The real estate industry has been undergoing restructuring since the National Association of Realtors faced historic legal liquidation. Agents and brokers are questioning long-held assumptions about cooperation, fees, and membership, and a new wave of organizations is pouring in to fill the space once held by NAR.
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Two of the most notable examples are the American Association of Realtors (ARA) and MyStateMLS, which are capitalizing on the growing desire for freedom and flexibility.
After decades of near-mandatory NAR membership, many agents and brokers are exploring alternatives. For some, the change is about a principle after years of controversy. Some have financial problems because local dues, national dues, and mandatory association fees don’t always equate to the value an agent receives.
ARA vs. MyStateMLS
Co-founded by Compass agent Jason Haber and The Agency CEO Mauricio Umansky, the American Association of Realtors already has more than 30,000 members. Douglas Elliman was the last to join, adding 6,600 agents. Founders say ARA’s mission is to give experts a voice beyond the NAR structure and increase transparency across the industry.
At the same time, platforms like MyStateMLS, founded by Dawn Pfaff, offer agents substantial independence. After starting as the New York State MLS in 2009, we launched nationally in 2015 and now have more than 50,000 members in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. MyStateMLS allows qualified professionals to list properties on Realtor.com, Zillow, and Homes.com without requiring a NAR membership.
Agents from a wide range of brokerages are already listed in the MyStateMLS directory. Searching for brokers in the directory reveals over 1,000 listings from Douglas Elliman, another 400 from eXp Realty, and approximately 350 from SERHANT. Their participation shows how agents value national exposure without being limited by traditional MLS boundaries.
Many of those agents currently hold both. They continue to be active in their local NAR affiliated MLS, using MyStateMLS to expand their exposure. They do it for reach, flexibility, and control.
According to the company’s website, MyStateMLS sends listing information “directly to Realtor.com, Trulia, Zillow, their network of websites, and Homes.com,” allowing agents to decide how to promote “coming soon” and off-market properties and display coverage information.
Agents who work across multiple states or who specialize in luxury homes, land, or manufactured homes often find the traditional MLS model to be restrictive. MyStateMLS provides a single platform where licensed professionals can list and search real estate nationwide. The provider says it’s “one low monthly payment in any licensed city and state.”
Many members say they maintain their local NAR-affiliated MLS, but are testing the reach, flexibility, and control of MyStateMLS, including syndication to major portals and reduced traditional MLS constraints.
Financial savings?
From a savings perspective, ARA and MyStateMLS together cost about $560 per year. $20 for ARA membership and $45 per month for access to MyStateMLS. That’s far less than thousands of agents pay each year in national, state and local association dues and traditional MLS fees.
MyStateMLS is the most prominent national example, but it’s not the only one. Other independent MLSs or MLS-style services are beginning to open up access beyond NAR membership. Central Texas-based Unlock MLS, which has approximately 20,000 subscribers, first began allowing non-real estate agent access in 2025.
Phoenix Realtors has launched the MLS Choice program, a membership option that provides access to state-compliant forms for agents who are not NAR members. Although these programs are small in size, they demonstrate a growing demand for MLS services that operate outside of traditional association structures.
Using an independent system gives agents more control over their marketing. MyStateMLS allows sellers and brokers to decide where and how to list their products, from office-only listings and “coming soon” campaigns to full syndication across hundreds of national and international websites. This flexibility allows agents to tailor their marketing strategies to each client rather than following strict one-size-fits-all MLS rules.
NAR scramble
For many years, NAR required listing brokers to provide compensation to buyer agents through their MLS policies. The 2024 Sitzer|Barnett Settlement changes those rules.
When the lawsuits broke out, most MLSs had to scramble to respond. They rewrote the rulebook, updated the software, and retrained the members. Some agencies have seen their listings temporarily suspended or disappear while new compensation disclosures are made.
Independent MLSs such as MyStateMLS did not have these requirements and were largely unaffected by the industry’s most significant legal and procedural changes in recent decades. They kept moving and provided a sense of stability while other companies in the industry adjusted on the fly.
Beyond innovation
Now, a broader movement is emerging as more agents experiment with life beyond NAR. ARA will question the association model itself, and independent MLSs will rethink how listings are shared and distributed. Together, they reflect an industry that is testing what independence actually means and where collective power lies next.
The settlement forced traditional players to evolve while paving the way for innovation. What happens next depends on how boldly the agent chooses to use that freedom. For the first time in decades, real estate professionals have something rare: true choice and the freedom to build a business they believe in.
Holly Brink is the co-founder, COO, and managing broker of My Real Estate Company in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Illinois. Connect with her on Instagram or LinkedIn.
