How can I get access to the MLS without a real estate license?

Here are the best methods to get access to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS):

1.You can use Redfin.com, Zillow.com, & even Realtor.com to get access to MLS listings instantly. 

  • Pros: Quick, Simple Free. Has a lot of the MLS Listings in the Nation. 
  • Cons: More steps to find the Listing Agent’s Contact Information. Doesn’t have access to all of the MLS’ across the Nation. Sometimes there’s a 1-3 Day delay for new listings to be populated onto these sites. 
  • How long does this take it take to get access? This is instant. You can go to any of these websites (Redfin.com, Zillow.com, & Realtor.com) right now to start contacting listing agents, making Discovery Calls, & submitting offers. 

2. You can use PropStream for access to MLS data. 

  • Pros: Instant access to the majority of MLS Listings in the Nation - about 95%. Helps with comping properties to get an accurate ARV (After Repair Value). Easy to access tax information. Investor-friendly software. Have access to the Listing Agent’s Contact information. Great to use while working on getting MLS Assistant Access. 
  • Cons: Doesn’t have about 5% of the MLS Listings in the Nation. Sometimes there’s a 1-3 day delay for new listings to be populated onto PropStream. How long does this take to get access? Instant. Once you sign up, you have immediate access. 
  • You can get your first 7 days free to PropStream using the Real Estate Skills link here: https://trial.propstreampro.com/realestateskills/

3. Using a Real Estate Agent’s / Broker’s Personal MLS Login. 

  • Pros: Full access to the MLS in your area. 
  • Cons: An Agent/Broker needs to trust you enough to give you their access to the MLS. You do not have your own login information, and if they change their password without letting you know then you have to reach back out to them to get it. 
  • How long does it take to get access? Depends on you finding the right Agent/Broker willing to give you their MLS Login. This isn’t too common, but we definitely have members who have used this approach successfully!

Here are Best Practices for Getting MLS Assistant Access:

  • Try to speak with Investor-Friendly Real Estate Agents & Brokers VERSUS “Retail” Agents & Brokers. This is because we want to work with Agents/Brokers that WANT to work with us. 
  • Try to work with & ask small, boutique local brokerages rather than National Brokerages. In general, avoid asking National Brokerages for MLS Assistant Access, such as: Compass, RE MAX, Coldwell Banker, Keller Williams, Berkshire Hathaway, Century 21, Sotheby’s, etc., - It’s easier to get MLS Assistant Access from agents/brokers who work for smaller brokerages rather than national brokerages because smaller, local brokerages are less corporate, have less rules, & are more flexible. 
  • Don’t expect every Real Estate Agent or Broker to already understand what MLS Assistant Access is. In fact, many Agents/Brokers are unaware it exists! Don’t be alarmed. In these situations, educate them on what MLS Assistant Access is. Begin to position yourself as a potential unofficial member of their team so that in their eyes you are an assistant. 
  • Don’t expect that the first Agent or Broker that you speak with will give you MLS Assistant Access. Expect to speak with multiple Agents & Brokers. Don't expect to get a “yes” your first try. Remember, “Every ‘no’ you get, you are closer to a YES!” 
  • Do not just get on an Agents’ or Brokers’ email (distribution) list. This is NOT MLS Assistant Access.

