How Privy’s First-Party MLS Data Gives You a Competitive Edge

Real estate agents and investors all have one thing in common. They can benefit from using a multiple listing service (MLS) as the basis for finding their next real estate investment deal. An MLS database is created with information from real estate agents and other sources to provide insights into properties within a particular market. 

Agents and investors can see different listings and connect by using an MLS. Most MLS listings will include detailed information for each property sale, including listing price, property features, previous renovations, and square footage. MLS data is provided for on-market deals but can also be utilized when searching for off-market properties. 

Privy is unique because we’re the only real estate platform allowing investors access to this first-party MLS data. Traditionally, MLS data has been closed to investors and kept amongst real estate agents. Privy allows this information to be shared, via real estate agent matching,  with investors— providing the most accurate and transparent data—right from the source. 

Understanding the value of first party MLS data can help you conduct in-depth analysis and leverage data insights for better decision-making. Read on to find out more about how Privy’s direct-to-MLS data gives you a competitive edge.

What is First Party MLS Data?

Multiple list service (MLS) data is used by local and national real estate agents, creating a database for sharing information about properties. This information helps connect potential buyers and agents within an MLS area with most focusing on a specific state or region. 

An MLS acts as an online database of listings with extensive property information, provided by sellers or brokerages, to give investors and agents an overview of the property’s potential. First-party MLS data comes directly from the source, such as a brokerage, and isn’t being gathered from another third-party source that may not be as reliable. 

An individual MLS is typically affiliated with a specific agent or broker, enabling them to create an electronic database that is regularly updated. A regional database is created by gathering data and information from multiple brokerages for greater coverage. 

Privy uses direct-to-MLS data, taking it right from the source, to ensure accuracy and validity. MLS data makes on-market deals profitable, giving agents and investors the local and market insights they need to assess a property’s potential. 

Our in-built MLS tools give access to comprehensive property listings with data coverage for 98% of the United States and market trends to keep you ahead of the competition. We’re incorporating new areas into our coverage on a rolling basis, having recently extended our direct-to-MLS coverage to Prescott, Arizona, Northern California, and Northeast Alabama.

The Advantages of Using First-Party MLS Data

Privy gives investors access to first-party MLS data usually reserved only for local agents. This direct-to-MLS data also benefits real estate agents expanding into new markets by giving them local insights.

For investors, first-party MLS data bridges the gap between what’s included in a property listing and the wider market context. Using direct-to-MLS data can enable you to assess the potential of a property before it becomes widely viewed by other parties. Privy combines this MLS data with tested investor strategies and market insights to help investors make more informed decisions with real-time data insights.

Direct-to-MLS data is something every real estate agent or investor should pay attention to. Check out our guide on why you shouldn’t dismiss MLS data and why on-market deals are still profitable. The right tools enable you to complete a comprehensive market analysis using MLS data to determine a property’s potential in just a few clicks. Direct-to-MLS data ensures your information is accurate, valid, and immediate. 

11 Benefits of Using Direct-to-MLS Data

Privy helps you leverage MLS data to find your target property type, from long-term rentals to fixer-uppers. Privy’s Auto Deal Finder uses MLS data to identify teardown opportunities for investors looking to diversify their real estate portfolio. Direct-to-MLS data is updated in real time, keeping you ahead of the competition.

• Accurate information: Direct-to-MLS data is the most reliable information on the market as it’s provided by real estate agents within the local market. Real estate agents and investors can use this information as a basis to make more informed decisions.
• Extensive property listings: An MLS acts as a central database for listings, giving real estate agents a platform to promote listings to other agents and brokerages who might have a suitable client. These extensive property listings provide exposure, leading to more efficient sales.
• Cooperation: Direct-to-MLS data enhances cooperation between brokerages and real estate agents. It’s an ideal tool for real estate professionals seeking to expand their portfolios and enter new markets.
• Comprehensive property information: First-party MLS data provides the most reliable and detailed information about properties, from their dimensions to photographs and previous owners.
• Streamlined property searches: Agents and investors can search for properties faster, narrowing their search to meet their desired preferences. Direct-to-MLS data can be filtered by features, price range, location, and other parameters. 
• Time efficient: Utilizing MLS data removes the time-consuming process of contacting different agents or scrolling through listing websites like Zillow. 
• Pricing guidance: MLS data enables agents and investors to create competitive pricing strategies by assessing market trends and evaluating a property’s potential. Privy’s database puts everything you need on one platform.
• Historical data analysis: MLS data isn’t just for properties currently on the market. It can provide valuable insights for historical data analysis by providing data to assist with determining market trends and better understanding local markets.
• Improved transparency: First-party MLS data ensures transparency throughout the real estate industry as these listings are widely available to professionals throughout the industry. Agents, buyers, and investors are better informed with direct-to-MLS data.
• Accountability: MLS data gives users confidence in its reliability, validity, and quality, as those who provide data to the service are expected to meet strong professional and ethical standards.
• Agent-investor connections: Direct-to-MLS data connects agents and investors with Privy, taking this one step further with our Privy Pro Agents. Agents can work with investors searching for properties like those they’ve sold previously or within their area of expertise. 

