M.L.S. - A century old
Lansing Michigan Real Estate for Lansing Homes and other Real Estate Searches. 1400 REALTOR Members in the Greater Lansing Michigan area.M.L.S. - A century old
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Multiple Listing Service: A Century Old & Here To Stay
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Shopping for a new home? Looking for a Buyer for your current home? Wouldn't it be great if you could assemble a large number of homes on the market for Buyers to browse? A Multiple Listing Service (MLS) does just that. "Whether you're in the market to buy a home or sell one, an MLS can be the key to a speedy and satisfying transaction," according to David S. Ledebuhr, CCIM, CRS, GRI, former President of the Greater Lansing Association of REALTOR®. A multiple listing service contains a description of the terms under which the listing REALTOR® would cooperate with REALTORS® assisting the Buyer. An MLS is a collection of information on available properties in a given area submitted by listing REALTORS®. Working with a REALTOR®, Buyers define their needs and wants within their price range. For example, a Homebuyer may be looking for a three-bedroom home with a fireplace. The master bedroom, however, must be located on the first floor; and the Buyer cannot spend more than $150,000. Using the MLS and its property descriptions, the REALTOR® can determine which houses (currently on the market and listed in the MLS) satisfy these requirements. The Homesellers may or may not be represented by the REALTOR® with whom the Buyer is working. With an MLS, however, everybody benefits. Buyers have a wider selection of homes to consider, and Sellers have more Buyers looking at their homes. Research from the National Association of REALTORS® reveals that 86 percent of all real estate companies nationwide are members of an MLS, and 59 percent have computerized MLS access. A computerized system generally will allow for more variables to be considered when defining the Buyers' interests and, of course, can speed up the search process. "The Greater Lansing Association of REALTORS® has offered a form of MLS to its customers since 1922," says Ledebuhr. What is the future of MLS? With computer technology advancing so quickly, it is now possible through portable computers for real estate agents to print out listings and photos from their cars or in the home of their Customers. As time goes on the computerized MLS database will include not only the basic information about the property and price but also tax information, more complete market statistical packages, and community particulars. Ledebuhr adds, "The Greater Lansing Association of REALTORS® has had a computerized MLS system since 1977 and recently upgraded its computer system to be ready for the future. The upgrade allows REALTORS® and their Clients and Customers to view on-line color photos on a computer monitor. These photos of the homes can also be printed out, in color or black-and-white, depending on the printer being used." Whatever the advances, MLS is here to stay -- meeting the needs of both Homebuyers and Homesellers. The Greater Lansing Association of REALTORS® is one of the 1,850 boards nationwide that comprise the National Association of REALTORS®, the nation's largest trade association and the "Voice for Real Estate" in the Greater Lansing Area.
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