Like other professionals, a REALTOR® is as good as the information at his or her disposal.

The Multiple Listing Service® is a co-operative system used by REALTOR® Members of Canada’s real estate boards. It is different than the consumer websites realtor.ca and listings.trebhome.com, which offer a brief description of most properties listed on MLS® Systems across the country and in the Greater Toronto Area.

The Toronto Regional Real Estate Board’s Multiple Listing Service® provides an ongoing inventory of available properties and other related information. With training, experience and access to this database, a REALTOR® can provide invaluable assistance in buying or selling your next resale home.

For sellers, a REALTOR® can use the system to determine a fair listing price by performing a comparative market analysis. This analysis focuses on the geographical location of your property and describes it as accurately as possible. The database can then be searched to reveal comparable sold, active and expired properties, retrieving information such as sold price, list price and average time on the market to help determine a range of fair listing prices. For buyers, a REALTOR® can match your very specific needs to all properties listed.

Your REALTOR® can create a profile outlining your desired price range, location and specific details like the number of bathrooms, bedrooms and fireplaces. For buyers who are geographically focused, your REALTOR® can even search all active listings on a particular street and retrieve all relevant information including property description, a photograph, and assessed value. The system updates nightly, listing all potential properties that meet your particular needs and automatically emailing them to you. In helping you to determine an offer, your REALTOR® can also search specific properties’ historical data such as previous selling prices.

As well, the MLS® System allows REALTORS® to monitor monthly sold statistics to ensure property prices reflect current market conditions. Whether you are a buyer or a seller, the MLS® System supports your REALTOR® in helping you make informed decisions that lead to successful transactions.

The trademarks MLS®, Multiple Listing Service®, REALTOR®, REALTORS®, and the associated logos are owned by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify the quality of services provided by real estate professionals who are members of CREA. Used under license.

---

Written by Rodney Harvey, Broker of Record at Konfidis, Brokerage providing advisory-focused commercial, industrial, investment, and real estate brokerage services across Oshawa, Durham Region, and Ontario.

---