2024 Subscriber Survey Results: Thanks for All You Shared!

by Tim Dain

Without real estate professionals like you who want to share standardized, accurate and current listing data with each other, NorthstarMLS would not exist.

Every day we go to work with this in mind and want to make sure we are doing all we can to provide maximum value for your subscriber dollars.

You give us feedback—both positive and negative—throughout the year at association and broker events, during Help Desk calls and after attending monthly training webinars. We also formally solicit your participation in a survey each year. This is our opportunity to see how we’re doing, ask specific questions and gather qualitative and quantitative feedback.

The results of the 2024 Annual Survey are in and we thank the subscribers who took the time to provide a comprehensive evaluation of their satisfaction, highlight areas of strength and identify opportunities where NorthstarMLS can improve.

Administered by T3 Sixty last November, the 2024 NorthstarMLS Subscriber Survey received 2,015 responses, reflecting a 10.5% response rate with a ±2.7% margin of error. These results, along with thousands of user comments, offer valuable guidance for NorthstarMLS’s strategic priorities to elevate the subscriber experience and maintain industry leadership.

The survey examined five performance categories: Satisfaction and Value, Leadership, Support and Services, Data, and Technology. The responses were scored across a standardized four-point scale, with a score of 4 equaling the highest level of agreement/satisfaction and a score of 1 equaling the lowest level of agreement/satisfaction.

The Results

Overall

Based on the combined results of the five performance categories NorthstarMLS received a score of 3.29 and the T3 Sixty MLS 2024 Performance Rating of SUPERIOR for subscribers’ overall satisfaction and value for their business.

We are happy with these results given that 2024 had its challenges for real estate and we made changes both to meet legal obligations and best serve your needs in a low-inventory, higher interest rate-marketplace.

At the same time, we are always looking to best understand what we should keep doing, stop doing or do differently to be that trusted partner for you and your real estate business. These quantitative results and comments you provided guide our actions as we move forward in 2025.

Satisfaction and Value

Survey respondents gave the Satisfaction and Value category a Superior rating with a 3.21 Good overall score for Satisfaction and an Exceptional 3.73 rating for Value.

We received a broad range of feedback, including positive comments like, “I depend on Northstar and they have not disappointed” and “It has been very helpful in keeping up with our changing marketplace.”

Responses strongly emphasized how NorthstarMLS is integral to their business workflows due to the MLS’s reliable and accurate data.

Where we saw some criticism is in what we do to uphold that reliable and accurate data. “The site is excellent but the information needs to be mandatory in all fields to be effective,” said one respondent. “Some of the fine notifications for our offices are unnecessary,” said another.

Of the 2,500 correction notices we sent in a month, 99% of them are no fine at all. We try really hard not to fine people while at the same time provide the quality data you all expect from us.

Direction and Leadership

This 3.13 Good rating reflected perceptions of responsiveness to industry trends and highlighted concerns about transparency and the opportunity to better address user needs.

Survey respondents expressed mixed feelings about strategic vision and prioritization of core services. Some praised what NorthstarMLS has done to adapt to industry trends, others felt leadership was opaque and less responsive to subscriber feedback.

“Decision makers seem to be on top of regulatory and legal changes,” said one respondent while another wrote, “I don’t know the decision makers, so I can’t speak on their responses.”

While navigating the legal landscape these last two years has been time consuming, we’ve stayed focused on providing you with the best tools, best data and best support out there.

We also take pride in being open and responsive to feedback! We’re here for you, and I can be reached at any time at tdain@northstarmls.com. My staff knows I’m willing to pick up the phone and discuss any questions or concerns you have.

Support and Services

This 3.37 Superior rating was supported by exceptional scores for support friendliness, knowledgeability and responsiveness, alongside strong performance in training, compliance and communications.

Interactions with NorthstarMLS were frequently described as courteous and professional. Staff provided timely solutions and demonstrated expertise with only the occasional gap in advanced knowledge noted.

“When I do get Support, people are friendly, and they are quite responsive. If they don’t know the answer, they will get the answer to me,” explained one respondent.

For the commentor who felt the Help Desk “didn’t seem open to feedback,” know that we see your comment and are committed to doing all that we can to make MLS tools work for you and your business.

For Service satisfaction, respondents felt NorthstarMLS provided superior training quality but requested more advanced and on-demand options. They also appreciated MLS efforts to maintain professional standards but encouraged more consistency.

The Help Desk, Rules & Regulations and Marketing teams at NorthstarMLS take this feedback to heart and are always looking for new ways to provide the service and support you and your real estate business requires.

Data

Survey respondents gave Data a 3.28 Superior rating, consistently praised the accuracy and reliability of NorthstarMLS’s data, though gaps in completeness and inconsistencies in agent input were identified as key improvement areas. Market and housing reports were frequently highlighted as valuable tools for real estate decision-making. While we are committed to providing you with accurate, reliable and timely data in the MLS, we rely on you for the correct, complete information. Survey respondents recognized this subscriber obligation, with one respondent summing it up with, “More data should be required in listings.” Others cited missing or inaccurate fields like room dimensions, square footage or new construction details as concerns.

While the NorthstarMLS Rules & Regulations team is committed to ensuring quality data, it requires a partnership with you to ensure superior information is available in the MLS.

In addition to agents, other real estate professionals using NorthstarMLS appreciate the collaborate effort it takes to provide good data: “I often send in issues I find on a listing and generally they are corrected in a timely manner. It is very important as an appraiser that I have the best and most accurate information.”

We encourage subscribers to go beyond filling out only the minimum required fields and double-check to make sure information like room dimensions, HOA details and tax data are included and correct. If you are unsure of something in your listing, you can always reach out to rules@northstarmls.com for a compliance check.

Technology

Feedback was mixed for the Technology category, which received a 3.19 Good rating. While market/housing reports and platform satisfaction received superior ratings, opportunities to improve usability for mobile technologies, client portals and search functionality exist.

One responder summed this up, saying, “The platform gets the job done, some better than others.”

Subscribers frequently suggested improving photo management tools, streamlining listing entry processes and modernizing the design to align with contemporary standards. Mobile technologies were a significant callout for many respondents who encouraged NorthstarMLS to do more to enhance usability, expand features compared to desktop and provide seamless integration.

Looking at the qualitative feedback for this section, someone mentioned, “Add/Edit loads forever and then loses everything you were working on.” This is something you’ve shared before and actually something we’ve improved this year, adding faster load times and the ability to save changes mid-stream.

Next Steps

We’ll have more updates – and we may even have follow-up questions – as we incorporate this data into our planning for 2025 and beyond. Thank you to everyone who took the time to take the survey and provide thoughtful, valuable feedback!