MLS-Only Subscription FAQs

For Out-of-State Brokers Opening an MLS Office

Do I need to be a member of the Chicago Association of REALTORS® to access Chicago’s MLS?

No. You do not need to be a member of the Chicago Association of REALTORS® to purchase an MLS subscription. However, you must be an active REALTOR® with any REALTOR® association. Purchasing MLS access does not make you a member of the Chicago Association of REALTORS®.

Can my firm access Chicago’s MLS if we are based in another state?

Yes. The Chicago Association of REALTORS® offers MLS access to out-of-state REALTORS® through MRED. Your firm must establish an MLS office account before any individual agents can subscribe.

What is the difference between a participant and a subscriber?

The participant is the principal broker of record — the licensed broker who establishes the office account and is responsible for the firm’s MLS relationship, its agents and their listing data. Subscribers are the individual agents affiliated with that office who subscribe under the participant’s account.

• Preview the Participant Agreement (will be sent via DocuSign after your application is processed and must be signed before receiving access).
• Preview the Subscriber Agreement (will be sent via DocuSign to the individual agent after their application is processed and must be signed before receiving access).

Does my office need to be established before my agents can join?

Yes. The participant office must be set up first. No agent can subscribe to Chicago’s MLS under your firm until your office account has been established and approved.

Do I have to/Can I establish an MLS office for PLN access only?

Yes. If your primary need is PLN access, you may/must establish an office and subscribe at the PLN-Only tier. Full MLS Access is also available if your needs expand.

I want to join Chicago’s MLS and remain a member of my local MLS. Can I do that?

Yes. Under NAR’s MLS of Choice policy, brokers are not limited to a single MLS. Joining Chicago’s MLS does not affect your existing MLS access or your agents’ subscriptions there.

Keep in mind that if your local MLS has adopted NAR’s Clear Cooperation Policy, your obligations to that MLS remain in place. Joining Chicago’s MLS may not satisfy or replace those local submission requirements. See the Understanding CCP and Your Local MLS Obligations section below for more detail.

Will MRED accept listings from outside of Illinois?

Yes. MRED now accepts listings from licensed agents nationwide as part of its national expansion.

Can my administrative staff get MLS access to help manage our office?

Yes. We offer an Office Secretary user type for administrative staff who need to perform MLS functions on behalf of the office as a whole. Office Secretary accounts carry permissions similar to those of the participant and are available at no additional cost. This is a good option for office managers or administrative staff who support the day-to-day MLS operations of your firm.

What data feeds are available through MRED for Full Access subscribers?

MRED provides four types of data feeds outside of the MLS platform itself, each serving a different purpose. Whether a specific listing flows through any of these feeds is a listing-level choice made by the listing agent and seller — not automatic.

• Internet Data Exchange (IDX): The standard public-facing feed used for consumer search on brokerage websites and national portals. Available for active public listings only. Display rules are set by the MLS.
• Virtual Office Website (VOW): Consumer search behind a registration wall, accessible to anyone who has registered and established a broker-client relationship. Available for both active standard listings and PLN private listings at the individual listing level.
• Broker Back Office (BBO): The most comprehensive feed available to participants. Includes all listing data — including private listings — and is used for behind-the-scenes tools like accounting software, agent production reporting and CRM systems. Participants can work with vendors of their choosing or grant access to subscribers in their company to work with their vendors of choice.
• Broker Only: All listing data specific to your brokerage, including private listings. Used however your brokerage chooses. Visible only to your firm and any vendors you designate.

Understanding CCP and Your Local MLS Obligations

Is Clear Cooperation Policy a national rule or a local one?

CCP is enforced locally. NAR requires its affiliated MLSs to adopt the policy, but each local MLS administers and enforces it independently. Your obligations under CCP are determined by the rules of whichever MLS or MLSs your brokerage participates in.

Does NAR’s Multiple Listing Options for Sellers policy change my local submission deadlines?

