Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED), the Chicagoland multiple listing service (MLS) representing over 40,000 real estate professionals in the Chicago area, has become the first MLS to launch the Broker Public Portal (BPP). BPP will be going to market with the Homesnap brand and with the full suite of consumer and agent-facing features offered by Homesnap. MRED customers will receive access to mobile real estate app Homesnap Pro and other benefits as a result of MRED s participation in and support of the BPP initiative. This is the first time that brokers in Chicago have supported an MLS-sponsored consumer home search experience in their market.

The BPP initiative is a collaboration between real estate brokerages, real estate franchisors and Multiple Listing Services (MLSs) across the United States to create a national home search experience for consumers that is more straightforward and clear than those offered by advertising-driven media companies. In May, the BPP board announced it had partnered with Homesnap, creator of highly-rated real estate apps for consumers and agents, to launch BPP under the Homesnap brand. This will include an iPhone app, Android app, and mobile and desktop websites. The experience will be free from ads and paid agent placement. Instead, consumers can easily collaborate with their own agent, or connect instantly to the listing agent, ensuring information and answers from a pro who truly knows the home, neighborhood and local market conditions.

“MRED is thrilled to be the first to implement BPP for its customers,” says Rebecca Jensen, President/Chief Executive Officer of MRED. “It was critically important to our leadership that the Fair Display Guidelines be the guiding light of this project, and we are proud to support a grassroots effort that has backing from all corners of the real estate industry.  Homesnap has a great track record in other markets and we are very excited to bring it to the Midwest as part of the suite of services we provide to our real estate professionals.”

“We commend MRED’s early participation in and bold support of BPP,” says Guy Wolcott, co-founder and CEO of Homesnap. “This initiative is designed to help MRED create nationwide listing exposure and lead generation for their members without having to pay to advertise their listings online.  MRED customers will enjoy many direct benefits, including access to Homesnap Pro and a robust platform to collaborate with their clients and each other. We are thrilled to be working with MRED and expect they will set the precedent for other MLSs to follow suit.”

“MRED shares our vision of home search defined by simplicity, integrity and common sense,” says BPP Co‐Chair John Mosey, CEO of Twin Cities-based NorthstarMLS, which serves Minnesota and Western Wisconsin. “Consumers and agents in greater Chicago will now be able to work together more easily, with better information, than ever before.”

For more information, visit www.mredllc.com.