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nne Marie DeCatsye, CEO of Canopy Realtor Association, will retire on December 31, 2026. Before her departure, she's ensuring the association no longer controls or relies financially on Canopy MLS. This decision was influenced by increased scrutiny of Realtor membership requirements to access the MLS, which led Canopy MLS to welcome non-Realtors as subscribers last fall.

    DeCatsye believes the National Association of Realtors (NAR) is shifting liability to local Multiple Listing Services (MLSs), but she's "fine" with this given the legal risks associated with NAR's policies and handling of commission lawsuits. In 2022, DeCatsye presented a thought experiment to her association, asking why it would fail in five years. The team concluded that the MLS would fail due to the legal landscape and competition from larger firms or syndication sites.

    This realization sparked Canopy Realtor Association's transformation into an independent entity from its MLS. The association will continue to own the MLS, but DeCatsye emphasizes that Realtor associations should no longer control or be financially dependent on an MLS. She believes many associations rely too heavily on their MLS for revenue and value.

    DeCatsye started as in-house legal counsel at Canopy Realtors in 2000 and became CEO in 2001. Her legal background has influenced her perspective on how the association and its MLS should operate. In light of antitrust lawsuits challenging NAR's three-way agreement, Canopy MLS decided to offer an MLS-only option last year.

    Mandating Realtor membership to access the MLS is a "liability risk waiting to happen," according to DeCatsye. Canopy Realtors has about 14,000 members, while Canopy MLS has over 22,000 subscribers, with only 125 being non-Realtor subscribers.

    DeCatsye objects to NAR's characterization of Realtor-affiliated MLSs as a service of their associations. She believes the MLS "has grown up" and offers more than just a service. The MLS provides tools, training, technology, data licensing, and data integrity, which are not related to the Realtor association.

    Regarding NAR's attempt to minimize legal risks, DeCatsye believes the trade group is not being transparent about shifting liability to MLSs. She thinks it's time for another organization to take the reins on MLS policy regulation or best practices, such as the Council of MLSs or state real estate commissions.

    DeCatsye also believes NAR should have done more to handle commission lawsuits and educate members of Congress about the issue. If NAR had taken a stronger stance, there could have been federal legislative intervention in some of the lawsuits attacking the industry.