MLS simplifies buying process

Using the Multiple Listing Service to locate a new home greatly simplifies the process, according to Mark Stark, MLS director for the Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors.

"You really cannot measure on a scale what the MLS system has done for the real estate industry," Stark said. "It is almost like when people say, `What would we do without computers, a fax machine or cellular phones?' Without the synergy between a professional Realtor and their use of MLS, the home-buying process would be dramatically longer and more difficult."

The service is used by association members to better serve their clients, who provide their sales agent with information such as where in the valley they want to live and the number of bedrooms they want. The agent then enters the information into a computer, which prints a report of all the homes in the area that fit the buyers' requirements.

"The MLS is a powerful organizational instrument that allows Realtors to be more effective and efficient as sales agents," Stark said. "MLS also has the ability to be dynamic, meaning that it can change and evolve according to the needs of the customers."

The Las Vegas-area MLS database currently contains about 12,000 listings. It is not available to the general public.

The association is the local representative of the National Association of Realtors.

Real Estate home