Area Real Estate Associations Merge MLS Databases

The following press release was sent out yesterday by our real estate Association announcing the integration of three regional MLS® systems that was recently launched between our local Association here in Collingwood, the Southern Georgian Bay Association of REALTORS® along with two Associations that geographically abut our trading area, the REALTOR® Association of Grey-Bruce Owen Sound and the REALTOR® Association of Muskoka-Haliburton-Orillia.

  I was pleased to have participated on the task force that spearheaded this project.  This was a monumental undertaking that took several months and numerous meetings, rationalizing three MLS® databases into one integrated system that offers benefits to REALTORS® and consumers alike.

  This integration does not impact the consumer website www.realtor.ca.  Consumers continue to confuse www.realtor.ca with the MLS® system, that is topic for my next post wherein I will explain the difference between the two.  

Three Ontario REALTOR® Associations Integrate MLS® Systems

The REALTORS® Associations of Grey-Bruce Owen Sound, Muskoka-Haliburton-Orillia (The Lakelands) and Southern Georgian Bay recently completed the database integration of their respective MLS® Systems providing a combined membership of over 1,500 with the ability to seamlessly search property listings across all three Boards.  The integrated systems are hosted by Millennium Real Estate Solutions, a subsidiary of Lone Wolf Real Estate Technologies.

This project represents a huge benefit for buyers.  It removes the technology-imposed borders that previously restricted property search capabilities of Buyer Representatives to a single Board jurisdiction.  Property Sellers will also benefit, as their listings will now have greater exposure to potential buyers, without the added cost of placing listings on multiple MLS® Systems.

The data integration represents a substantial undertaking for the three participating Associations and Millennium Real Estate Solutions, who performed the integration. Unrestricted access for the REALTOR® members of these Associations now covers a vast area of central Ontario.  The searchable area includes properties in Bruce and Grey Counties, parts of Simcoe County, the District Municipality of Muskoka, Haliburton County and portions of Parry Sound District.  The boundaries include Lake Huron in the west from Point Clark in the South and Tobermory in the North; along the shorelines of Georgian Bay from Tobermory down to Collingwood and back up to Go Home Bay, Sundridge to the north; Wilberforce in Haliburton Highlands to the east, Gamebridge to the south-east of Orillia, with Clearview, Grey Highlands and upper Wellington County to the south.

The Southern Georgian Bay Association of REALTORS^® represents close to 500 REALTORS^® registered with its member offices.  The geographical area served by the Association includes the Towns of Midland and Penetanguishene, the surrounding communities of Elmvale, Port McNicoll, Victoria Harbour, Coldwater, Port Severn, Honey Harbour and Tiny, Tay, Springwater, Oro-Medonte, Severn and Georgian Bay Townships, Wasaga Beach, Collingwood, Clearview Township,

The Blue Mountains, Municipality of Meaford and Grey Highlands.