5 Ways To Work On Getting MLS Assistant Access:

  1. Existing Network Approach for MLS Assistant Access: 
    • Approach & ask any Real Estate Agents/Brokers in your Existing Network to help you get MLS Assistant Access. 
      • Such as: Agents/Brokers you or your Family has worked with, Family, Friends, existing/past Co-Workers, existing/past Classmates. Additionally, asking people in your Existing Network if they have any Agents/Brokers they’ve worked with that they can refer you to. If you already know a Real Estate Agent or Broker in your Existing Network, then it’s the quickest & easiest method to get MLS Assistant Access. 
      • ALWAYS KEEP IN MIND: “What’s in it for them?” Let them know they can represent you as your Buyer’s Agent or Listing Agent when you need one. Let them know you plan on submitting multiple offers every day and each week. When Agents/Brokers represent you as a buyer or seller, this means they make a commission on the property if a property is sold/purchased. The Agent/Broker will see this as a potential opportunity for them to make more money & makes them more willing to say “Yes” to getting you MLS Assistant Access. Remember, Real Estate Agents & Brokers make the overwhelming majority of their income from listing and buying commissions. You can also incentivize Agents/Brokers by literally helping them with tasks that they need assistance with on the MLS, such as uploading properties, pictures, analyzing properties for them, updating descriptions, etc.. We don’t usually recommend this because they will expect your time. However, this is another way to incentivize an Agent/Broker to get you MLS Assistant Access. 
  2. Craigslist Ad Approach for MLS Assistant Access: 
    • Use the Craigslist Ad Template located in the “Files” section of the Pro Wholesaler Exclusive Mastermind Community to post on to Craigslist for free. The goal here is to attract investor-friendly Agents/Brokers to reach out to you. Once they reach out to you, you can speak with them about how you can help bring them more business & ask them for MLS Assistant Access 
    • Step by step instructions for posting the Craigslist Ad Template: 
      • 1. Go to https://craigslist.org & select the city you plan on wholesaling in. 
      • 2. Under “Housing” select “real estate for sale” 
      • 3. Click on “Post” in the top right hand corner 
      • 4. Select the appropriate location and click “Continue” 
      • 5. Select “Housing Wanted” 
      • 6. Select “Real Estate - By Broker” 
      • 7. In the post creation section, put: • Posting Title: Type in "Looking for Investor Friendly Realtors/Brokers in [City Name] Area" • City or Neighborhood: Type in the City or Neighborhood you want MLS Access in • Postal Code: Type in the Postal Code of the City you want MLS Access in • Description: (Type out & input the script below into the text) "I am a Real Estate Investor in [Your City Name] looking to work with Investor Friendly Realtors/Brokers in the [Your City Name] area. I am looking for a long-term relationship where we can work together for years and complete multiple deals per year. If you want to know more, then please contact me directly though this post. Thank You!" • Price: Leave blank • Sqft: Leave at 0 • Housing Type: Select “House” • Available on: Leave Blank • Make sure “Unlicensed” is selected • Email: Enter in your business email address • Email Privacy Options: Leave it on CL mail relay • Checkmark where it says “show my number”, Checkmark “phone calls OK”, & Checkmark “text/sms OK” - Enter in your Business Phone Number (or personal cell) - Enter in your first name where it says Contact Name 
      • 8. Select “Continue” to go to the next page 
      • 9. Select “Continue” to go to the next page 
      • 10. Find an image of a distressed house on Google Images and upload it as an image. Type in “distressed house [your city name]” and download the image from Google. Upload it to Craigslist & now click “Done with Images” on Craigslist 
      • 11. Review the post and make sure there are no typos. Now, click “Publish” 
      • 12. Now go to the email address inbox of the email you put into the post because Craigslist will send you an email to complete the publishing of the ad. 
      • 13. Click the link in the email to finish publishing the ad 
      • 14. Congratulations you have successfully created & posted the Craigslist Ad! 
  3. Groups (Online & In-Person) Approach for MLS Assistant Access.
    • Attend in-person meetings and/or online groups to find investor-friendly agents/brokers. The purpose of this approach is to go to where investor-friendly Agents/Brokers gather, which increases our chances of finding an investor-friendly Agent/Broker who can help us get MLS Assistant Access. (This is how Alex was able to get his first MLS Assistant Access & works like a charm!)
    • Types of In-Person Meetings to Attend:
      • Real Estate Investors Associations (REIAs), MeetUps, Real Estate Investing Networking Events. You can find REIAs by going to Google.com and type in “Real Estate Investors Associations Near Me”, “Real Estate Investors Associations [Your City Name]”, and/or “[Your City Name] REIA”, go to the websites of the REIAs that pop up in the search results & put the next meeting time in your calendar. You can find Meetups by going to meetup.com - Search “Real Estate Investing” and/or “Real Estate Investor”, search within “5/10/50 miles” of [Your City Name], join the groups that match the area you are looking for, & sign up to attend the next meetings.
    • Types of Online Groups:
      • Real Estate Investor Facebook Groups You can find them by going to the top search bar in Facebook, type in “Real Estate Investors in [Your State or City Name]”, filter for Groups only by clicking on “Groups, join the groups that matches the area you are looking for. Join as many relevant groups as you can. Keep in mind, some groups you will get access to instantly, & some may take awhile to get access to because you have to wait on the admin to approve your access. You can now create posts in the group inquiring about working with investor-friendly agents/brokers & then can inquire about MLS Assistant Access. 
  4. Targeted / Direct Outreach Approach for MLS Assistant Access.
    • What is it? In this approach, we directly target the agents we want to work with by finding distressed listings on redfin.com. - 
    • Why do we do this approach? Well, the listing agents we target are already listing distressed which means they’re most likely investor-friendly and want to work with investors like you & me. - 
    • How to do this? Go to https://www.redfin.com/, type in your city name & click search, click on “More Filters”, select “Fixer-Uppers Only”, click on “Apply Filters”, click on one of the distressed listings, scroll down and find who the Listing Agent is next to “Listed by”, copy & paste the entire sentence of “Listed by [Listing Agent’s Name] • [Listing Brokerage Name]” into a Google search, click on the search results to find the phone number of the Listing Agent and possibly their email. Now you can contact them directly! 
  5. Instagram Hashtags Approach for MLS Assistant Access. 
    • What is it? In this approach, we use the hashtag search function on instagram.com to find real estate agents we can contact for MLS Assistant Access. 
    • Why we do it? Great way to find active real estate agents quickly. You can engage with them on social media by first liking & commenting on their posts. Then, you can send them a direct message through instagram letting them know you are a real estate investor and would like to work with them in a mutually beneficial way. 
    • How to do it? Find real estate agents on instagram using the hashtag search function. Type in your city name + “realestateagent” Make sure it's all one word! Examples of hashtags to type in if you were located in Dallas, TX: “realestateagentdallas”, “dallasrealestateagent”, “dallasfixerupper”, “dallasrealtor”, “realtordallas” 

There you go! Those are several ways to get instant access to MLS Listings TODAY without a real estate license so that this will no longer be a hindrance. You got this!

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