MLS listings for Arbor Heights and Seattle area housing and real estate
The Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS) is currently the largest real estate listing service in the Pacific Northwest and services the entire state of Washington, including the Arbor Heights and the entire Seattle metropolitan area. Access to and information about the service is for members only and lists properties in every major Washington county: King, Snohomish, Pierce, Spokane, Yakima, Chelan, Skagit, etc.
About Seattle MLS
In simple terms, the Seattle Multiple Listing Service or NWMLS is a database of homes for sale in the Arbor Heights area. While the MLS® trademark is owned by the Canada Real Estate Association (CREA), MLS systems across the country are typically set up as separate corporations. The MLS in any given area is affiliated with its local association of realtors. Now, here's where it gets tricky. Any city or region may have several associations. Seattle, however, only has one major association. Some of these associations will integrate their MLS systems, while other will remain separate, which means neighboring areas may be listed on different systems that will not necessarily overlap. In Seattle, it's important to utilize the Northwest Multiple Listing Service when buying or selling a home.
The MLS also serves as a compensation offer between brokers. If one Seattle broker represents a buyer who purchases a property that is listed by another Seattle MLS broker, they will typically share the commission, and this information is listed in the MLS.
The overabundance of MLS systems available can also create confusion and frustration for many Seattle agents and brokers. Real estate agents who are not members of a certain MLS service have difficulty gaining access to properties that are exclusively listed with that service. The Seattle NWMLS system helps to protect the listings for a given neighborhood or larger community by controlling who has access to them. This ensures that local agents have an advantage over real estate agents from other areas. While this can be beneficial for the local agents, some also consider it to be a tactic by the MLS systems to earn more fees and recruit more members.
The cons to operating individual MLS systems (as opposed to one large MLS) mainly affect non-members. The Seattle MLS system is an excellent tool for participating members, buyers, and sellers. The Seattle MLS offers maximum exposure to houses for sale in Seattle neighborhoods and it allows agents and brokers to quickly and easily find properties that are listed. Seattle real estate agents and brokers can also examine commission rates and browse through an extensive amount of data about any given property for sale.
It is important to keep in mind that while Seattle MLS membership is in the thousands, not all brokers participate. This means that while the Seattle NWMLS service (www.nwmls.com) does list a significant number of properties for sale, it does not list all properties for sale in Arbor Heights and the Seattle area.