Real estate is changing fast, and agents are paying attention. After a year of lawsuits, settlements, and industry shakeups, many professionals are quietly rethinking what it means to belong — and whether that belonging still serves their business. Some agents are taking matters into their own hands.
They’re joining organizations like the American Real Estate Association (AREA) and platforms such as MyStateMLS to reclaim control over their listings, their costs, and how they show up for clients. For decades, being part of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) was the default. Membership came with rules, fees, and a shared MLS structure that shaped nearly every transaction in the country. But after the 2024 settlement changed the way commissions are displayed and cooperation is defined, many agents started to ask: What if there’s another way?
AREA, co founded by Compass agent Jason Haber and The Agency’s Mauricio Umansky, already has more than 16,000 members — including the 6,600 agents of Douglas Elliman. The group’s mission is simple: give agents a stronger voice and push for more transparency across the industry.
At the same time, MyStateMLS, founded by Dawn Pfaff, offers something equally valuable — freedom. It’s a nationwide MLS that allows agents to post listings on Realtor.com, Zillow, and Homes.com without needing NAR membership. With more than 50,000 members across all 50 states, it’s proof that flexibility and visibility can coexist. Agents from brands like Douglas Elliman, eXp Realty, and SERHANT are already using MyStateMLS, often alongside their local MLS. They’re not leaving the traditional model yet — they’re expanding beyond it. For most, the motivation is clear: reach, flexibility, and control.
Traditional MLS systems often limit how listings are marketed or where they appear. MyStateMLS gives agents and sellers more freedom to decide whether to promote “coming soon” listings, office exclusives, or full syndication across hundreds of national and international websites.
Cost is another factor. An AREA membership and MyStateMLS subscription together run about $560 per year. Compare that with the thousands many agents pay annually for local, state, and national association dues, and it’s easy to see why the model is catching on. And MyStateMLS isn’t alone. Unlock MLS in Texas and Phoenix REALTORS®’ MLS Choice program are also experimenting with non NAR access, each taking its own approach to independence. Together, they’re reshaping what an MLS can be in real time. When lawsuits hit, many traditional MLSs had to rewrite rulebooks and retrain members. Independent systems simply kept moving. That stability matters to agents who need consistency in a market already full of uncertainty.
We may look back on this moment as the start of a new chapter — one where agents choose how they work, what they pay, and who represents them. The NAR settlement forced change, but it also cleared the path for innovation. For the first time in decades, agents have real options. They can build their businesses on their own terms and define what professionalism looks like in a post NAR world.
2026 might just be the year of the "Freedom" agent.
