We have been informed that as of February 1, 2006, the Eastern Thumb Association of REALTORS^® (ETAR^®) will cease operation of its MLS. Many Realcomp subscribers have been taking advantage of our data sharing partnership with ETAR^® by requesting a free password into their MLS system. This will also cease as of February 1.

Now for the good news – Realcomp has successfully negotiated with ETAR^® the rights to their MLS database. This means that all of the off-market inventory for the ETAR^® area will be integrated into the Realcomp Online^® (RCO) database. Realcomp subscribers will no longer need to log into a separate system to see this information. By simply logging into RCO, you will be able to retrieve all of this data. According to ETAR^®, this includes approximately 12,400 records of pending, sold, expired and withdrawn listings.

We anticipate making the historical data available to you in February. We are working with ETAR^®‘s MLS vendor to determine the most effective way to make that happen. Watch for updates on this important subject!

In addition to bringing these comparable records to all of our subscribers, many of the offices from ETAR^® have chosen Realcomp as their MLS provider. You should already see an increase in the number of available listings from this area. Again, this information is available to you as part of the RCO database – no need to log into a separate system.

We are excited about our new agreement with ETAR^® and we will continue to look for ways to offer more data and services to all of our subscribers. Please let us know what you think.  I can be reached by e-mail email or by phone at 248.699.9120.

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