No. NAR has been explicit on this point: the Multiple Listing Options for Sellers policy, which introduced delayed marketing exempt listings in March 2025, does not change any MLS’s local mandatory submission deadlines. CCP’s requirement to file a listing with your local MLS within one business day of public marketing remains in effect.

What if MRED is our only MLS?

If your brokerage joins MRED as your sole MLS, none of the CCP complexity below applies to you. CCP is only enforceable by an MLS you belong to. If MRED is your only MLS, the only rules governing your listing submissions are MRED’s. Under NAR’s MLS of Choice policy, brokers are only required to belong to at least one MLS — not every MLS in their local market. Some brokerages may choose to make MRED their primary or only MLS.

If I maintain membership in another NAR-affiliated MLS, does joining Chicago’s MLS satisfy my CCP obligations there?

No. Your local MLS obligations remain in place independently. Joining Chicago’s MLS does not replace or satisfy those local submission requirements.

Does entering a listing in MRED’s PLN trigger my local MLS’s CCP submission deadline?

Not on its own. CCP is triggered by public marketing — a yard sign, social media post, brokerage website or any publicly accessible advertisement. If a listing is entered into MRED’s PLN without any public marketing, your local MLS’s CCP clock may not be triggered. Once you publicly market a listing in any form, your local submission deadline applies regardless of where else the listing has been entered. Every market is different and local MLS rules vary. We strongly recommend consulting with your local MLS or your own legal counsel regarding your specific listing submission obligations before using the PLN as part of your marketing strategy.

For Out-of State Agents Joining An Existing Office

My broker says our office is set up. What do I do next?

Once your principal broker has established your firm’s MLS office with us, you can complete a subscriber agreement to join as an individual agent. Make sure your affiliated office is already established before submitting your agreement.

Preview the Subscriber Agreement (will be sent via DocuSign to the individual agent after their application is processed and must be signed before receiving access).

I’m a REALTOR® in another state. Am I eligible?

Yes, as long as you hold active REALTOR® membership with any REALTOR® association and your affiliated office has an established participant account with the Chicago Association of REALTORS®.

What access do I get as a PLN-Only subscriber?

As a PLN-Only subscriber, you have access to MRED’s Private Listing Network within connectMLS. You can enter and search private and coming soon listings shared among MRED participants. You do not have access to the full standard MLS listing database.

What access do I get with Full MLS Access?

Full Access includes the complete connectMLS platform: active listing search across all property types, listing entry into both the Standard Listing Network and the PLN, advanced listing display controls and all other MRED platform tools.

Does joining Chicago’s MLS require me to input all my listings here?

Not necessarily. Under NAR’s MLS of Choice policy, you choose which MLS you submit each listing to, consistent with your seller’s authorization and any applicable Clear Cooperation Policy obligations in your market.

I have questions about Clear Cooperation Policy and how joining Chicago’s MLS affects my listing obligations. Where do I find that information?

If your brokerage remains affiliated with a local NAR-affiliated MLS in your home market, CCP rules are set by that local MLS and compliance responsibility sits with your participating broker — not the individual agent. Direct those questions to your principal broker. Additional FAQs covering CCP, local MLS obligations and how MRED’s PLN interacts with those requirements are available in the Open an MLS Office section above.

My personal assistant helps manage my transactions and client communications. Can they get MLS access?

Yes. We offer a Personal Assistant user type that allows designated assistants to perform MLS functions on behalf of one or more individual agents. If you have Full MLS Access, a per user fee applies for your personal assistant’s account at the same rate as other subscribers. Talk to your principal broker about setting this up when your office account is established.

My brokerage has indicated it will cover the cost of my MLS subscription. How does that work?

That’s a conversation to have with your principal broker. The Chicago Association of REALTORS® offers flexible billing options; we can bill the office directly for all users under that account, or each individual agent can be billed separately for their own subscription. How your brokerage handles MLS costs or reimbursements is an independent business decision.

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