NOW AVAILABLE: 2026 MLS Handbook - Residential (aka Handbook on Multiple Listing Policy) 

Published January 2026 | Please note, due to high demand there may be slight shipping delays on this item. Thank you for your understanding. 

PRO TIP: Unlock a 10% discount when you purchase the complete bundle of 2026 Code of Ethics materials instead of buying them individually. Maximize your savings while accessing all the essential resources! 

Designed for MLS and association staff executives, legal counsel, residential and MLS committee members, and anyone involved in the real estate industry, the 2026 MLS Handbook - Residential serves as an essential guide.

This Handbook serves as a comprehensive resource, providing guidance for REALTOR® associations on the operation of multiple listing services, aligning with the policies set forth by the National Association's Board of Directors.

Inside, you'll discover model enabling provisions designed for easy insertion into association bylaws, allowing for the establishment of robust multiple listing services. Additionally, the Handbook includes meticulously crafted bylaws, rules, and regulations, empowering MLSs to deliver optimal service and streamline operational efficiency.

Adherence to the mandatory MLS policies established by the National Association's Board of Directors is crucial for associations and association-owned MLSs. Compliance ensures continued status as esteemed member associations and secures coverage under the National Association's master professional liability insurance program.

Equip your association or MLS with the indispensable guidance found in the 2026 MLS Handbook - Residential to navigate the complexities of multiple listing service operations effectively.

Physical version includes one (1) handbook.

Published Handbook Correction:

In Parts C and F (pages 56 and 100), the underlined and highlighted text below was inadvertently omitted.  This has been corrected in the online versions of the Handbook.  Please make a note of it within any hard copy publication of the Handbook you have.  

Section 1.3  Multiple Listing Options for Sellers

Office Exclusive: Where the seller has directed the listing broker to not publicly market their property and to not disseminate it through the MLS to other MLS Participants and Subscribers, the Participant may then take the listing as an office exclusive exempt listing and such listing shall be filed with the MLS, subject to its local filing rules, but not disseminated to other MLS Participants and Subscribers.

Delayed Marketing: Where the sellers has directed the listing broker to delay the public marketing of their property through IDX and syndication for [insert local delayed period as set by MLS’s unfettered local discretion].  A delayed marketing exempt listing shall be filed with the MLS, subject to its local filing rules, and disseminated to other MLS Participants and Subscribers.  The listing broker shall not be precluded from marketing the delayed marketing exempt listing in a manner consistent with their seller’s choice.

Exempt Listing Disclosure: The filing of an exempt listing (office exclusive or delayed marketing) with the MLS must be pursuant to a certification, signed by the seller, obtained by the listing broker which includes:

• • disclosure about the professional relationship between the Participant and the seller;
  • acknowledgement that the seller understands the MLS benefits they are waiving or delaying with the exempt listing, such as broad and immediate exposure of their listing through the MLS; and
  • confirmation of the seller’s decision that their listing not be publicly marketed and disseminated by the MLS as an office exclusive listing or that their listing will not have immediate public marketing through IDX and Syndication as a delayed marketing listing.

Multiple Listing Options for Sellers requirements only apply to listing types that are subject to mandatory submission pursuant to the MLS local rules. M (Amended 8/25) M