Dot MLS Domains
I was provided with a couple of previews of articles written by Judith Lindenau of the .MLS DomainAssociation today. Judith is a key member of the team volunteering their energy to pursue a top level domain name for the real estate industry called .MLS. You will see them on RE Technology next week (email me if you need an account).
A Top Level Domain is what happens on the “right side of the dot.” a metaphor that I really like. On today’s internet, .com or .net are pretty meaningless. The concept of the new release of top level domains is that what comes on the right side of the dot will become more significant.
The likeminded thesis of the .MLS Domain Association is that websites with the .MLS extension will have meaning. In following the metaphor – the right meaning. To this Association, the right meaning for real estate websites is MLS listings – clean, pure, and represented by state licensed real estate brokers and their agents. Cybersquatters who pretend to offer MLS access or MLS data, or anyone outside the family of licensed agents and brokers will not be permitted to host websites on the .MLS domain.
It is great to see our industry leaders like Judith, Bob Bemis of Arizona MLS, Ray Larcher of Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS, and Brian Larson of Larson Sobodka attending and participating in the .NXT conference. Larson was an invited panelist who provided a spirited overview of the .MLS strategy and the solutions that it would bring to consumers and professionals in the real estate industry. According to executives from iCANN – .MLS is perfectly aligned with the spirit of the .NXT strategy for internet top level domains.
Disclosure: – WAV Group is performing survey and focus group research for the .MLS Domains Association to measure consumer attitudes toward the MLS brand in the marketplace today.
