Article ________________

Subsidiary Commercial/Industrial Multiple Listing Corporation

Section 1—Authority: The Board of REALTORS® shall maintain for the use of its members a Commercial/Industrial Multiple Listing Service which shall be a lawful corporation of the State of ______________________, all the stock of which shall be owned by this Board of REALTORS®.  M

Section 2—Purpose: A C/I Multiple Listing Service is a means by which cooperation among Participants is enhanced; by which information is accumulated and disseminated to enable authorized Participants to prepare appraisals, analyses, and other valuations of real property for bona fide clients and customers; by which Participants engaging in real estate appraisal contribute to common databases; and is a facility for the orderly correlation and dissemination of listing information so Participants may better serve their clients and the public. (Amended 8/24)  M

Section 3—Governing Documents: The Board of Directors shall cause any C/I Multiple Listing Service established by it pursuant to this Article to conform its corporate charter, constitution, bylaws, rules, regulations, policies, practices, and procedures at all times to the Constitution, Bylaws, Rules, Regulations, and Policies of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. M

Section 4—Participation: Any REALTOR® of this or any other Board who is a principal, partner, corporate officer, or branch office manager acting on behalf of a principal, without further qualification, except as stipulated otherwise in these bylaws, shall be eligible to participate in the C/I MLS upon agreeing in writing to conform to the rules and regulations thereof and to pay the costs incidental thereto.1 However, under no circumstances is any individual or firm, regardless of membership status, entitled to “membership” or “participation” unless they hold a current, valid real estate broker’s license and cooperate with other Participants, or are licensed or certified by an appropriate state regulatory agency to engage in the appraisal of real property.2 Cooperation is the obligation to share information on listed property and to make property available to other brokers for showing to prospective purchasers and tenants when it is in the best interests of their client(s). Use of information developed by or published by a Board C/I MLS is strictly limited to the activities authorized under a Participant’s licensure(s) or certification and unauthorized uses are prohibited. Further, none of the foregoing is intended to convey “participation” or “membership” or any right of access to information developed by or published by a Board C/I MLS where access to such information is prohibited by law. 

Mere possession of a broker’s license is not sufficient to qualify for C/I MLS participation. Rather, the requirement that an individual or firm cooperate means that the Participant actively endeavors during the operation of its real estate business to list real property of the type listed on the C/I MLS, share information on listed property and make property available to other brokers for showing to prospective purchasers and tenants when it is in the best interests of their client(s). “Actively” means on a continual and ongoing basis during the operation of the Participant’s real estate business. The “actively” requirement is not intended to preclude C/I MLS participation by a Participant or potential Participant that operates a real estate business on a part-time, seasonal, or similarly time-limited basis or that has its business interrupted by periods of relative inactivity occasioned by market conditions. Similarly, the requirement is not intended to deny C/I MLS participation to a Participant or potential Participant who has not achieved a minimum number of transactions despite good faith efforts. Nor is it intended to permit an C/I MLS to deny participation based on the level of service provided by the Participant or potential Participant as long as the level of service satisfies state law.

The key is that the Participant or potential Participant actively endeavors to cooperate with respect to properties of the type that are listed on the C/I MLS in which participation is sought. Cooperation is the obligation to share information on listed property and to make property available to other brokers for showing to prospective purchasers and tenants when it is in the best interests of their client(s). This requirement does not permit an C/I MLS to deny participation to a Participant or potential Participant that operates a  “Virtual Office Website” (VOW) (including a VOW that the Participant uses to refer customers to other Participants) if the Participant or potential Participant actively endeavors to cooperate. An C/I MLS may evaluate whether a Participant or potential Participant actively endeavors during the operation of its real estate business to cooperate only if the C/I MLS has a reasonable basis to believe that the Participant or potential Participant is in fact not doing so. The membership requirement shall be applied in a nondiscriminatory manner to all Participants and potential Participants. 

Optional Provision for Establishing Nonmember Participatory Rights (“Open MLS”) 3 

A nonmember applicant for C/I MLS participation who is a principal, partner, corporate officer, or branch office manager acting on behalf of a principal, shall supply evidence satisfactory to the Membership Committee that he has no record of recent or pending bankruptcy; has no record of official sanctions involving unprofessional conduct; agrees to complete a course of instruction (if any) covering the C/I MLS rules and regulations and computer training related to C/I MLS information entry and retrieval, and shall pass such reasonable and non-discriminatory written examination thereon as may be required by the C/I MLS; and shall agree that if elected as a Participant, he will abide by such rules and regulations and pay the C/I MLS fees and dues, including the nonmember differential (if any), as from time to time established. Under no circumstances is any individual or firm entitled to C/I MLS participation or membership unless they hold a current, valid real estate broker’s license and cooperate with other Participants, or are licensed or certified by an appropriate state regulatory agency to engage in the appraisal of real property. Cooperation is the obligation to share information on listed property and to make property available to other brokers for showing to prospective purchasers and tenants when it is in the best interests of their client(s). Use of information developed by or published by a Board Multiple Listing Service is strictly limited to the activities authorized under a Participant’s licensure(s) or certification and unauthorized uses are prohibited. Further, none of the foregoing is intended to convey participation or membership or any right of access to information developed by or published by a Board Multiple Listing Service where access to such information is prohibited by law. 

