TRREB s MLS system contains listings, sales figures, archival info and neighbourhood descriptions entered by real estate agents as homes are put on the market and sold.
Lawyers and real estate industry observers say TRREB is pursuing legal action and asserting its control over the data because the MLS system is one of the most valuable services it offers members and it wants to protect that exclusivity.
Additionally, legal experts say TRREB may be using the courts as a way to reveal how these companies are accessing the listings data, so that preventive action can be taken. They see free dissemination of this data as being a threat to the traditional real estate business model and they are willing to try anything to try to erect a moat of sorts around their traditional model, said Denes Rothschild, a partner at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP specializing in competition and foreign investment reviews.
3 years after Supreme Court decision, TRREB still fighting over MLS data
Three years after losing a prolonged court battle over the restriction of housing data, the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board continues to pursue legal action against companies it accuses of illegally accessing its Multiple Listing Service system.
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Posted: Jul 16, 2021 6:02 PM ET | Last Updated: July 16
TRREB s MLS system contains listings, sales figures, archival info and neighbourhood descriptions entered by real estate agents as homes are put on the market and sold.(Michael Wilson/CBC)
Three years after losing a prolonged court battle over the restriction of housing data, the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board continues to pursue legal action against companies it accuses of illegally accessing its Multiple Listing Service system.