As more companies look to utilize MLS data in different ways, some MLSs have decided to take a look at exactly who has access to its data and what they are doing with it.
One such MLS is Austin-based Unlock MLS. On Tuesday, the MLS announced changes to how it defines what an MLS participant is.
According to the firm, in the past, everyone that utilized and participated in the MLS was in the business of helping consumers transact real estate. But with the rise of lead generation platforms and artificial intelligence, Unlock MLS felt that the traditional understanding of an MLS participant did not necessarily apply any longer.
Unlock MLS said its new definition of an MLS participant seeks to acknowledge the distinctions between different types of participants. The new definition outlines three different types of participants, defined based on how they use MLS data.
- Base Service Brokerage: This participant uses the core tools the MLS provides subscribers, but it does not receive a data feed of listings that belong to other brokerages. The MLS said that the majority of the brokerages that subscribe to Unlock MLS fall into this category.
- Direct Services Brokerage: This participant receives a listing data feed. This type of participant must earn the majority of its revenue from directly representing buyers and sellers in transactions, not just acting as a referral source, and it may only use the data for tasks like preparing comparative market analyses or other back-office systems.
- Platform Brokerage: This is a participant that receives a listing data feed but does not meet the conditions to be a Direct Services Brokerage. Unlock MLS said this may be due to the participant generating its revenue from something other than representing consumers or because it uses the data for something beyond these recognized purposes.
Beginning on Sept. 15, 2026, participants that fall into the Platform Brokerage category must license Unlock MLS’s data commercially. The MLS said the terms of the licensing agreement will reflect what the participants do with the listing data feed and they will be charged a fee for the feed.
Under this model, Unlock MLS said all brokerages will pay something, but Platform Brokerages will pay an actual fee that the MLS said will cover the cost of administering access to the data feed. The MLS said this fee will act as a stand-in for the data contribution this type of brokerage isn’t making.
“The MLS was built on a simple structure where participants accessing MLS data also contributed to the system by listing homes and representing buyers and sellers. As MLS data use expanded, the prior rules did not clearly distinguish how different participants were using that data,” a spokesperson for Unlock MLS said in a statement.
“This update creates a clearer and more consistent structure for MLS data access, licensing and ongoing compliance while protecting the value subscribers create. Most participants should see little or no day-to-day operational change, but the updated structure ensures the rules and licensing better reflect how MLS data is used in today’s marketplace.”