RISMEDIA, July 31, 2007—The two largest multiple listing services on the East Coast will enjoy expanded access to listing content throughout the Mid-Atlantic region thanks to a cooperative agreement signed between TREND and MRIS (Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, Inc.).
Under the agreement, MRIS Cornerstone Universal RETS Exchange “MRIS CURE” will combine TREND and MRIS listings into a single database which will eventually allow TREND and MRIS to jointly license data to authorized brokers and vendors that service the broader market. MRIS CURE is a common database repository that utilizes the Real Estate Transaction Standard “RETS” which allows participating MLS operators to combine their listing content into a single database and still retain 100% distribution control of their respective content. RETS is the widely accepted real estate industry data standard.
This information sharing will greatly expand brokers’ ability to serve their clients, according to MRIS President and CEO David Charron.
“As the industry recognizes the tremendous value of the Internet to the buying and selling public, it also recognizes that tightly defined real estate markets are no longer relevant. While the adage, ‘All real estate is local’ may still be true, regional boundaries have blurred in many cases leading to “Overlapping Market Disorder.” MRIS CURE was designed to cure overlapping market disorder.
“Brokers are serving consumers across an ever-expanding geographical region. This was one of the reasons why working with MRIS was a logical decision,” said TREND President and CEO Tom Phillips. “MRIS’s CURE product enabled us to join together to begin a relationship designed to better serve today’s broker and consumer. We evaluated several solutions from other providers but concluded this service, created by an MLS, specifically for MLSs, would give us greater control of our content.”
Phillips continued, “It also allows TREND and MRIS to each maintain independence and provide the highly customized products and services that are focused on the needs of our members.”
Under the TREND/MRIS agreement, the MRIS CURE platform will support TREND’s Internet Data Exchange feeds, broker office downloads, and third party distributed database applications. TREND will maintain the integrity of its database and full independent control over access, use, display and dissemination of all TREND listing content.
Together, TREND and MRIS cover 61 counties and more than 30,000 square miles extending north of Richmond VA, including Maryland, the Greater Washington/Baltimore Metro region, into the Greater Philadelphia region encompassing counties in Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey.
For more information, visit www.mris.com and www.trendmls.com.
