The now-rescinded rule previously allowed US-based multiple listing services (MLSs) to stop brokers from displaying MLS listings alongside properties from non-MLS sources.
The idea was to keep traditional listing data separate from properties advertised independently or via portals like Zillow.
But usage of the policy had been declining for years, and this week, following a recommendation by NAR’s Multiple Listing Issues and Policies Committee, the Executive Committee voted to repeal it altogether.
The decision also follows legal pressure, including past scrutiny from the US Department of Justice and a failed lawsuit by defunct brokerage REX.
Only 29 per cent of NAR-affiliated MLSs had adopted the rule, according to court filings.
Inman reported platforms like Zillow had previously filtered out non-MLS listings, but quietly reversed that decision earlier this year, allowing all listings to appear together again.
While this policy change has no direct effect on Australia, it reflects broader global conversations around data transparency, listing parity, and platform neutrality.
With portals like realestate.com.au and Domain central to the local market, and agents increasingly listing properties across multiple channels, shifts like these could foreshadow similar debates here in the future.
Arizona MLS CEO Matt Consalvo, who serves on the committee, welcomed the repeal. “Optional rules create confusion. This change brings clarity for brokers working across markets,” he said.
