Clareity26 didn’t feel like a conference about change. It felt like a conference inside of change.
More than 200 MLS executives, brokers, and industry leaders gathered in Tucson with a shared understanding that the rules are shifting in real time. From AI adoption and cybersecurity threats to private listings and legal pressure, the conversations weren’t about what might happen next. They were about what’s happening now.
This was also the final Clareity Workshop after a 24-year run. That added weight to every discussion. This wasn’t just another event. It was a moment of reflection for an industry that is being forced to redefine itself.
Here’s my takeaways but if you want to read the full recap of Clareity26, download the document with photos of every panel, in this WAV Group report – here.
A marketplace worth protecting and evolving
Kevin Greene opened the event with a reminder that grounded everything that followed. The MLS is still one of the most effective marketplaces ever created.
That’s easy to forget when headlines focus on disruption. But throughout the workshop, one point kept surfacing. This system works. It delivers transparency, cooperation, and efficiency at scale.
At the same time, no one is pretending it doesn’t need to evolve. Pressure is coming from new business models, legal scrutiny, meeting broker expectations, and increasingly, technology.
The question isn’t whether the MLS survives. It’s whether it adapts fast enough to stay relevant in a very different environment.
AI isn’t coming, it’s already everywhere
Gregg Larson’s CES recap reinforced something many in the room already suspected. AI is no longer a future conversation.
It’s embedded in everything. From consumer devices to enterprise infrastructure, AI is now part of how systems operate, how decisions are made, and how work gets done. The real estate industry is not ahead of this curve, but it’s also not immune to it.
The implication is straightforward. MLSs, brokerages, and associations are no longer deciding if they adopt AI. They are deciding how fast they can catch up, and education is the vital next step.
That theme carried through nearly every session that followed.
Legal pressure is rising and so is accountability
Most legal updates at conferences are on the last day when few attend. At Clareity26, all hands were on deck for the industry legal review, and for good reason.
Real estate is operating under increased scrutiny, with litigation, policy changes, and regulatory pressure shaping decisions at every level. What stood out wasn’t just the complexity. It was the uncertainty.
Key issues around listing access, governance, the legal ramifications of AI and the need for continued transparency are still evolving. That puts MLSs and associations in a difficult position, making strategic decisions without clear long-term legal certainty.
The takeaway here isn’t fear. It’s awareness. Organizations that proactively evaluate their policies, structure, and risk exposure will be better positioned than those waiting for clarity that may not come, at least not quickly.
What brokers actually need and aren’t always getting
One of the most practical sessions of the event came from Jim Adams interviewed by WAV Group Founding Partner, Victor Lund. Jim offered a clear look at how MLS decisions impact brokers in the real world.
The gap between intention and execution is still wide. MLSs may design policies, tools, and data standards with the best intentions, but brokers are the ones dealing with the day-to-day reality. They are navigating multiple MLS systems, overlapping tools, and constant change.
Communication continues to be a major issue. Not because MLSs aren’t communicating, but because brokers and agents are overwhelmed with information.
The message was simple. Alignment matters. If MLSs want to deliver value, they need to think less about what they’re offering and more about how it actually gets used.
Old conversations aren’t going away, they’re evolving
The broker-MLS relationship session felt like a continuation of a conversation that has been happening for over a decade.
Transparency, enforcement, and alignment are still core issues. What’s changed is the environment around them. Technology, AI, and new business models are amplifying existing tensions rather than replacing them.
There is still a strong collaborative tone between brokers and MLSs, but expectations are rising. Brokers want consistency, clarity, and accountability, and they are more vocal about it than ever.
Private listings move from theory to reality
If there was one topic that clearly shifted at Clareity26, it was private listings.
This is no longer a theoretical conversation. MLSs are actively adapting. They are introducing flex listing models, adjusting exposure controls, and working more closely with brokers to accommodate new strategies.
The goal isn’t to eliminate these approaches. It is to ensure listings still flow back into the MLS.
That balance between flexibility and cooperation is becoming one of the defining challenges for MLS leadership.
Cybersecurity is the risk no one can ignore
The most sobering moment of the event came during the cybersecurity demonstration by Freakyclown.
It wasn’t complex. That was the point. FC showed how one click can compromise an entire organization.
What followed reinforced something every MLS and brokerage should already understand. Cybersecurity is not an IT issue. It is a people issue.
Training is no longer one-and-done: it’s ongoing. Policies are no longer optional. Awareness is no longer optional. And yet, many MLS organizations are still way behind.
The most honest session: There is no consensus
Greg Robertson’s game show-style panel may have been the most revealing session of the event.
Participants held up red cards, green cards, and sometimes both. The format made something very clear. Leaders across the industry do not agree on many of the biggest issues.
AI, data access, governance, and monetization all drew mixed reactions. There is no unified direction.
That is not necessarily a problem. It reflects an industry working through change in real time, with different markets, business models, and leadership perspectives driving different conclusions.
As Greg put it, “It’s real estate. We’ll try everything.”
AI adoption isn’t the risk, ignoring it is
The AI panel that followed brought today’s hottest issue into focus.
Agents are already using AI. That is not up for debate. The real issue is that much of it is happening without visibility, without policy, and without guidance – the true risk called “Shadow AI.”
Trying to stop it isn’t realistic. The path forward is education, governance, and enablement. We need to find more ways to say “Yes” to AI. More ways to offer a carrot vs. a stick, and not let the fear of AI force people to put their heads in the sand.
The bottom line: Organizations that lean into AI responsibly will gain an advantage. Those that hesitate will fall behind.
A market that may be closer to the bottom than the headlines suggest
Despite everything happening today, the agent sentiment survey revealed at Clareity shows our industry overall remains relatively strong. Most agents plan to stay in the business. Commission pressure is real, but not universal.
Transaction volume is still constrained, but it may be closer to a floor than many think. At the same time, AI adoption continues to accelerate.
Even in a slower market, innovation is not slowing down.
Leadership, succession, and what comes next
One of the final sessions focused on something often overlooked in industry conversations. Leadership continuity.
Succession planning is no longer something to think about later. It needs to be actively managed. Organizations need to develop internal talent, document institutional knowledge, and align leadership with long-term strategy.
In a period of rapid change, stability matters just as much as innovation.
It made me wonder: could an AI clone containing the institutional knowledge of departing industry veteran be a fix to help their predecessor? Could we solve our industry’s brain-drain issue with such an approach?
The real opportunity: Turning tools into outcomes
The final panel brought everything together around one core issue. Adoption.
The industry does not have a shortage of tools. It has a shortage of usage.
MLSs are being challenged to move beyond delivering technology and start driving outcomes through coaching, education, and engagement. Especially with AI, the gap between what is available and what is actually used daily is significant.
Closing that gap may be one of the biggest opportunities ahead.
The end of Clareity and what carries forward
Clareity26 underscored this. The industry is not standing still.
It is moving quickly across AI, cybersecurity, private listings, governance, and leadership. But what stood out most was not just the pace of change. It was the willingness of leaders to engage with it, to share openly, to challenge each other, and to test ideas.
That is what made Clareity different. Let’s hope it’s successor – MLS Reset – continues to fuel the same results.
Note: You can read a recap of all sessions at Clareity26 in this WAV Group report – here.
