The Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS) has been powering the region’s real estate industry for 40 years, growing to become the largest member-owned, non-profit multiple listing service in the Northwest, serving over 2,500 member offices and over 32,000 brokers and appraisers.

The organization’s 40th anniversary this year comes at a significant time of change for the industry, including leadership transitions. I’ve been proud to serve NWMLS for the last 15 years, first as general counsel and now as the president and CEO. I am excited by the challenges and opportunities for NWMLS’s continued leadership in the coming months and years.

To understand where we are now, it’s important to consider the history of NWMLS.

NWMLS was created in 1984 when its predecessor, the Puget Sound Multiple Listing Association, was formed through the merger of four innovative multiple listing services: Eastside Brokers Association, North End Brokers Association, South West Multiple Listing Service and Real Estate Multiple Inc.

In contrast to the majority of listing services which were, and continue to be, owned by realtor associations, NWMLS has always been owned by local brokers and operated independently. The ownership structure, together with the innovative and progressive brokerage firms operating in the Northwest, are responsible for NWMLS’s long-term success and prominence among MLSs across the country.

During 2023, we designed and launched the new Northwest MLS mobile app, featuring robust search capabilities, property insights and integration with both the Matrix MLS system and the OneHome client portal. We enhanced Matrix with a new homepage, a client activity timeline, a “share listings” link and mobile-friendly pages. In addition, NWMLS unveiled a new public-facing listing search for consumers, replacing the long-existing nwrealestate.com, and implemented a new program with Realtor.com to enable personalization and branding for NWMLS brokers on the site.

Taking full advantage of its independence and progressive membership, over the past several years NWMLS’s leadership responded promptly to concerns about the real estate industry and embraced, rather than resisted, the opportunities for change.

Throughout 2023, NWMLS revised many of its “statewide forms” and rules to continue to progress and advance real estate brokerage practices. NWMLS spearheaded the revisions to the Agency Law, effective Jan. 1 of this year. The revised law requires brokers to enter into a written services agreement to represent either a buyer or a seller. All agreements must comprehensively address the broker’s compensation, the scope of representation and all related terms.

Along with related NWMLS initiatives, buyers and sellers served by NWMLS members have more choices, complete transparency and information about broker compensation and clear opportunities to negotiate. These initiatives have also served to promote innovation and competition among brokers and again made Washington brokers the envy of real estate brokers nationally.

NWMLS is proud to celebrate our legacy in 2024 by looking back on the successes of the past 40 years of growth, innovation, leadership and partnerships; more importantly, we look forward to continuing to seize opportunities to evolve and grow the best possible MLS for our member brokers and their clients.

It is an honor for me to lead and serve this great organization and the innovative brokerage firms in the Northwest.

Justin Haag is president and CEO of Northwest MLS.