MLS listings for Lowell, NC and Metro Charlotte housing and real estate
In the State of North Carolina, the primary Multiple Listing Service is the Carolina Multiple Listing Service or the CMLS. The CMLS is available to REALTOR Association members, including Charlotte Regional REALTOR Association (CRRA) members. The CMLS database offers thousands of member property listings in Lowell and throughout the state, but it's not available to the public.
So what is the Charlotte MLS and how does it work?
In simple terms, the Charlotte Multiple Listing Service or CMLS is a database of homes for sale in the Lowell area. While the MLS® trademark is owned by the Canada Real Estate Association (CREA) -- as is the REALTOR® trademark -- 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. Charlotte, 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. Luckily in Charlotte, you'll only need to focus on the Carolina Multiple Listing Service when buying or selling a home.
The MLS also serves as a compensation offer between brokers. If one Charlotte broker represents a buyer who purchases a property that is listed by another Charlotte 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 Charlotte 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 Charlotte MLS 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 Charlotte CMLS system is an excellent tool for participating members, buyers, and sellers. The Charlotte MLS offers maximum exposure to houses for sale in Charlotte neighborhoods and it allows agents and brokers to quickly and easily find properties that are listed. Charlotte 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 Charlotte CMLS membership is in the thousands, not all brokers participate. This means that while the Charlotte MLS service (www.carolinarealtors.com) does list a significant number of properties for sale, it does not list all properties for sale in Lowell and the Charlotte area.