The MLS used to be a listing book run by committees. Today it is a mission-critical technology provider. Success depends on secure data operations, fast product innovation, and the ability to protect broker interests in a digital marketplace. Minnesota sees this clearly and is acting on it.

NorthstarMLS has unveiled a governance model designed for the future. Six of eleven directors will now be independent experts in areas technology, strategy, cybersecurity, legal governance, finance, and brand leadership. The new model ensures a strong, dedicated, and robust practitioner voice by reserving five seats for practicing real estate professionals, guaranteeing that the board’s strategic direction remains grounded in the day-to-day realities and real business needs of the entire brokerage community

This is how an MLS prepares for an AI-first industry. By putting specialized expertise in the room, NorthstarMLS can accelerate new initiatives and lean into the next generation of services. Crucially, gaining experienced business leaders is key to achieving digital sovereignty, ensuring the value created by brokers stays with the people who own and operate the real estate markets, the brokers and agents powered by the MLS. 

Stronger operational excellence at Northstar means stronger performance for every data partner that wants to connect with them. More secure pipelines. More consistent AI experiences. Carefully administered with proper guidelines. Faster speed to market for new technology. Broker and agent first. 

The three shareholder REALTOR Associations remain vested owners, and this structure ensures they gain a modern board and a more efficient operating engine. A smaller board enables faster action. The executive committee can capture opportunities without delay. Legal participation in every meeting improves risk management. These factors drive improved uptime, better cybersecurity, and faster integration cycles.

When NorthstarMLS performance rises, the value and competitive edge for every broker and agent subscriber rises with it. A well-run MLS is a powerful, mission-critical resource dedicated to the success of the entire broker community. Treat it like a real technology enterprise and the upside can become difficult to measure. NorthstarMLS shareholders are betting that this structure will unlock value for decades by increasing product strength, reducing cost burdens, and expanding revenue-producing capabilities across market partners.

NorthstarMLS has been punching above its weight for years. Former CEO John Mosey built a culture willing to experiment and win. CEO Tim Dain is converting that energy into operational speed and the execution of a modern AI strategy and service deployment. This governance update aligns leadership, competence, and accountability for the next stage of growth.

NorthstarMLS’s long standing success is a testament to the dedication and expertise of its current and prior leadership, including the large brokerages who helped build this great organization and gave so much of their time and insight. This new governance model evolves that foundation, ensuring the MLS remains a valuable business tool long into the future. By adding true independent expertise to the board of directors, NorthstarMLS will be different, and different today, is good. We are confident that NorthstarMLS and its shareholders will embrace this opportunity to ensure every broker’s voice is actively delivered to the MLS, establishing and communicating formalized channels for input that complement the board’s work. This new governance structure clearly adds high level expertise, it must also ensure a continued and diverse broker voice, and proactively reduce risk for everyone involved.

Not all MLSs are ready for this. Some will stay where they are, protected by legacy politics. Others will follow Minnesota’s lead once they see the results.

The path is clear. Those who choose digital sovereignty and professional governance will shape the future. Those who wait will eventually rent their future from someone else.

NorthstarMLS chose progress. The industry just gained a clearer view of what modern MLS leadership looks like.

Press release follows.

NorthstarMLS Shareholder Associations Lead the Way with Visionary Governance Model

Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN – October 29, 2025 – The Shareholder Associations of NorthstarMLS—SPAAR, MAR, and SEMR—are taking a bold, visionary step to significantly enhance the strategic, technical, financial, and oversight capabilities of NorthstarMLS. This change positions NorthstarMLS to anticipate, respond to, and chart its course in the rapidly evolving real estate industry while also proactively managing risk in today’s environment. The RMLS Shareholder Visionary Task Force, comprised of representatives from the Minneapolis Area REALTORS® (MAR), the Saint Paul Area Association of REALTORS® (SPAAR), and the Southeast Minnesota REALTORS® (SEMR), recommended a new, business-forward governance model for NorthstarMLS. This makes NorthstarMLS one of the first Multiple Listing Services to adopt a modern governance structure explicitly designed to improve decision making through enhanced expertise.

“The real estate industry is undergoing a rapid transformation, driven by shifts in broker perspective, a changing business environment, and rapid advancements in technology,” said Tim Dain, CEO of NorthstarMLS.

“Our priority is to ensure NorthstarMLS moves ahead as a vital asset for the licensed real estate professionals who rely on MLS services. This new governance structure is a proactive, forward-thinking move that will strengthen the organization.”

Key Elements of the Governance Changes

The new governance model focuses on creating an expert-driven board while maintaining essential marketplace perspective:

  • Restructured Board of Directors: The NorthstarMLS Board will be reduced from twenty (20) directors to eleven (11) directors to streamline decision making and bring new expertise to the NorthstarMLS Board.
  • Expertise Majority: Six (6) out of eleven (11) directors will be recruited and chosen from outside the real estate industry. These independent directors will bring subject matter expertise in critically challenging areas such as law, technology, and marketing.
  • Practitioner Insight: Five (5) out of eleven (11) directors will be licensed real estate practitioners “actively engaged” in the NorthstarMLS service area. These independent directors will bring industry knowledge, experience, and wisdom to the boardroom.
  • Establishment of a New Executive Committee: In order to respond quickly to new opportunities, the organization will have a small, nimble executive committee that will work together unanimously to address new opportunities as they come.
  • Enhanced Professionalism: The new structure requires NorthstarMLS outside counsel to attend all board and executive committee meetings to address legal concerns rapidly and consistently.

By adopting these visionary recommendations, NorthstarMLS is setting a new standard for MLS governance, enhancing the organization’s ability to navigate future challenges, and ensuring it remains a well-run, forward-looking asset for its members and the communities they serve.

About NorthstarMLS:

The Regional Multiple Listing Service of Minnesota, Inc., doing business as NorthstarMLS, is the premier real estate multiple listing service in the Upper Midwest. We provide updated, accurate listing data and relevant resources to real estate professionals throughout the region, helping them facilitate the American Dream of homeownership. With our MLS and real estate resources, we’re equipping brokers, agents, appraisers and staff with the information and knowledge they need not only to make the property market function but also to make their businesses thrive.