TARMLS Announces Expansion in Southern Arizona – New Name MLSSAZ

TUCSON, AZ – The Tucson Association of REALTORS® MLS (TARMLS) is pleased to announce that as of January 1, 2016 the new name is Multiple Listing Service of Southern Arizona (MLSSAZ). MLSSAZ will be a single MLS for the membership of the Tucson Association of REALTORS®, Green Valley/ Sahuarita Association of REALTORS®, and the Santa Cruz County Board of REALTORS®.

Four years ago, TARMLS started a project with the MLSs in Southern Arizona to standardize the way data was input and tracked. When that project was completed, the executives and leadership of TARMLS, the Green Valley/Sahuarita MLS, and the Santa Cruz County MLS continued to meet and discuss the concept of a Regional MLS (a single MLS that spans the territory of more than one REALTOR® Association). The taskforce that was put in place saw the benefits to MLS Subscribers across the region and decided to proceed with a Regional MLS.

Over two years and with much discussion, the taskforce recommended to the Board of Directors for all three organizations that a regional MLS be formed. On December 10, 2015, the final approval was received from the TARMLS shareholder (Tucson Association of REALTORS®), to proceed with the regionalization and do business as the MLS of Southern Arizona beginning January 1, 2016.

Henry Zipf, 2015 MLS Board President who served on the MLSSAZ taskforce explained, “We had an amazing group of leaders from all three MLSs, and I am proud to have been a part in the process of bringing our organizations together for the benefit of our Subscribers.”

“The new regional MLS will have benefits from all three MLSs. Our Subscribers will see increased efficiency, data quality, and cooperation across the region.” Sean Murphy, the MLSSAZ Executive Vice President, said, “First and foremost, MLSSAZ will be a unified MLS to offer cooperation for the greater Tucson, Green Valley/Sahuarita, and Santa Cruz County areas. When completed, MLS Subscribers will have access to all of the listing information and a larger pool of potential buyers without having to join multiple MLSs. MLSSAZ will also have a single Flexmls system, single set of rules, and robust set of tools and services for the entire region.”

During the first quarter of 2016, the MLSSAZ team will begin merging the databases into one. There will be a new set of rules and regulations which was created by all three of the MLSs involved with the regionalization. During the transition, MLSSAZ will provide Subscribers with notices and educational tips regarding the new rules.

“The team at MLSSAZ is excited for the opportunity to join with the REALTORS® in Green Valley/ Sahuarita and Santa Cruz County areas,” said Murphy. He adds, “The response from the participating MLS Services has been very positive.”

Judi Monday, President of the Green Valley/Sahuarita Board of Realtors stated, “We’re excited about the launching of the Multiple Listing Service of Southern Arizona (MLSSAZ) as it represents the opportunity to evolve in the same direction that the real estate industry is headed and ensures that we are upholding our sworn pledge to protect and promote the interests of our clients.”

Carlos Ramos, President of the Santa Cruz County Board of REALTORS® said, “We welcome the opportunities the Multiple Listing Service of Southern Arizona (MLSSAZ) will provide, including accurate and timely real estate data to better serve clients and fellow REALTORS® along the Arizona I-19 corridor and surrounding communities.”