For the first time, the Austin Board of Realtors (ABoR) is opening up access to its Unlock MLS platform to non-Realtors. Starting June 1, real estate agents who are not certified Realtors will be able to subscribe to Unlock MLS without joining the 20,000-member ABoR.
Non-Realtor members will pay the same MLS access fee as Realtors of $47.97 a month, or $575.64 a year. Those who choose to become Realtors will pay an additional $533 a year.
In addition to MLS access, licensees who choose to subscribe to Unlock MLS without becoming a Realtor will still have access to lockboxes, as well as key service, education and training, partnered technology offerings and forms. But they will not have access to transaction forms developed by Texas Realtors, only those promulgated by Unlock MLS.
In an interview with Inman, which first reported the decision, ABoR and Unlock MLS CEO Emily Chenevert said the move is all about giving real estate licensees flexibility and choice.
“By decoupling MLS access from mandatory Realtor membership, we are empowering brokers and agents to select the professional tools and affiliations that align with their unique needs,” Chenevert said in a statement to Inman. “It’s important for subscribers to know and understand that Unlock MLS values the ability for them to choose what’s best for their business.”
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) and Texas Realtors did not return HousingWire‘s requests for comment.
ABoR’s announcement comes amid a flurry of lawsuits filed by real estate professionals that take aim at NAR’s three-way membership agreement, which requires licensees to join their local, state and national associations if they want to be a Realtor. The plaintiffs also take issue that most Realtor-affiliated MLSs require Realtor association membership in order to gain access to the MLS.
ABoR is not the only Realtor association that is decoupling MLS access from Realtor membership. In the fall of 2024, Phoenix Realtors (PAR) announced it was launching an MLS Choice membership option. Through this option, real estate licensees are able to become members of PAR and access the local MLS without becoming members of the Arizona Association of Realtors or NAR.
In December 2024, NAR said it had notified its leadership and members that it had chosen to initiate the charter revocation process against PAR.
In response to a question about its decision to begin the revocation process, a NAR spokesperson wrote in an email that per its charters, state and local associations are prohibited from adopting any practice inconsistent with NAR’s bylaws and constitution.
“Phoenix Realtors is violating NAR’s bylaws and Constitution by offering a non-Realtor membership option. Without action, we put the benefits NAR members rely on — such as market research, business resources, a unified advocacy platform, and a single Code of Ethics — and the organization itself at risk,” the spokesperson wrote.
“NAR has begun the process — as outlined in our bylaws — to revoke Phoenix Realtors’ charter. As a next step, Phoenix Realtors will have an opportunity to meet and discuss with a panel of NAR’s Executive Committee. Should the local association continue to violate NAR policy, a hearing before a larger panel of our Executive Committee will be scheduled.”
In addition to the move by PAR and the lawsuits in other states, the Alabama Association of Realtors (AAR) has asked NAR for greater flexibility by allowing members to decide which levels of Realtor associations they would like to join.
In California, Florida, Alabama and Georgia, lawsuits filed in the 1970s and 1980s block Realtor associations from requiring membership to gain MLS access. Non-Realtor-owned MLSs, such as MLS Property Information Network (MLS PIN) in Massachusetts and Northwest MLS in Washington state, also do not require Realtor membership in order to access their MLSs.
