professionals that MLBOR serves in its tri-state territory.
MLBOR leaders said the decision aligns with the board's commitment to innovation and local identity. "Joining Hive MLS reflects our shared commitment to advancing the real estate profession while continuing to embody the collaborative spirit of neighbors helping neighbors, which is woven into the fabric of our community," MLBOR Associate Executive Kathleen Simmons said in a news release.
"This is what the future of MLS looks like," Hive MLS CEO Daniel Jones said. "The Hive model is built for communities like Mountain Lakes, where collaboration matters, but so does identity."
Editor's note: AI was used in the initial drafting of this content, which was then thoroughly reviewed, fact-checked and revised by a Real Estate News editor.