Sam DeBord, CEO of the Real Estate Standards Organization (RESO), emphasized the complex environment that agents, brokers and MLSs already operate within with or without new AI-specific laws layered on top. He said that being ready for the regulations that come next starts with understanding how MLS licensing works and who ultimately controls compliance. Real estate agents get licensed to use MLS data through their relationship with their brokerage, which is the participant in the MLS, DeBord said.
Non-disclosure states limit public access to real estate sales data. Home prices in these states are not publicly recorded, meaning buyers, sellers, and appraisers must rely on private data sources. The policy protects privacy, influences property taxes , and reflects state-level traditions and policy preferences. Home value estimates are still available through real estate professionals and platforms like Redfin, which use verified data sources.
My trusty spreadsheet took a peek at a curious report on seasonal homebuying patterns from Attom, which tracked monthly pricing and sales for houses and condos between 2015 and 2024 for 49 states and the District of Columbia. (South Dakota was excluded due to insufficient activity.) By focusing on a decade's worth of sales that closed in January and February deals that were likely shopped in November and December