subject: Using Connecticut MLS Listings to Look for a Home [print this page] Using Connecticut MLS Listings to Look for a Home
For buyers and sellers, MLS listings provide the most comprehensive view of homes for sale in an area. Such information, however, is limited in scope when accessed online, and working with an agent or REALTOR is often the gateway to more thorough information. If you are looking to buy a home, accessing your local MLS listings will provide more properties to examine in your search.
MLS stands for multiple listing service. Essentially a database of all homes for sale in an area, MLS listings file every property for sale by an agent, unless exempt, and independent sellers may also have their properties available. The full MLS listings, however, are not directly accessible by the public; online listings offer incomplete information. Working with an agent is typically the quickest way to obtain this information. An agent will enter your information into a search engine for local MLS listings. The agent, then, will provide you with a comprehensive list of homes for sale in your area that match your criteria, and you will receive periodic updates regarding homes relevant to your search.
Regardless of where you are looking for a home, the local MLS listings provide thorough information about each property. The address, year built, square feet, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, upgrades, heating and cooling systems, acreage, financing options, and local features may be mentioned in a listing. Several photographs and a virtual tour accompany the information about the home or condo.
Where you are looking for a home in Connecticut, MLS listings cover the entire state. Larger states, however, may have MLS listings by region or area. Regardless of the scope of the listings, multiple local agents or REALTORS often join together, sharing information with other professionals. All MLS listings are subject to regulations set forth by the National Association of REALTORS.
In Connecticut, specifically, these listings are managed by the Connecticut Statewide MLS (CSMLS), in which brokers from all over the state cooperate with each other to put together property listings. CSMLS is run by REALTORS for REALTORS and is the official statewide MLS for the Connecticut Association of REALTORS, Inc.
Connecticut MLS listings operate like those in any other state or region. Contacting an agent for your search often provides you with the best results, and finding a home that meets your needs can be done through specifying a town, year built, home size, or any other parameter.
