A multiple listing service (or MLS) is a database that cooperating real estate brokers create and use to share information about property listings. MLS systems allow brokers to find other brokers to help sell their clients’ properties in exchange for a commission from the property’s sale. While much of the information contained in a MLS is publicly available, unrestricted access (providing information such as seller contact information and when the property will be empty and available for a showing) is limited to licensed real estate agents and brokers who pay for a subscription.
For more information on multiple listing services, see this explanation by the National Association of Realtors.
[Last updated in July of 2021 by the Wex Definitions Team]