The Council of Multiple Listing Services (CMLS) has announced a new Brokerage Membership category designed to bring MLS and brokerage leaders together for more direct dialogue, collaboration and shared learning.
According to a release, the new membership reflects a simple premise: Building the MLS of the future requires the people who operate MLSs and the brokerages that rely on them to have more opportunities to work together.
CMLS says it will begin the initiative with a founding group of brokerage leaders in fall 2026, using their input to test and refine the membership experience, identify opportunities for stronger MLS-broker collaboration and help shape a permanent Broker Advisory Committee. The founding group is intended to create a trusted forum for candid discussion while giving brokerage leaders a meaningful role in the development of the new membership category.
“MLSs and brokerages are both essential to a transparent, efficient and competitive real estate marketplace, but too often we are having conversations in separate rooms,” said Jessica Edgerton, CEO of CMLS. “This new membership creates a place to have those conversations together. If we want to build the MLS of the future, we need to better understand one another, challenge assumptions and identify where we can create more value together.”
HomeServices of America and eXp Realty are among the early adopters of the new membership category, helping CMLS begin the work of building a stronger and more consistent connection between brokerage and MLS leadership, the release noted.
“Brokerages and MLSs are looking at many of the same industry challenges, but we don’t always see them from the same vantage point,” said Gretchen Rosenberg, vice president of industry affairs and engagement for HomeServices of America. “Creating a more direct and ongoing dialogue gives us the opportunity to better understand those perspectives, challenge some of our own assumptions and work together on solutions that serve brokers, agents and consumers. HomeServices of America is pleased to be part of this initiative from the beginning and to help shape what that collaboration can look like.”
Through Brokerage Membership, participating organizations will gain access to CMLS research, educational resources and industry materials, including resources from the Value of MLS campaign, while gaining new opportunities to engage with CMLS initiatives including Champions of MLS. Just as importantly, brokerage members will have a more consistent channel for contributing perspectives to CMLS research, education, programming and broader conversations about the value and evolution of MLS. That type of ongoing broker input is a central goal of the initiative.
“Accessible. Efficient. Transparent. That is the market the MLS makes possible,” said Holly Mabery, chief brokerage officer for eXp Realty. “At eXp, we want as many people as possible to see our listings. More eyes. More buyers. Better results for sellers. The MLS is at the center of that. When the MLS is strong, consumers win. That is why eXp Realty is joining CMLS as a broker member and as a Founding Broker Champion of MLS. We are excited to be a part of CMLS and its continued leadership and advocacy.”
The founding Brokerage Task Force will focus on identifying needs, opportunities and friction points in the MLS-broker relationship; refining membership benefits; exploring opportunities across research, education, events and Value of MLS initiatives; and helping define the structure and priorities of a future Broker Advisory Committee, CMLS stated.
“This is not about asking brokers to simply join another association,” Edgerton added. “We want them at the table. We want to hear what is working, what is not and where MLSs and brokerages can work differently together. The value of this initiative will come from the conversations it makes possible.”
CMLS says it plans to use the remainder of 2026 as a listening and design phase, followed by expanded programming and participation throughout 2027. The long-term vision is to establish an ongoing Broker Advisory Committee that provides strategic counsel and creates a repeatable channel for brokerage engagement with CMLS.
The new category is intended to complement, not replace or dilute, CMLS’s focus on its MLS members. CMLS will continue to advocate for and serve the MLS ecosystem while creating a stronger channel for the brokerage perspective within conversations that directly affect the future of MLS.
Additional information about CMLS Brokerage Membership and opportunities to participate will be released as the initiative expands in 2027.
For more information, visit cmls.org.
