MLS Areas Removal: What CHS Regional MLS Members Need to Know
- CHSMLS
- 7 hours ago
- 3 min read
Beginning Monday, January 4, 2027, the MLS Areas field will be removed from the Flexmls database. This change gives you more flexibility and control in how you serve your clients and replaces an outdated system with tools that better reflect how the market actually works.
How will this benefit you and your clients?
This change empowers you to leverage your local market expertise more effectively. Rather than relying on pre-defined boundaries that no longer reflect how our region has grown, you'll be able to define and search market areas in ways that are truly relevant to each client's unique situation.
Why are we making this change?
Over the past decade, MLSs nationwide have moved away from arbitrary MLS Areas because:
Current boundaries are outdated and don't reflect ongoing development in our growing region
Rigid, MLS-assigned areas don't align with actual search patterns for most clientele
Listings can fall into unclear areas or get missed in searches entirely
Outdated geographic designations create unnecessary fair housing and steering risks
This transition aligns CHS Regional MLS with industry best practices and positions you to better serve your clients with tools that are relevant, flexible, and compliant.
What tools will you use instead?
Flexmls already provides access to modern, flexible search options that better align with how you and your clients actually look for properties:
Interactive map-based searches – Draw custom boundaries that match real client needs
Municipal boundaries – Search by actual city limits
Zip codes – Use familiar postal designations
Subdivision names – Target specific neighborhoods
Your local expertise – Apply your knowledge of micro-markets and emerging areas
Alongside this change, you'll see an upgrade to the Zip Code field in Quick Search on Tuesday, September 8th. On that date, you'll be able to easily type in your codes or multi-select, instead of scrolling through the list to find your codes. This field will also be added to the default Quick Search template.
What Do You Need to Do to Prepare?
There is nothing that you are required to do before January 4th. However, if you’d like, there are a few things you could do to prepare for the transition:
With plenty of time before January 4th, 2027, explore the other fields and tools noted above.
Familiarize yourself with zip codes as an easy field to help your search get started.
Bookmark this post to save quick access to guides, FAQs, and how-to videos.
What about Saved Searches?
FBS Data has identified existing saved searches that utilize a current MLS Area in the criteria. In January, they will automatically replace the MLS Area point in the search with a matching polygon, so that you do not have to rebuild any searches. Moving forward, though, the MLS Area field will not be there to add to a new search after January 4th.
Top Resources
Searching by Zip Code
Using the Default Filtered Search Function in Flexmls
Drawing map polygons for your clients' needs
Helpful Links
Radius Searching (full overview with guided help links)
Radius Search Around an MLS Number or Address (written instructions)
Manually Drawing a Circle for a Radius Search (written instructions)
My Map Overlays (full overview with guided help links)
Create A Map Overlay (written instructions)
Use A Map Overlay In A Search (written instructions)
Map Overlays in Saved Searches (written instructions)
Map Overlays in Dashboard Statistical Gadgets (written instructions)
Share A Map Overlay (written instructions)
Map Tab (Search Results) (full overview with guided help links)
Default Filtered Searches
In Flexmls, you can save a filtered search as your default template. If you regularly search within specific cities, counties, map-drawn shapes, or ZIP codes, you can set those criteria once and have them applied automatically each time you start a search.
This default search option is different from saving a search template because in addition to saving specific fields, you can also save field data and set that as your default every time you run a new search. So now, for example, not only can you select the ZIP code field to always be visible in your search template; you can now also specify that ZIP code 12345 always be selected as part of a new search.
