We sometimes get questions on how decisions get made at RMLS™ and how to get involved. If you are interested in knowing more about RMLS™ and how it operates, our new monthly column MLS Insight is for you. To get everyone on the same page, my first posts will explore the basics of RMLS™ ownership, governance, and history. Later we will also explore new ideas surfacing at the MLS industry level and let you know what the RMLS™ Board of Directors is talking about.

Who Owns RMLS™?
RMLS™ is incorporated in Oregon and is wholly owned by three REALTOR® associations: Portland Metro (PMAR), East Metro (EMAR), and Clark County (CCAR). The role of our shareholders is to appoint directors to serve on the RMLS™ Board of Directors and to approve any changes to the RMLS™ Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws.

Who Makes the Decisions?
The RMLS™ Board of Directors sets the high-level direction for RMLS™. For example, this includes approval of any new major vendors (like SentriLock), setting priorities for the development work on RMLSweb (which we do in house), approving any major policy changes and approving all changes to the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations. The RMLS™ Board of Directors also hire the President and CEO of the corporation, who has the responsibility for making the many day-to-day decisions that keep the company on course.

Who are the RMLS™ Board of Directors?
RMLS™ Directors are appointed for three-year terms. Nine come from PMAR, three from EMAR, and three from CCAR. In addition, two directors sit on the board representing the Service Advisory Committee (SAC), which provides a voice for all the REALTOR® associations that RMLS™ serves, but which are not shareholders in RMLS™.

Next month we will cover the RMLS™ standing committees that ensure that we have practitioner input into decisions, planning, and regulation. If you have questions you would like to have answered about RMLS™ governance or operation, I encourage you to post a comment to this blog.