Building Bridges
Richard Haggerty • April 11, 2025
Fair housing and inclusive access to housing should be our collective focus 365 days a year, not just during April.
Five years ago, in late March 2020, OneKey MLS, LLC was launched. This was almost at the very same time COVID started running rampant in New York, and the real estate industry was, in essence, shut down. Those were scary times. I live on the Upper East Side in New York, and for weeks, all you would hear was the sound of sirens.
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One thing that struck me at the time was the disproportionate impact the pandemic had on those individuals without homes or living in unsafe housing conditions, and often, these individuals were members of minority communities. It truly brought home in a very personal way the importance of access to housing. It truly can become a matter of life or death.
Every April, we celebrate Fair Housing Month, and it can be easy to do the same sound bites and repeat the same talking points. I challenge you to go beyond those talking points. Find out how you can make a difference in the communities you serve. There are volunteer opportunities and advocacy efforts in every geography that OneKey MLS serves, primarily through our shareholder associations, LIBOR and HGAR.
Fair housing and inclusive access to housing should be our collective focus 365 days a year, not just during April. Real estate professionals should not be considered the gatekeepers to housing opportunities--we need to be the bridge to housing opportunities. Recently, there has been a lot of discussion about private listing networks and more limited approaches to marketing properties. Exposing property listings to the widest possible audience is a win-win for buyers, sellers, landlords, and tenants alike, with few exceptions. I respect consumer choice; however, limiting access to listed property can create potential fair housing implications.
Let’s continue exploring how we can broaden access to homeownership and unlock the generational wealth that can accompany it. Let’s focus on building bridges to housing access rather than being the gatekeepers. Let’s make a difference in our communities.
As an MLS executive and someone who believes deeply in fair and equitable access to housing, I don't view fair housing as a compliance item — I see it as a fundamental responsibility. Either our systems support equity, or they leave room for bias. There isn't a middle ground. The real estate industry has a well-documented history of overt and subtle discrimination. As stewards of the MLS, we must do better. Transparency is crucial. The NAR's Clear Cooperation Policy limits pocket listings and private networks that restrict access. While off-MLS strategies may seem harmless, research indicates they can have negative consequences. A 2020 National Fair Housing Alliance investigation revealed that pocket listings harm buyers from historically marginalized communities by limiting their access to available homes. By marketing properties privately within small, homogeneous networks, this practice reinforces exclusivity and restricts opportunities for others, undermining the principle of an open and competitive market. More recent studies have provided compelling data on the detrimental effects of pocket listings and private networks in real estate. A 2025 Zillow analysis revealed that New York homes sold off the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) typically fetched $13,749 less than those listed on the MLS. The impact is even more pronounced in communities of color – almost 3% less than sellers in majority-white neighborhoods nationally. These statistics highlight the importance of transparent and inclusive listing practices. We promote fair access and help sellers achieve the best financial outcomes by ensuring that properties are listed on the MLS. This practice also guarantees that all buyers have an equal opportunity and that sellers benefit from wider market exposure. Our commitment goes beyond implementing policies. We must also do more by leveraging technology to identify discriminatory language, establish rules that prevent harmful practices, and provide education and guidance to our users. These actions form the foundation of our industry. Fair housing isn't a political issue. It's a matter of professional integrity—and, not least of all, of human character. At the MLS, we play a central role in shaping how real estate is practiced—and that includes ensuring the systems we maintain are fair, transparent, and inclusive for everyone.
OneKey® MLS, the leading real estate marketplace serving the New York regional market from Montauk to Manhattan and north through the Hudson Valley to the Catskill Mountains, has released its monthly residential statistics for March 2025, reflecting a continued competitive market that favors sellers.
