Housing Data: Four Major Brokerages Build Open Listing Database

Four of the largest residential real estate brokerages in the United States have launched a shared database to challenge the dominance of private listings. The new platform, called Open Real Estate, aims to provide a complete set of listing data for brokers and consumers. It was announced on November 3, 2026.

The founding members are AGNT, HomeServices of America, Keller Williams, and Real REMAX Group. AGNT owns eXp Realty and NextHome. The group is inviting all other brokerages to join the system. Members must submit new listings to the database within one business day of accepting an offer.

The platform is designed to address the fragmentation of the current residential market. Private, or off-market, listings have become more common, particularly through the brokerage Compass. Compass currently faces more than half a dozen lawsuits with state and local Multiple Listing Services. These legal disputes focus on listing rules and antitrust claims.

Leo Pareja, CEO of AGNT, stated the goal is to ensure American consumers have access to reliable market data. He said the system aims to provide a complete data set that is true and accurate. This applies even when local listing services are fragmented or listings are kept in walled gardens.

Jonathan Miller, a housing market analyst and director of markets at StreetMatrix, described the launch as a direct response to Compass. He noted that Compass currently hides listings from competitors by design. Miller said the new open database is a better option for the market.

Compass CEO Robert Reffkin posted a message on X congratulating the founders. He said Compass is excited about a national service that returns power to homeowners and their agents. He called the move good news for agents and clients. However, when asked for further comment, Reffkin declined to elaborate.

Pareja responded to the public praise by inviting Compass to participate. He said the founders are grateful for the appreciation and would love to see them join the platform. The four founding firms are covering the initial costs for the infrastructure and technology. There is no initial charge or fee for new members.

Initial participants besides the founders include Brown Harris Stevens, Lamacchia Realty, Samson Properties, and Windermere. The system includes a specific feature called participant view. Properties in this view are visible only to agents from participating brokerages. They cannot be publicly marketed by anyone, including the listing agent.

Pareja said this exclusive view will be used sparingly. He indicated it is intended primarily for high-profile sellers, such as celebrities, who need to protect their privacy. The database is not intended to replace existing Multiple Listing Services. Pareja said the new platform will work alongside local MLSs rather than usurping them.

Legal tensions in the industry have escalated alongside the launch of the new database. New York’s OneKey MLS recently joined a federal lawsuit filed by the California Regional Multiple Listing Service against Compass. The organizations are seeking a court ruling that rules protecting shared public marketing of listings are lawful and pro-competitive. This follows OneKey's rejection of Compass's demands to dismantle local cooperation policies.

Richard Haggerty, CEO of OneKey MLS, said the case questions how homes are shared and how buyers access information. He stated that the issues demand clarity from the court to protect a fair housing market. Separately, six regional MLSs representing more than 120,000 real estate professionals filed a joint federal lawsuit against Compass last month. They seek to uphold rules that promote access to listings through publicly shared databases.