A multiple listing service type refers to how an MLS is organized and the geographic market it serves.

Broadly speaking, Regional MLSs are owned by two or more Realtor associations and can span multiple markets while Local MLSs are owned and operated by a single local Realtor association and serve one market exclusively.

Those distinctions affects everything from who governs the service and how fees are set to the breadth of listing coverage, available tools and how easily listings are shared across adjacent markets. Regional MLSs tend to support cross-market search, multi-association governance and larger subscriber bases while local MLSs typically offer more tightly focused, community-level services and a simpler governance model.

Knowing if an MLS is regional or local helps brokers, agents and researchers know what kind of coverage to expect, who to contact for access or partnerships and how listings and policies are coordinated across markets.