Artificial intelligence is changing how real estate data is accessed, interpreted, and shared. As conversational AI platforms like ChatGPT become the primary interface for property information, MLS organizations face a pivotal question: who controls how that data is delivered? This new WAV Group report—authored by our AI innovation division, Fluente—lays out a clear case for why only broker-authorized MLSs should publish property listings to Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers, the technology connecting MLS data directly to AI systems.
The paper explains how MCP servers create a new distribution layer for real estate data and why traditional IDX and VOW rules no longer offer sufficient protection. Without policy updates, AI models could ingest and redistribute MLS data without oversight, repeating the mistakes of the portal era. The result would be weakened broker cooperation, inaccurate listings, and declining consumer trust—issues that threaten the very foundation of organized real estate.
WAV Group outlines a practical governance framework to prevent that outcome. By establishing broker-authorized MCP publishing, MLSs can ensure every AI conversation about real estate begins with verified, professionally governed data. This approach protects the integrity of MLS information, preserves the role of brokers as trusted market stewards, and secures the MLS’s relevance as the industry’s source of truth in the intelligent-assistant economy.
