Associations gave birth to the MLS, and have maintained a colorful relationship with their technology progeny. Types of MLSs in America include Association owned and member governed; Association owned and broker governed; and of course, broker owned with no Association involvement. The relationship generally couples the non-for profit trade Association with the for-profit MLS technology company. The MLS pays dividends to their Association parent that stimulates non-dues revenue for the Association.
One of the keystones of the incredible consolidation that created Bright MLS is the diversity of the 43 Association stakeholders. Mindful and respectful of the Association heritage of Bright MLS, the company announced yesterday the launch of their new government affairs support program. The program is designed to assist its stakeholder Associations with the costs associated with developing, maintaining or expanding their local government affairs efforts and help ensure that local public policy decisions that affect real estate are creating a healthy climate for housing, our industry and the real estate consumers. The funds can be used to pay for dedicated government affairs staff, education, monitoring legislation, reviewing legislation, community outreach, or other efforts of the government affairs department in an association.
This is a clear signal from Bright MLS that the role of the Realtor® Association in government affairs is fundamental to the success of MLS subscribers and consumers. MLSs have long supported the role of the association at communicating economic housing information to the public as well.
For Bright’s stakeholder Realtor® Associations, there is a simple process to apply for program funds to support specific government affairs efforts. Bright will evaluate the applications and grant funding that fits within the program specifications, and helps the associations’ efforts to be successful.
Full Press Release Below
Bright MLS Introduces Government Affairs Support Program
Mid-Atlantic’s largest MLS will assist stakeholder associations in expanding political influence on government regulations
Rockville, Md. and King of Prussia, Pa. (March 14, 2017) – Bright MLS, the Mid-Atlantic’s largest multiple listing service (MLS) that serves approximately 85,000 real estate professionals across 40,000 square miles, today announced a new program to assist its 43 stakeholder associations with the costs associated with developing, maintaining or expanding their local government affairs efforts to ensure that consumers’ property rights are protected.
The program is designed to support Bright MLS stakeholder associations in managing the potential impact of government regulations, which can have a dramatic impact on local real estate and housing industries. Associations may use funding for annual support to help fund their dedicated government affairs staff, or to assist with specific government affairs programs or activities.
“Strong local Realtor® Associations are a critically important part of the real estate industry, and strong local government affairs programs are key to our mutual success,” said Tom Phillips, Bright MLS President and Chief Executive Officer. “We believe that supporting local and regional government affairs programs, through our stakeholder associations, can address the potential impact of government regulation and will benefit all those involved in the real estate industry, including buyers and sellers.”
According to the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors® Chief Executive Officer, Ryan Conrad, “The Bright MLS Government Affairs program will be a tremendous benefit to Realtor® Associations like ours. A strong government affairs program is critical to our ability to expand our political influence and continue protecting the real estate industry, our members and the consumers we serve. This level of support shows Bright’s commitment to supporting its stakeholder associations beyond traditional MLS services.”
This program was designed to augment existing government affairs efforts at local associations, and can be used to support activities such as employing dedicated government affairs staff or assisting in issue advocacy, legislative forums, coordinating calls-to-action and advertising.
For more information on Bright MLS, please visit www.brightmls.com.
About Bright MLS
The Bright MLS real estate service area spans 40,000 square miles throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, including Delaware, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and parts of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. As a leading Multiple Listing Service (MLS), Bright serves approximately 85,000 real estate professionals who in turn serve over 20 million consumers. For more information, please visit www.brightmls.com.
Media Contact:
Courtney Benhoff
Abel Communications for Bright MLS
courtney@abelcommunications.com
410-925-7893
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