Mere possession of a broker’s license is not sufficient to qualify for C/I MLS participation. Rather, the requirement that an individual or firm cooperate means that the Participant actively endeavors during the operation of its real estate business to list real property of the type listed on the C/I MLS, share information on listed property available to other brokers for showing to prospective purchasers and tenants when it is in the best interests of their client(s). “Actively” means on a continual and ongoing basis during the operation of the Participant’s real estate business. The “actively” requirement is not intended to preclude C/I MLS participation by a Participant or potential Participant that operates a real estate business on a part-time, seasonal, or similarly time-limited basis or that has its business interrupted by periods of relative inactivity occasioned by market conditions. Similarly, the requirement is not intended to deny C/I MLS participation to a Participant or potential Participant who has not achieved a minimum number of transactions despite good faith efforts. Nor is it intended to permit an C/I MLS to deny participation based on the level of service provided by the Participant or potential Participant as long as the level of service satisfies state law. (Adopted 11/08)

The key is that the Participant or potential Participant cooperate with respect to properties of the type that are listed on the C/I MLS in which participation is sought. Cooperation is the obligation to share information on listed property and to make property available to other brokers for showing to prospective purchasers and tenants when it is in the best interests of their client(s). This requirement does not permit an C/I MLS to deny participation to a Participant or potential Participant that operates a “Virtual Office Website” (VOW) (including a VOW that the Participant uses to refer customers to other Participants) if the Participant or potential Participant actively endeavors to cooperate. An C/I MLS may evaluate whether a Participant or potential Participant actively endeavors during the operation of its real estate business to cooperate only if the C/I MLS has a reasonable basis to believe that the Participant or potential Participant is in fact not doing so. The membership requirement shall be applied in a nondiscriminatory manner to all Participants and potential Participants.

Note 1: The requirements of (1) no record of recent or pending bankruptcy; (2) no record of official sanctions involving unprofessional conduct; and (3) completion of a course of instruction on the C/I MLS rules and regulations and computer training related to C/I MLS information entry and retrieval may be deleted from this Section at the option of each Board/Association. In states where law requires non-Board members be admitted to the C/I MLS of a Board of REALTORS®, any limitations or restrictions imposed on participation or membership shall be no more stringent than permissible under the National Association’s Membership Qualification Criteria. However, in states where non-Board member access to the C/I MLS is not a requirement of state law, Boards may, at their discretion, establish additional qualifications for non-Board member participation and membership in the C/I MLS.

Note 2: A Board may also choose to have the Membership Committee consider the following in determining a nonmember applicant’s qualifications for C/I MLS participation or membership:

  • all final findings of Code of Ethics violations and violations of other membership duties in any other Association within the past three (3) years
  • pending ethics complaints (or hearings)
  • unsatisfied discipline pending
  • pending arbitration requests (or hearings)
  • unpaid arbitration awards or unpaid financial obligations to this or any other Association or Association MLS (Amended 8/24)  M

Section 5—Subscribers: Subscribers (or users) of the C/I MLS include non-principal brokers, sales associates, and licensed and certified appraisers affiliated with Participants. (Optional provision: Subscribers also include affiliated unlicensed administrative and clerical staff, personal assistants, and individuals seeking licensure or certification as real estate appraisers who are under the direct supervision of an C/I MLS Participant or the Participant’s licensed designee.)  (Adopted 4/92)  M

Section 6—Removal of Officers and Directors: In the event that an Officer or Director of the Commercial Industrial Multiple Listing Service is deemed to be incapable of fulfilling the duties for which elected, but will not resign from office voluntarily, the Officer or Director may be removed from office under the following procedure:

  1. A petition requiring the removal of an Officer or Director and signed by not less than one-third of the Participants or a majority of all Directors of the C/I MLS shall be filed with the President of the C/I MLS, or if the President is the subject of the petition, with the next-ranking officer, and shall specifically set forth the reasons the individual is deemed to be disqualified from further service.
     
  2. Upon receipt of the petition, and not less than twenty (20) days or more than forty-five (45) days thereafter, a special meeting of the Participants of the C/I MLS shall be held, and the sole business of the meeting shall be to consider the charge against the Officer or Director, and to render a decision on such petition.
     
  3. The special meeting shall be noticed to all Participants at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting, and shall be conducted by the President of the MLS unless the President’s continued service in office is being considered at the meeting. In such case, the next-ranking officer will conduct the meeting or the hearing by the Participants. Provided a quorum is present, a three-fourths vote of Participants present and voting shall be required for removal from office.
     
  4. Any vote taken by the Participants to remove an Officer or Director must ultimately be confirmed by a majority vote of the Directors of the shareholder(s). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the shareholder(s) may remove an Officer or Director by a majority vote of the Directors of the shareholder(s). (Adopted 11/96)  R

1Optional qualifications which may be adopted at the local Board’s discretion: Any applicant for C/I MLS participation and any licensee (including licensed or certified appraisers) affiliated with a C/I MLS Participant who has access to and use of the C/I MLS-generated information shall complete an orientation program of no more than twelve (12) classroom hours devoted to the C/I MLS rules and regulations and computer training related to MLS information entry and retrieval. (Amended 11/96)

Boards are not required to establish prerequisites for C/I MLS participation beyond holding REALTOR® (principal) membership in a Board. However, if the Board wishes to establish prerequisites for C/I MLS participation or access to C/I MLS-generated information, the requirement of attendance at an orientation program is the most rigorous prerequisite that may be required. (Amended 2/94)

2Generally, Boards of REALTORS®, when there is more than one principal in a real estate firm, define the chief principal officer of the firm as the C/I MLS “Participant.” Brokers or salespersons other than principals are not considered “Participants” in the Service, but have access to and use of the Service through the principal(s) with whom they are affiliated.

3Only adopt this provision is the board’s C/I MLS is open to nonmember Participants (otherwise qualified individuals who do not hold REALTOR® membership anywhere). 

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