We get a lot of questions about Real Estate in Santa Clarita. This week we’re answering your question what is the MLS?

A: Multiple listing service (MLS, also multiple listing system or multiple listings service) is a suite of services that enables real estate brokers to establish contractual offers of compensation (among brokers), facilitates cooperation with other broker participants, accumulates and disseminates information to enable appraisals, and is a facility for the orderly correlation and dissemination of listing information to better serve broker’s clients, customers and the public.

While the MLS may look like one large national database, it’s actually a suite of approximately 700 regional databases.  Each regional MLS has its own listings, and agents pay dues to access and post homes on each one. This is why agents who want a broader reach for their clients may become a member of more than one MLS. Whether you’re looking to sell or buy a home, you will no doubt encounter the MLS.