Can you cancel NAR and keep MLS access? That may be the most misunderstood question in real estate today.
We recently spoke with an agent who wanted to cancel his REALTOR® membership but was concerned that doing so would immediately terminate his MLS access. He had been told that leaving the association meant losing the MLS. What surprised him most was learning that, for many Florida agents, that isn’t necessarily true.
In fact, thousands of agents continue to assume they only have two choices:
• Keep REALTOR® membership and keep MLS access.
• Cancel REALTOR® membership and lose MLS access.
For Florida agents, there is actually a third option.
REALTOR® Membership and MLS Access Are Not the Same Thing
One of the biggest misconceptions in the real estate industry is that your real estate license, REALTOR® membership, and MLS access are all the same thing.
They are not.
Your real estate license is issued by the State of Florida.
REALTOR® membership is membership in a private trade association.
MLS access is governed by the MLS and its participation requirements.
Because many agents join all three at the same time when they begin their careers, it’s easy to assume they are permanently linked together. Over time, that assumption became accepted as fact even though it isn’t always accurate.
What Is a Thompson Broker?
In Florida, Georgia, and Alabama, a legal precedent established the ability for certain brokers to access MLS services without requiring REALTOR® association membership.
As a result, many MLS systems in these states have procedures that allow agents affiliated with qualified brokerages to maintain MLS participation through a non-REALTOR subscription structure.
This brokerage model is commonly referred to as a Thompson Broker.
While every MLS has its own procedures and requirements, many agents are surprised to learn that REALTOR® membership is not always a requirement for maintaining MLS access.
Why So Many Agents Have Never Heard About This
The answer is simple.
Most agents never ask.
They are told early in their careers that MLS access and REALTOR® membership go together. As a result, they never investigate whether other options exist.
When they consider leaving NAR, their first concern is usually:
“What happens to my MLS?”
That fear alone prevents many agents from exploring alternatives.
The reality is that many agents have been paying local, state, and national association dues for years because they believed there was no other path to maintaining MLS access.
How the Process Works at Easy Realty
For agents transferring to Easy Realty, Florida’s Thompson Broker℠, the process is straightforward.
First, complete the transfer through Join.Easy.Realty.
Once your license transfer is processed, you’ll receive onboarding information, including instructions regarding MLS transfers.
If you currently maintain REALTOR® membership, you’ll need to contact your local Association of REALTORS® and request cancellation of your membership. This also ends the associated state and national REALTOR® memberships tied to that account.
After the cancellation is processed, you’ll complete the applicable MLS transfer paperwork provided during onboarding.
The MLS membership department will then process the transfer request according to its procedures.
In many cases, the transition is completed quickly and with minimal disruption.
What Happens to Your Listings and Sales History?
This is usually the next question agents ask.
The good news is that changing your membership category does not erase your professional history.
Your MLS account history generally remains intact.
Your listing history remains intact.
Your sales history remains intact.
Your market statistics remain intact.
The purpose of the transfer is to change the type of MLS subscription being maintained, not to create an entirely new professional record.
The Question Every Agent Should Ask
Whether an agent chooses to remain a REALTOR® is a personal business decision.
Some agents value the benefits that come with association membership. Others decide those benefits are no longer worth the cost.
The important thing is understanding that, in many Florida markets, MLS access and REALTOR® membership are not necessarily the same decision.
If you’ve been maintaining REALTOR® membership solely because you believed it was required to keep MLS access, it may be worth exploring the options available in your market.
The answer might surprise you.
Because one of the best-kept secrets in real estate is that many Florida agents can cancel NAR membership and keep MLS access.
