How the MLS Helps Sell Your Home

What is the MLS, and how does a multiple listing service help you sell your home?

The MLS is a key part of Internet advertising, and of getting word out about your home in your area and elsewhere. To take advantage of the service, you will need to hire a real estate agent. Most multiple listing services are only available to members, who are usually agents.

When your home is listed on an MLS, you've potentially enlisted help in selling it from all of the service's members — real estate agents who might be interested in showing your property to their clients.

Multiple listing services began in the 1950s, according to the National Association of Realtors. Now that they're on the Internet, agents are seeing more and more listings, which means their clients can see more too. Homebuyers can search many multiple listing services themselves on the Internet, just as they can search for properties on homesandland.com.