Since you’ve arrived at this website, that means you’ve already begun to research Arizona real estate.
The largest source, by far, of information about homes for sale in metro Phoenix is the Arizona Regional Multiple Listings Service which is our local “MLS.”
The Multiple Listings Service
The MLS is an association of licensed real estate agents who band together to help each other sell real estate. The MLS makes it easy for real estate agents who are members of the MLS to promote a seller clients’ home, called a “listing”, to all other MLS members.
The MLS also makes it easy for members who represent buyers like you to find detailed information on tens of thousands of homes for sale.
To become a member of the local MLS, you must be licensed by the State of Arizona as a real estate agent and you must be a member of the Arizona Association of Realtors.
No National MLS
The United State does not have a national MLS like in Canada. There are many hundreds of local MLS’s each with its own rules and regulations.
Within Arizona, there is an MLS for metro Phoenix, another for metro Tucson and separate MLS’s for Flagstaff, Prescott, and several other smaller towns.
MLS information online
Today, MLS information on individual homes for sale is available online to the general public. The MLS’s, however, don’t share all their information with the public.
Phoenix area MLS
The metro Phoenix MLS does not have its own web site showing homes for sale. However, you can find MLS information on thousands of web sites of individual Arizona real estate agents who are members of the MLS.
The best option is to ask a real estate agent to give you direct access to the MLS to see homes that meet your criteria.
Tucson area MLS
Unlike the Phoenix MLS, the Tucson MLS has its own website which lists homes for sale, TARMLS.com. The Tucson MLS information is also found on hundreds of individual real estate agents web sites such as this one from an old family friend MichaelSellsTucson.com.
TMI
I probably gave you more information that you wanted about the Multiple Listings Service, however, some of that information will come in handy later on when I explain how your real estate agent will get paid. (Hint: You, the Arizona home buyer, usually don’t pay your real estate agent anything!)
Unless you’re going to be paying in all cash – which is common for Canadians to do – now is a good time to start checking out Arizona lenders.
NEXT LESSON >> How to find an Arizona home loan
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