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In November 2025, the National Association of Realtors, NAR, approved a set of major updates (effective Jan 2026) to its “MLS Handbook,” including repeal of a longstanding rule requiring that only NAR/REALTOR® association members gain access to MLS. Instead, MLS access will now be “a matter of local discretion.”
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That means local MLS operators (not NAR centrally) will decide whether non-members (including non-REALTORS) may access MLS data, under what conditions, and for what fee. There are over 500 local operators.
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The changes — part of a risk-mitigation effort by NAR — are meant to modernize policies, remove outdated enforcement practices, and give more flexibility at the local level.