For release: August 21, 2009

calREDD™, the statewide Multiple Listing Service, officially launched in Fresno, Madera, and Merced

LOS ANGELES (Aug. 21) – calREDD™ today announced that members of the Fresno Association of REALTORS®, the Madera Association of REALTORS®, and the Merced Association of REALTORS® now can view properties for sale, place listings, prepare CMAs, and access agents for referrals through calREDD™, the statewide Multiple Listing Service (MLS), which officially launched Monday.

calREDD™, an acronym for California Real Estate Dynamic Data, embodies the long-term vision of creating one database for all California real property, with advanced technology that goes beyond current MLS systems.

"The official launch of calREDD™ marks a significant milestone for California REALTORS® and our industry," said Mike Silvas, CALMLS chairman and co-owner of Morgan Lane Real Estate, a luxury market brokerage based in Napa, Calif. "The leadership teams of the Fresno, Madera, and Merced associations early on realized the benefits of a statewide MLS. Their members now are able to experience the advantages of the calREDD™ system firsthand by being the first group of associations in the state to utilize the live system."

"As with the launch of any cutting-edge product or service, we expected to encounter deployment glitches during the first conversion process for the new software, which the calREDD™ team is vigorously addressing," said Jared Martin, president of the Fresno Association of REALTORS®. "The flexibility of the calREDD™ system allows for real-time fixes and enhancements, which should eliminate the vast majority of utilization issues we’ve encountered."

calREDD™ enables brokers and agents to access the statewide data through any participating AOR or MLS. Associations and MLSs may be part of the system by using the new vendor as their primary software or under a hybrid arrangement using an association’s existing vendor connecting to the statewide system through calREDD™ for the rest of the data. To date, 68 local REALTOR® associations and multiple regional MLSs representing more than 120,000 members across the state have recognized the importance of a statewide MLS and have signed letters of intent to participate in this critical endeavor.

"As a member-centric MLS, we welcome the direct feedback we’re receiving from members to help us create the best system for real estate practitioners," Martin said. "We will continue to diligently work to provide a positive user experience as we move forward on this important endeavor."

Leading the way…® in California real estate for more than 100 years, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (www.car.org) is one of the largest state trade organizations in the United States, with nearly 165,000 members dedicated to the advancement of professionalism in real estate. C.A.R. is headquartered in Los Angeles.