Multiple Listing Service (MLS) in the Nashville Tennessee Area
Learn about it...use it
Rebecca Fowler, Keller Williams Free access to MLS offered by Rebecca Fowler, Keller Williams Realty (615) 473-7430
MLS stands for Multiple Listing Service. MLS is a sharing of comprehensive property information among licensed real estate professionals. While it is computer based today, it began as an exchange of paper listing information and photographs. This quick inventory of available property continues to make real estate agents more productive.
Listing brokers enter the data about a property for sale and offer to share the commission with a broker who brings a buyer. The MLS database contains all the specifics about a property, from the address, age of the home, square footage, number of bedrooms, baths, upgrades, schools districts and more. Now that the MLS is computerized, there are generally several photographs of the home and it is becoming more common to also see a link to a virtual tour included.
Unfortunately, there is not a single national MLS database. Instead there are many databases which are geographically distributed and governed by private entities. Each set their own rules for membership, access, and sharing of information but are subject to nationwide rules laid down by the National Association of REALTORS®.
RealTracs Solutions maintains the current listing database for members of the National Association of REALTORS® in the 32 counties comprising most of Middle Tennessee including Nashville. It also operates RealTracs.com which provides MLS access to the general public.
Real estate professionals can directly access the MLS databases to obtain the most up to date information. However, the general public does now have some access to the MLS data through the use of RealTracs.com and realtor websites. It is highly recommended that public access sites be used in conjunction with a REALTOR® who can assist in the home buying process because the MLS Information provided can sometimes be outdated, inaccurate or limited in scope. A REALTOR® can help ensure that you get the most up to date information contained within the MLS and they can obtain you access to the property so that you can validate the information provided for yourself.
Many real estate agents provide free access to the MLS directly from their web site and a quick link to contact them in the event that you find a property of interest. TNagent4u.com provided by Rebecca Fowler of Keller Williams Realty in Franklin TN provides this type of service. It allows you to establish a profile, save favorite properties for tracking, and be automatically e-mailed if a new property that meets your criteria comes onto the market. They also give you an opportunity to learn more about the REALTOR®, so that you can decide if they might be the right one to assist you.
You can find a Realtor® in Middle Tennessee using the National Association of Realtors web site.