TheRealtyAlliance

08/03/2026

MLSs are required to supply participants with the information necessary to create Automated Valuation Models per the NAR MLS Policy Handbook.
CMLS has developed resources to assist MLSs in their efforts to fulfill this requirement in a comprehensive and timely manner:
1.https://resources.councilofmls.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Resource-Guide-MLS-Content-AVMs.pdf
2.https://resources.councilofmls.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Best-Practices-Content-Management-2026-July.pdf
CMLS encourages every MLS to review its current licensing documents, create a license that specifically addresses valuation use cases without in effect prohibiting them with unnecessary provisions, and confirm the organization can provide an authorized feed for those uses in a timely manner. Taking these steps now will help the MLS respond more consistently and more efficiently when broker users make requests.

07/31/2026

https://www.wavgroup.com/2026/07/28/guest-post-from-the-realty-alliance-on-mls-strategy/

Craig Cheatham, CEO of The Realty Alliance posted some brokerage positioning on social media that WAV Group was granted permission to republish.

07/21/2026

"In general brokers continue to consider their MLS their most valuable business solution provider. That hasn’t changed despite all the upheaval in our industry in the last several years. Their primary need remains the same: a business-to-business framework that has as one key component a repository of the most reliable, accurate, and complete market and property data.
So, MLSs keeping a relentless focus on the core mission continues to be priority number one and will earn California MLSs support from brokers going forward. And brokers want MLSs to view their customers as being actual real estate practitioners, NOT the consumer public.
Brokers these days are questioning all the existing frameworks and systems in our industry like never before because relying on them cost them a lot of money – and with the onset of AI and the appearance of some legitimate MLS alternatives being pitched to them.
From the brokerage angle, the question for MLSs to be asking is, 'Do brokers see your MLS as an obstacle or as a valued business partner?' The comments I’m seeing and hearing about replacing the MLS come from a viewpoint that the MLS is 'in the way' – an impediment to doing business efficiently. If your brokers see your MLS as an impediment, then there’s real risk there to that MLS going forward.
A newer thought I’ve been sharing for about two years since I first started hearing it, is that perhaps MLSs should focus their rules, regulations and policies around data utility and not try to regulate business practices and business models. With associations and MLSs trying to “derisk” their policies, this is a great place to start, and we’re even seeing state legislatures and state regulators display a willingness to address those, so MLSs should be able to hand that off.
Brokers now really are thinking out loud about developing a more stringent definition of PARTICIPANT. I know trying to discern who the real brokers are and the 'paper brokers' are always has been a challenge, but it seems brokers are looking to MLSs to differentiate and enforce that.
A huge frustration brokers have felt for more than a decade and honestly should not still be dealing with is the inability to get the data to which they’re entitled. Sometimes this is because their MLS simply does not have the technical capability to deliver, but most often it is because the MLS does not have the right license agreement language in place and refuses to do the work of updating these documents to current needs and use cases. This puts brokers at a disadvantage versus outsiders, when brokers should have the best access to data, not outside vendors.
Brokers also are wanting their MLSs to look again at their financial models, considering ways to levy necessary fees based on who contributes the data and who just takes the data and even providing rebates to those who contribute the most and make the MLS so valuable.
And right now brokers are seeing an opportunity to set things right in terms of the consumer experience. With search moving to AI platforms instead of traditional search engines and portals. If consumers aren’t getting listing data directly from the source – the listing broker – they at least should be getting it from the MLS. A great question to work on would be: 'What can MLSs be doing right now to ensure the data source AI is using to assist consumers is the listing brokerage and/or the MLS, not interlopers?'” -- Craig Cheatham, president and CEO of The Realty Alliance [to a state association of Realtors MLS work group]

07/14/2026

Tribune New Service identified a few very important reasons NOT to try to sell your home yourself ... and there are many more than just these:
•You might earn less money: According to data from the National Association of Realtors, selling a house without pro help typically leads to a lower sale price. In 2025, it reports, the median sale price of a FSBO home was $360,000, while the median for agent-assisted sales was $425,000
•No professional guidance: Real estate agents are licensed pros who have extensive industry networks, deep expertise in their local housing markets and ace negotiation skills. Going without one means losing out on all that.
•It’s a lot of work: How much time do you have? As a FSBO seller, you have to do everything yourself — prepping the home for sale, doing market research to price it correctly, marketing it to buyers, setting up appointments and showings, fielding offers and negotiating contract terms. There’s plenty of paperwork, too.