Privy ensures data integrity and compliance, updating our direct-to-MLS data every 15 minutes. Our data, from MLS databases to validated public records, facilitate accurate off-market and MLS comps for faster insights. 

Agents and investors can utilize our direct-to-MLS data for actionable insights and to compare real estate metrics. first^t-part MLS data makes it easy to make informed decisions and identify on-market listings that match your needs with side-by-side comparisons of investment strategies and extensive filtering options.  

Direct-to-MLS Data Helps Locate Motivated Sellers

A major benefit of first-party MLS data is that it helps investors and real estate agents to connect with motivated sellers. Instead of spending money on lead generation and skip tracing, using direct-to-MLS data can help you find sellers ready to sell. This data makes it possible to identify property owners open to a potential off-market sale, rather than relying on working with distressed sellers who could be difficult to work with. 

Privy connects you directly with motivated sellers, keeping you ahead of the competition with access to first-party direct-to-MLS data. With the help of this first-party data, Privy turns every real estate market into your local market. Unique insights and networking opportunities with local real estate agents can streamline the deal process to help everyone win – including the agent, buyer, and seller.

Get a Competitive Edge with Privy’s First-Party MLS Data

First-party MLS data gives you information from the source, providing enhanced market insights to identify trends and opportunities. Putting MLS data at the center of your workflow can help streamline decision-making, including assessing property value and market potential. This data is crucial to supporting decision-making to give you a competitive edge within competitive markets. 

Direct-to-MLS data enhances opportunities for real estate agents to improve their client engagement by accessing information as soon as it appears in the database. An agent can target and search for properties that align with their client’s profile to build trust and deliver faster sales.

The Privy ecosystem is designed to maximize the potential of our direct-to-MLS data with exclusive insights. It streamlines investment opportunities for on-market and off-market properties with real-time insights to allow investors and agents to navigate new markets easily. 

MLS data can be effectively used in areas with high investor activity, with Privy clients regularly finding properties at up to 60% of ARV. Urban areas and those with high investor activity benefit most from direct-to-MLS data. You can follow our Privy ‘crack the code’ tutorial to see how to leverage first-party MLS data for on-market deals.

Our 360-degree market analysis takes this direct-to-MLS data one step further with exclusive insights, including property management information, to support more informed decision-making. With first-party data, you have the competitive edge with both on-market and off-market deals to maximize every opportunity.

Real-Time Investor Deal Tracking

Agents and investors don’t have time to crunch the numbers for every deal. Direct-to-MLS data is at the core of our LiveCMA, which analyzes investments with real-time updates to reflect the conditions of your chosen real estate market. See where your local market is going next and conduct accurate forecasting using information from completed listings, existing sales, and rental comps. 

Privy’s MLS data is key to optimizing real estate investing by helping to identify opportunities and track trends. 

Enhanced Market Insights

One of the main challenges investors and agents face is determining the accurate value of a property. That’s why direct-to-MLS data matters, as it provides enhanced market insights to understand what a fair market value is for a property. 

Our live comparative market analysis utilizes this MLS data and simplifies the valuation process with real-time information. Investors can choose properties that align best with their strategy, while agents can guide their clients to make the most informed decisions. Our comparative search goes one step further, enabling investors and real estate agents to replicate successful strategies and identify housing comps to find similar properties. 

Privy removes the guesswork and helps you get the most out of your direct-to-MLS data to close your next deal.

Improved Client Engagement

It’s worth highlighting the importance of direct-to-MLS data in delivering improved client engagement. If you’re a real estate agent, this data can help you bring more value to your clients by ensuring an accurate property valuation. Misjudging a property’s worth is easy if you cannot conduct a real-time real estate comparison, which may result in missed opportunities or costly mistakes. 

Utilizing  first⁼-party data ensures your client is given the correct information and that you have the knowledge to advise them on their next steps. Using a direct-to-MLS platform like Privy can give you the competitive edge to grow long-lasting relationships with local investors and build your reputation. 

If you’re an agent looking to build connections with investors, Privy offers exclusive opportunities with our Privy Pro Agent program. You can interact seamlessly with investor clients and share property information branded to you and your brokerage. It’s a seamless way to scale your operations and explore new opportunities.