A Wild Prediction

[Fernando]

WRT to California, NAR doesn't have any such "chokehold" on MLSs around here. Appraisers can in fact get access to the MLS, without becoming members of the local MLS (which requires becoming a member of NAR). I am admittedly both a Licensed California Real Estate Broker and Certified General Real Estate Appraiser --- but I am not a member of NAR or the local MLS. In fact, I have access pretty much to the entire state - although there are still a few MLSs I would have to pay extra fees for.

For $900/year I have access to:
MLS Listings. (San Mateo County, Santa Clara County, Santa Cruz County, Monterey County, Alameda Count, Contra Costa Count, ...)
BAREIS MLS. (North SF Bay)
BayEast/CCAR/BridgeMLS. (East SF Bay, Southern, Central and Northern California areas)
Metrolist (Sacramentoe, Central Valley)
SFAR MLS. (San Francisco)
CRMLS (Los Angeles)
TheMLS. (Never used)
SDMLS. (San Diego)
Paragon Combined CA Listings

Sounds low. As an appraiser, do you have to pay those Realtor junk fees.
As a realtor, over the year, my total fees are over $2,200.

 

[David S]

Sounds low. As an appraiser, do you have to pay those Realtor junk fees.
As a realtor, over the year, my total fees are over $2,200.

I believe so. Most lenders/ clients require you have two different paid database for the subject/ comps analysis, most likely, one of them will be MLS. Otherwise how do you know the sale information? You can get most sale information, including realtor contact, from Redfin, Zillow etc., but, they are free website and information is not official thought.

 

[Dublin ohio]

Where is your $900 pay to ? MLS board or some organization? I know most MLS board have two versions fee. The appraiser version fee is lower since you never need to use CAR form to write the contract. Sometime they low another a couple of hundred $ if you don't need Supra key to open the door.

My board does not have a separate classification for appraiser's. They did at one time have an associate membership. But you only had access to sold data. I am a full broker member. No other choice. All told my NAR, State assn dues and local board and MLS dues and key access is almost $1600/yr

 

[RCA]

Sounds low. As an appraiser, do you have to pay those Realtor junk fees.
As a realtor, over the year, my total fees are over $2,200.

I am not paying for access to a local Realtor Association, such as the San Mateo County Association of Realtors:

San Mateo County Association of REALTORS®

The San Mateo County Association of REALTORS(R) is a trade association organized to ensure professionalism, protect property rights, and promote the ownership of real property.

www.samcar.org

Those fees would be an additional $1095 (or $1295 for new members) per year.

I only pay for access to the MLS listings which is about $900/year - if you pay the entire year in advance.

To pay for both - as I also used to do - then you would be paying about $2,000+ per year.

 

[RCA]

Where is your $900 pay to ? MLS board or some organization? I know most MLS board have two versions fee. The appraiser version fee is lower since you never need to use CAR form to write the contract. Sometime they low another a couple of hundred $ if you don't need Supra key to open the door.

pro.mlslistings.com -- this for access to the MLS listings --- which nowadays is tied into many other listing services for the state which you get at no additional charge.

 

[John Hassler]

WRT to California, NAR doesn't have any such "chokehold" on MLSs around here. Appraisers can in fact get access to the MLS, without becoming members of the local MLS (which requires becoming a member of NAR). I am admittedly both a Licensed California Real Estate Broker and Certified General Real Estate Appraiser --- but I am not a member of NAR or the local MLS. In fact, I have access pretty much to the entire state - although there are still a few MLSs I would have to pay extra fees for.

For $900/year I have access to:
MLS Listings. (San Mateo County, Santa Clara County, Santa Cruz County, Monterey County, Alameda Count, Contra Costa Count, ...)
BAREIS MLS. (North SF Bay)
BayEast/CCAR/BridgeMLS. (East SF Bay, Southern, Central and Northern California areas)
Metrolist (Sacramentoe, Central Valley)
SFAR MLS. (San Francisco)
CRMLS (Los Angeles)
TheMLS. (Never used)
SDMLS. (San Diego)
Paragon Combined CA Listings

I can confirm RCA's overview of CA. About half of the MLSs in CA are only loosly associated with NAR (and CAR).

For example, the North Bay MLS consists of five primary counties. The Association of Realtors for each county gets a Board seat with the MLS membership allowed to vote in two county members. In total there are 15 board members. The system works very well and at a very reasonable cost of about $500 per year. But it gets better as due to co-op agreements, I get access to all MLSs in the Bay Area and most of the valley around Sacramento.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

My first access to the MLS "on line" was $5 a month for appraisers... And we still bought the quarterly SOLD books at $15 each. Then they demanded we become "Realtor-Appraiser" members, etc. Put a 10x behind the costs.

 

[David S]

I can confirm RCA's overview of CA. About half of the MLSs in CA are only loosly associated with NAR (and CAR).

For example, the North Bay MLS consists of five primary counties. The Association of Realtors for each county gets a Board seat with the MLS membership allowed to vote in two county members. In total there are 15 board members. The system works very well and at a very reasonable cost of about $500 per year. But it gets better as due to co-op agreements, I get access to all MLSs in the Bay Area and most of the valley around Sacramento.

Yes, I remember that.