If 2024 was a lightning bolt that struck down longstanding real estate policies and practices, 2025 might be the corresponding thunderclap. Reverberating effects of policy disruption and practice changes are now reaching other sectors of the business, as regulatory scrutiny is replaced with new or renewed pressure from other sources, targeting foundational industry structures.
The most important—and perhaps most vulnerable—of these structures is the MLS. Fractured in nature, facing both direct threats from regulators and less direct challenges from outsiders, the MLS industry sits at a potential tipping point this year. From headline controversies over the nuances of specific policies, to existential questions regarding consolidation, how (or where) you list and access listings as a real estate professional might evolve more quickly than you think.
This exclusive RISMedia Premier Report offers a sharp, thoughtful exploration of all the ways MLSs are adjusting, or standing firm on their business in 2025—where leaders are preparing to make significant changes, and where they’re doubling down on values. Relying on in-depth interviews with some of the biggest names in the space, key takeaways include:
- What class-action lawyers see as the most “vulnerable” aspect of the MLS industry, and what a new wave of lawsuits could look like
- Why small MLSs are being squeezed this year, and what kind of pressure they face to consolidate
- How some states and regions have gotten their brand out in front of consumers, and why that’s especially important this year
- Where MLSs are challenging portals, and the value proposition that could give the industry an advantage over incumbents
- How new insurance requirements are weighing on MLSs, and how frustration with NAR might affect decision-making
- And much more!
Whether you’re an MLS leader yourself, or an agent invested in the future of how your industry will function, don’t miss out on this vital report.
Section 1: Consolidation and Competition
How (or how much) MLSs will consolidate, and whether outsiders will replace or disrupt the industry.
Section 2: Policy and Governance
How MLSs move forward with creating or enforcing polices, and where there is opportunity to grow—or danger of legal liability.
Section 3: Laying Down the Law
What are MLSs doing (and not doing) as they face new responsibilities and new scrutiny from both inside and outside the industry.
Section 4: Going Public
How MLSs are being pushed to interface directly with consumers, and how those new opportunities and pressures will shape behavior in 2025.
