Just as the internet vastly improved how you trade stocks and arrange your travel, the Universal MLS is changing the way you sell your home.

As an example of how the Internet changed the world, think how stocks used to be sold. You had to drive down to see a "stock broker", open an account there, and sit by their desk while they retrieved data on their computer system. Then you had to tell the broker which stocks to buy or sell, and finally pay them a large commission. Today, you go to Schwab.com, Etrade.com, or Scottrade.com, do your own research using their tools, decide what to buy or sell, click a button, and pay something like $9.

To help you understand what Universal MLS does, consider how websites like Travelocity.com, Orbitz.com, or Expedia.com changed how you buy airplane tickets or reserve hotel rooms. Years back you drove to a single travel agent and sat behind their computer while they searched for your travel options. You received only the information this one source gave you and paid their commission through the price of your tickets.

Today, you open up sites like Travelocity, Orbitz, and Expedia and look through all the options available. Fueling these travel sites is an information database of plane schedules and hotel openings. Think of Universal MLS as the data source or database that fuels real estate websites. It's similar to the database Travelocity or Orbitz may draw from in the travel industry. Business owners create websites and advertise your home to build their own businesses like Expedia does in the travel industry.

The Universal MLS is the future of real estate, and you can take advantage of
the system today.