ACME Real Estate CEO Courtney Poulos Says Recent Policy Changes Haven’t Delivered Meaningful Local Impact
Los Angeles, California – February 11, 2026 – For decades, Realtors have been begging for a nationwide MLS, and now might be the time. With more vocal endorsement of this concept from heavy hitters on very public stages. Courtney Poulos, founder and CEO of ACME Real Estate and a licensed broker with 20 years of experience agrees that now is the time.
With several national firms stating they will no longer follow certain industry policies and recent rule changes showing limited local impact, Poulos argues the industry would benefit from a single nationwide MLS.
“We need one nationwide MLS that represents the actual way our clients see properties and do business,” said Poulos, who leads a boutique brokerage in Los Angeles that achieved $155M in sales volume in 2024. “Something where we can enter our listing into a nationwide MLS, and agents who have licenses in Florida and California can access that through the same portal.”
Policy Changes Show Limited Local Impact
She adds that recent announcements about shifting policy control from national to local levels created headlines but showed limited practical change. When Poulos contacted her local MLS to inquire about membership requirements, she discovered agents still require membership to access transaction forms.
“The measure of policy changes is in the actual impact on working agents,” Poulos explained. “In Southern California, we haven’t seen meaningful change at the local level.”
The original purpose of MLS systems, facilitating cooperative commission and marketing to other agents, has evolved significantly. With changes to how compensation is structured, the value proposition of current systems is being reevaluated by many in the industry, adds Poulos.
The IDX Revenue Question
Poulos raised questions about MLS organizations generating revenue from agent-funded content. “Our listings go on multiple aggregator sites that are paying the MLS for the use of our data,” she noted.
She suggests that if MLSs generate revenue from feeds using images and content agents pay to create, there should be discussion about how that revenue is distributed, particularly given that marketing represents a significant cost for agents.
Nationwide MLS Benefits
A consolidated nationwide MLS system could provide several benefits, according to Poulos. “With one MLS, agents would have more collective bargaining power in negotiations with platforms,” she explained.
Data standardization represents another benefit. Currently, different MLSs maintain different standards for information entry. A nationwide system could ensure consistency across all markets, muses Polulos.
Off-Market Policy Questions
Recent developments around off-market listings have raised questions in the industry. Some policies now allow local determination of how long properties can be marketed off-market before public listing is required, she says.
“The challenge is that local administrators may not have the context to determine what’s in the best interest of each individual seller,” Poulos explained. “Every property at every price point has a different volume of prospective buyers.”
Education Reform Proposals
Poulos advocates for enhanced training requirements for new agents. She estimates many new licensees discover the actual job differs significantly from their expectations.
“Other professions have structured training periods like residencies or clerkships,” she said. “Real estate would benefit from something similar to ensure agents are truly prepared before they’re representing clients in major financial transactions.”
She proposes a system where new licensees work under experienced agents for two years before independently taking clients.
About ACME Real Estate
ACME Real Estate, founded in 2011, is a boutique brokerage in Los Angeles specializing in residential real estate, luxury properties, and renovation-resale strategy for investors. Learn more at https://acme-re.com/
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The opinions expressed in this article are those of the featured expert and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of KeyCrew Media or its staff.