07/02/2026

"Property must be secured, or liberty cannot exist.” -- John Adams

06/29/2026

Major association shrinks board of directors by 93 percent.
It CAN be done.

06/26/2026

https://www.rismedia.com/2026/06/22/next-threats-industry-issues-leaders-watching-closely/

06/24/2026

"NAR is and will continue supporting MLSs throughout the country. We champion procompetitive collaboration, including a recent letter to the DoJ and FTC on the role MLSs play in protecting consumers. We convene industry leaders and experts to guide how we use our association voice and resources. We offer member guidance to help navigate emerging market trends, including four new resources published this year. This work lays the foundation for local markets to determine the procedures and policies best suited for their members and consumers. We are proud of the work that NAR is doing and will continue to do to support the diverse stakeholders who depend on MLSs throughout the country." -- Kevin Brown, 2026 president of the National Association of Realtors

06/23/2026

The U.S. Senate has now passed its final bipartisan compromise version of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. Because the Senate made changes to the legislation, the bill now returns to the House for final action before it can be sent to the president for signature.

Please urge your representative to vote YES on the Senate-passed version of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act and send it to the president.

Reaching out about this vote is an excellent opportunity to discuss the industry's broader housing priorities, including the More Homes on the Market Act (H.R. 1340), which would provide much-needed capital gains tax relief and encourage additional housing inventory.

(Need help finding your representative? https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative)

06/22/2026

"Once again, some of the most committed, long-standing members of NAR have been left to deal with potential exposure in major litigation and funding defense of the same, while others were protected through settlements funded by dues money that came from all Realtors, including all those firms left out.

This is not a small issue, nor is it an abstract one. It has real financial consequences for real companies, many of whom have supported NAR for decades, upheld its standards, and contributed meaningfully to its influence and success.

Yet, when it matters most, those same firms are being asked to stand on their own. After the first round of settlements, the message from across the brokerage community was clear: This could not happen again. Yet here we are. NAR has made it clear that there is no benefit or value to volunteering within its organization at a high level, even if one has volunteered for many years.

NAR’s response is not equitable, and it is not sustainable. Despite favoring certain members over others—particularly those within NAR’s own current leadership structure—NAR continues to collect dues from all members. NAR’s defense and financial protections should be (but are not being) applied evenly.

So, it is fair to ask a very simple question: What does membership in NAR truly mean if it does not include NAR standing behind its members when they need it most? Let me be clear: this is not about tearing anything down. This is about accountability and about preserving trust in an organization that has historically played an important role in our industry.

We of course stand fully behind the practice changes and the integrity of the settlement reached by Shorewest. But companies like Shorewest, companies which have supported and been the lifeblood of NAR for decades, should not have been abandoned by NAR all while NAR went out of its way to support itself and others.

The path forward is not complicated. The right thing, the only thing that can restore confidence in NAR, is for it to voluntarily step up and make whole those firms that it intentionally left out--not because NAR is legally required to do so, but because it is the right thing to do. And because leadership demands it.

This is a pivotal moment for our industry and decisions made now will reverberate forward through time and will determine whether we move forward together or continue to fragment. I believe in this industry. I believe in the professionals who serve within it. And I believe we are strongest when we act with fairness, consistency, and integrity.

It is time to begin the conversation about making things right in the Realtor family."

-- Joe Horning, president of Shorewest, Realtors