For more than 40 years, Northwest MLS members have agreed to cooperate and share all properties they list for sale. Unlike other parts of the country where brokers facilitate “office exclusive” listings, which are only available to other brokers licensed with the listing firm, Northwest MLS members agree to share their residential listings with all other brokers and all potential buyers at the same time.

This open, fair, transparent, and comprehensive marketplace benefits sellers, buyers, brokers, and appraisers. The system also promotes competition and greatly supports and enhances fair housing principles.

Sellers: Exposure of listed properties to the entire marketplace through the MLS results in a higher price, better terms, and a faster sale by ensuring all potential buyers are aware of the opportunity. Complete data allows sellers and their brokers to confidently price their property based on comparable listings and sales. For sellers with specific privacy and security concerns, Northwest MLS has a myriad of tools available to address those issues. Sellers also have a range of choices about how their listing is marketed.

Buyers: Equal access to all available listed properties is critical to ensure that buyers are able to conveniently and efficiently find the most suitable property. Complete data allows buyers and their brokers to confidently make an offer based upon comparable listings and sales. Buyers are able to work with the firm and broker of choice, rather than being unfairly directed to a listing firm.  

Brokers: Listing brokers satisfy their legal duties to the seller through wide exposure of the property to the market, ensuring the highest price, best terms, and quickest sale. Listing brokers have access to a complete data set to advise sellers on pricing and other listing strategies. Buyer brokers are able to efficiently help buyers find the best property for the buyer with equal access to all available listings. Buyer brokers also have access to a complete data set to assist the buyer with making an offer based upon comparable listings and sales. 

Appraisers: Complete data empowers appraisers to efficiently and effectively appraise properties, ensuring accurate appraisals and timely closings. 

Real Estate Marketplace: The many industry partners who are essential to real estate transactions also rely on the comprehensive MLS system – including mortgage brokers, lenders, insurance companies, and title and escrow companies. Moreover economists, academics, and policy makers rely on the complete data set to better inform public policy decisions on zoning, building regulations, and related legislation and rules.

Competition: An open, fair, transparent, and comprehensive MLS system promotes competition among member firms and brokers, who compete on price and service – rather than competing by restricting knowledge of listed properties. This competitive landscape benefits consumers who are able to select the firm and broker that meets the consumer’s needs, rather than being forced to work directly with the listing firm.

Fair Housing: Private listings can have a discriminatory effect and disparate impact in violation of RCW 49.60.222 and WAC 162-36 because those listings are only available to an “exclusive” group of buyers.  Private listings are only available to those select buyers that the firm (and presumably the seller) chooses to provide information about the property. By restricting the visibility of available homes to a selected group, private listings can be fundamentally unfair and perpetuate the many inequities that have long plagued the housing system. Lisa Rice, president of the National Fair Housing Alliance, an advocacy organization in Washington, D.C., recently stated that: “[w]hen listings are confined to private channels, it becomes increasingly challenging to ensure compliance with fair housing laws designed to protect individuals from discrimination.” 
 
Northwest MLS is committed to continuing to promote and support the open, fair, transparent, and comprehensive marketplace that its members have advanced over the past 40 years. To that end, Northwest MLS will maintain and enforce its current rules that require members to input all residential listings before publicly promoting the property for sale.

(Published by the NWMLS 2/28/25)