Open Real Estate gets a boost from independents — and an opening from MLSs

A week after Open Real Estate, a broker-led initiative to build a shared infrastructure for residential listing data, launched, the initiative announced that it has secured 826 letters of support from real estate brokerage leaders across the country. Independent firms account for the majority of that backing, with 493 letters, or 59%, coming from independent brokerages, according to an announcement on Monday. Support spans single-office independents to some of the largest independent firms, including Atlanta Communities, Iron Valley Real Estate, LoKation Real Estate and Realty of America, all RealTrends Verified brokerages. The effort is designed as a national, shared data layer that connects brokerages, agents, multiple listing services and real estate portals. Founding organizations include AGNT Inc. (parent to eXp Realty and NextHome), HomeServices of America, Keller Williams Realty and Real REMAX Group, all RealTrends Verified brokerages. “We have already received significant interest from across the real estate industry since our announcement, and we look forward to continuing to engage with brokerages of all sizes, MLS organizations and technology providers as we develop a pl...