For those of us who have been in real estate for a while (like me), remember the days when we had to drive to our local Association every week to pick up the latest MLS book? It was a big, thick book filled with all of the new listings. By the time we got our hands on it, some of that information was already outdated. But it was what we had, and we made it work.

Then the internet was invented and, in turn, eventually the online MLS. I remember thinking this was going to be a terrible idea. Change isn’t always easy, especially when you’ve been doing something a certain way for years. But pretty quickly, we realized how great it was! We could instantly see listings as they hit the market, in real time, when something closed and for how much. It was (and still is) awesome! No more waiting for next week’s book! It was revolutionary, and today I can’t imagine doing our jobs without it.

Regardless of which brokerage you work for, I think there is something we should all agree on. The preservation of our MLS system is vital to our industry.

One of the most important things we do as REALTORS® is help our clients understand property values. We analyze comparable sales and use accurate data to advise buyers and sellers on what is likely their largest financial investment. That requires relevant, current data. Listings, closings, pending, and even expired and cancelled listings. We need comprehensive, reliable information in one centralized place at the moment we are running comps to give a proper opinion of value.

Now imagine a world where that information becomes fragmented. Where certain listings are only available through certain platforms, or where you have to belong to multiple organizations just to access the data necessary to do your job. How does that benefit the consumer? How do we accurately determine property values if we don’t have the complete picture?

Last week, while attending the California Association of REALTORS® Director meetings, I witnessed some important advocacy surrounding this very issue. C.A.R. is moving forward with sponsoring legislation that would require residential listings to be marketed to the general public, with a framework allowing sellers to make an informed decision to opt out. The proposal would also require information to be submitted at the close of escrow for data purposes.

This is a BIG conversation in our industry, and there are certainly different opinions about how properties should be marketed. Sellers deserve choices, and their wishes matter. But we also need to recognize the long-term consequences of losing access to the very information that allows us to serve them.

The MLS is more than a place to advertise listings. It is a cooperative system built around sharing information, creating opportunities and providing transparency in our marketplace. It benefits agents, regardless of the name on the sign, and more importantly, the consumers we represent.

We have come a long way from those big MLS books we used to lug around. I, for one, have no desire to go backward.

Progress should make information more accessible, not less. And preserving the integrity of our MLS is something worth paying attention to.