Ocusell is proud to announce its latest partnership with OneKey MLS, the largest Multiple Listing Service in New York. Through this collaboration, Ocusell provides OneKey MLS subscribers with the ability to seamlessly create and manage listings and populate them directly into the Matrix MLS system. With over 45,000 subscribers serving Long Island, New York City, and Hudson Valley region, OneKey MLS supports one of the most diverse and dynamic housing markets in the country. To meet the demands of this uniquely broad inventory—from Manhattan co-ops to beachfront homes on Long Island—they needed a listing management solution flexible enough to handle a wide range of property types and business rules. Enter Ocusell List™. Designed for speed, accuracy, and adaptability, it streamlines the entire listing process. Leveraging advanced AI tools and real-time validation checks, agents can reduce listing creation time by up to 82%, cut compliance violations by over 75%, and publish to multiple MLSs instantly—all from a single platform. “At OneKey® MLS, we’re committed to empowering our 45,000 real estate professionals with innovative tools that enhance efficiency, collaboration, and compliance,” said Richard Haggerty, CEO of OneKey MLS. “Ocusell’s platform gives our agents and brokers their time back by streamlining the listing process and reducing compliance issues before a listing ever goes live. This partnership reflects our ongoing mission to deliver real value at every stage of the listing lifecycle—for both our members and our MLS staff.” Ocusell’s platform works with a broad spectrum of property types, ensuring that listings are created quickly, accurately, and in compliance with OneKey MLS rules. Real-time validation checks automatically alert agents to potential issues before a listing goes live, improving both the speed and accuracy of the listing process. “OneKey MLS is an exemplary forward-thinking MLS that recognizes the value of streamlining the listing process while maintaining compliance,” said Hayden Rieveschl, CEO and Co-founder of Ocusell. “This partnership marks an exciting next step in the evolution of MLS technology and data management.” OneKey MLS joins previously announced partnerships with FMLS in Georgia and HIVE MLS in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, bringing Ocusell’s user base to over 100,000 professionals in just a few months.
April is the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Fair Housing month and a great time to reinforce how good habits and actions, big and small, keep us accountable and have a significant impact in championing fair and equitable access to housing for all. Assuring that everyone has the same access to information about listings and opportunities to view properties is essential. Take action and support Fair Housing Forward by:
Submission of listings to the MLS promotes fair housing principles and equal access to housing.
Sunil Anthony's superpower is seeing innovation where others see obstacles—turning challenges into opportunities, aligning change with vision, and executing solutions that help drive innovation and success. Sunil's passion for aligning change with organizational vision sets him apart. Sunil has built a reputation by transforming business operations through technology. But innovation isn’t just about technology—it’s about executing the right changes that drive success. By focusing on strategic execution, he has a track record of ensuring that companies adapt and thrive, helping them reach their goals and stay ahead in an evolving industry. His real estate industry experience began 10 years ago as a system and network engineer before transitioning into software development, where he has since combined technical expertise with strategic vision to create meaningful change. He's played a key role in replacing vendor applications and business processes with in-house solutions focused on efficiency and cost reduction. Leading development teams, Sunil has fostered a culture of collaboration, accountability, and growth. At OneKey MLS, he brings this innovation, problem-solving, and leadership expertise to drive impactful solutions. Outside of technology, Sunil is enthusiastic about sports and plays cricket on the weekends. An avid traveler, he enjoys exploring different countries and experiencing their cultures. He also loves bike riding—bicycles specifically—embracing the thrill of the ride and the freedom of the open road.
Board of Managers Chairman Mark Boyland celebrated OneKey® MLS's fifth anniversary with a can't-miss, wide-ranging interview with Real Estate In-Depth.
Recognized for the second year in a row, Haggerty and Spagnulo say OneKey® MLS and LIBOR work together to bring innovation to members.
(Farmingdale, NY) March 18, 2025 – OneKey® MLS, the premier real estate marketplace providing monthly statistics for residential transactions from Montauk to Manhattan and through the Hudson Valley to the Catskill Mountains, reported data for February 2025 reflecting a competitive market that continues to favor sellers.
OneKey MLS COO, Melissa King, offers her first person experience and advice with moving past self-doubt and reframing imposter syndrome to become a better leader.
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Linda Lugo, a OneKey MLS Board of Managers member, was honored at the NYSAR Business Meetings in February with a 2024 NYSAR Community Service Award.
OneKey® MLS is proud to support the Realtor® Relief Foundation (RRF) initiative to aid those impacted by the California wildfires.
The 2024 real estate market across the New York metropolitan area, as represented by the full market reach of OneKey® MLS subscribers, experienced rising home prices, continued inventory constraints, and a slight decline in closed sales.
OneKey® MLS, the premier real estate marketplace providing monthly statistics for residential transactions from Montauk to Manhattan and through the Hudson Valley to the Catskill Mountains, reported data for December 2024 reflecting continued strength in the housing market with higher-value transactions.