"There is a scripture that says you cannot serve two masters, and I think that is a difficult and important lesson for all of us in everyday life, Carrillo said. If I am a MLS executive that has to do both the for-profit MLS arm and the non-profit association arm, I constantly have to switch hats and mindsets and that has to be a challenge. I don't think I could do it."
"As Kathy Elson, the CEO of Connecticut-based SmartMLS which is not-Realtor owned, sees it some of the greatest value associations provide members are advocacy, continuing education and networking opportunities. We have 20,000 people across the state with relationships you can't get anywhere else, Elson said. Carrillo added that another distinct difference is that the MLS is there to serve the brokerage community as a service provider, which he sees as a different business approach between MLSs and associations."
"While MLS executives like Carrillo and Elson can see these unique value propositions, Carrillo argues that many association leaders cannot. The issue in many places os that the associations have become so reliant on the value proposition of the MLS that it is difficult sometimes to divorce those two, even when it is absolutely necessary."
"I think it is one of the main issues that we need to address, Carrillo said. MLSs are not membership organizations, like the Girl Scouts, they are subscriber for-profit businesses. Elson added: Associations are scared, they don't get their own value proposition. They rely on the MLS, and they use it as a hammer to make sure that people comply"
MLS organizations and Realtor associations operate under different business models and goals. MLSs function as subscriber, for-profit businesses that serve the brokerage community as service providers. Associations operate as non-profit membership organizations that provide advocacy, continuing education, and networking for members. Leaders who must manage both MLS and association responsibilities face difficult role conflicts and frequent mindset switching. Many associations have become overly reliant on MLS access as their primary value, making it hard to separate the two when necessary. That reliance contributes to fear among associations and a lack of distinct value propositions beyond MLS control.
Read at www.housingwire.com
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