What Debe Maxwell, CRS said. I'd like to add that what I've observed of MLS associations over the past two decades (we did not have an MLS or MLS board in NYC) is that these boards are essentially dictatorships and the membership feelings be damned! I belong because I have to... but the day I don't, I'm gone.

OMG, we experienced that same issue, John! More agents in Charlotte signed a petition to keep the 'areas' than had voted in the last two elections COMBINED. The Board turned us down - and NEVER cited a reason other than, "You will just have to get used to drawing map areas - oh and you can save those areas too!" BIG WHOOP - that's NOT what the agents who actually SELL real estate want, nor is it what the locals use for their searches. 

Good luck bringing areas back, John!

Get vocal with your board, and if that does not work then run for a position on the board.

The intent is to incrementally eliminate the choices an agent can make.

The intent is to compel agents to choose the thinly disguised market resources that limit their ability to PROTECT their client.

And like lemmings, the 'we got ethics' group insist on conformity.

I say  time for change is at hand and conformity needs to be rejected.

What will actually happen is outside forces will compel change, not the vision or courage of those within the industry.

I don't search by area. 

I did not look. Thank you!

This, just like banning us from using the term mls on our sites, is only done to help zillow. Our websites have subdivision pages which we agents set up and are too expensive for zillow to duplicate.

What happens when you do a map search? Do the homes in those areas show up?

Our MLS recently added MLS zones to our county - and the additions made sense as the new MLS zones do have their own market that is unique and different from the zones they where previously apart of.

If the driving reason for your and Debe Maxwell, CRS MLS for dropping MLS zones was to align with Zillow - that's kind of crummy and perhaps it's time for a new MLS in those areas.

Nope.

The good news here in NH is the whole state is on 1 MLS. 

I wouldn't use the word "grief" but there have been changes over the years I have seen. Some of those changes make immediate sense, others gain clarity over time and still others continue to confound.  But with respect to grief - no.  Sometimes changes involve creating a workaround for what works best for you.  For now.  Or the future.  

Haven't seen that here. However, changes are coming in waves in this fast paced world of technology.

Does not seem to be an issue here, YET!

Same in Oklahoma City.

Not really feeling your pain, sorry

In my MLS (NY) we can specifically search for a specific subdivision, but that only works if the listing agent typed in the correct subdivision name - it's not a required field, and there is no drop down menu on our search menus which allows us to select subdivisions. We have to just type it in our main search menu as one of the criteria items. So I don't think we have the same functionality you have had. 

We have not.

I'm not sure our MLS has/had this feature John Mosier . If it did/does I never used it.

I'm not sure I understand what you are talking about John...

As Bob Crane wrote. Your Board should be working for you and not to accommodate outside commercial interests.

We have not had that in my area, which recently moved to flex.  We have tract codes out here, but the problem is out of area agents are not required to use them, so the search function for them has become useless.  That's more of a data-share thing though.

Not happened here in southern Utah.

Too often people in high places make decisions for those that live in the trenches....The result?  It is all out of touch and out of flow

that has NOT happened in MA....

No grief here, hasn't happened here.

I do know our board is going through changes though.

well

That has not happened in Atlanta. Hope they find a resolution to solve the problem.

Funny thing, the MLS is supported by Agent's Fees, yet they reign and rule.  What is wrong with this picture?  A

Sounds like you couldn't be effective in the current system. There are many ways to get around your search problems I'm sure with the correct MLS tools.

I will tell you that all MLS's have to have the REIT system (hope thats right) in place so that they can talk back & forth to each other which is just a master plan. Those smaller ones are the ones that are just not getting it. It's like upgrading the hardware in your phone - it has to be done eventually so just press forward with it.

All your fields have to be able to talk to other fields in the MLS.

I do not believe my MLS ever had those areas set up. I search by zip code or MLS area but subdivisions have always been drawn. I am sorry this happened in your market.

Not in MA to my knowledge

No changes in west-side MLS, still many options to search it. 

Not a problem of which I am aware.

Not here or maybe not yet.  

I don't think I'll miss it. Listing agents were so inconsistent or downright wrong in reporting market areas that it often rendered the information unusable.

Ours did too, and did take a while to get used to it, and now forget how that ever worked.