The Difference Between MLS Listings and RLS Listings in NYC

Updated January 2026

New York City’s real estate market operates differently from almost every other housing market in the country. While most U.S. cities rely on a single Multiple Listing Service (MLS), New York City is shaped by two parallel professional listing systems that serve different purposes and geographies: OneKey® MLS and REBNY’s Residential Listing Service (RLS).

Understanding how these systems work, how listings flow to consumer websites like StreetEasy and Zillow, and why agents often see information that buyers do not is essential for anyone buying, selling, or marketing property in New York City today.

Understanding MLS Systems and OneKey® MLS

MLS systems are regional databases designed to allow real estate professionals to cooperate, share listings, and facilitate transactions. They are typically governed by Realtor associations and operate under standardized rules across most of the country.

OneKey® MLS is the MLS that serves:

Long Island
Westchester
The Hudson Valley
Parts of New York City, particularly the Bronx and Queens

OneKey® MLS is jointly operated by the Long Island Board of Realtors (LIBOR) and the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors (HGAR). It contains a broad mix of residential and commercial properties and allows listings entered into the system to syndicate automatically to many consumer platforms, including Zillow.

Because of its wide geographic reach, OneKey® MLS is especially useful for agents and clients operating across city and suburban markets.

Understanding REBNY’s Residential Listing Service (RLS)

The Residential Listing Service (RLS) is New York City’s primary broker-to-broker listing system and is operated by the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY).

RLS is not an MLS and does not function like one.

Instead, it is a city-specific professional platform built around NYC’s distinctive housing stock, including:

Co-ops
Condos
Rental buildings
Mixed-use properties

RLS is used by REBNY’s roughly 14,000 individual members and their affiliated brokerage firms, encompassing a broad cross-section of licensed real estate professionals across New York City.

RLS tracks:

Exclusive listing agreements
Listing status changes
Coming Soon and Participant Only Network exposure
Professional Days on Market under REBNY rules
RLS may syndicate listings to select approved partners, but it does not automatically publish listings to major consumer-facing portals like StreetEasy or Zillow.

A Key Difference: Professional Systems vs Consumer Portals

This is where confusion often begins.

In New York City:

RLS is a professional system, not a public website
StreetEasy, owned by Zillow, is a consumer website, not a listing system
Zillow is a national portal that receives data from multiple sources

Listings do not appear everywhere at the same time.

How Listings Actually Appear on StreetEasy and Zillow in NYC

Here is how the process really works:

A listing may first exist inside RLS, visible only to agents
It may be shown privately or marketed off-market
The agent or brokerage must manually publish the listing to StreetEasy
Zillow typically receives NYC listings from StreetEasy, not directly from RLS

Because of this structure:

A property can have professional market history before it ever appears online
Zillow’s “Days on Zillow” may start after prior exposure has already occurred
StreetEasy may treat a listing as “new” after a period off-market, even though history remains visible

This does not mean any platform is wrong.

It means each platform is measuring a different starting point.

Where OneKey® MLS Fits In

OneKey® MLS operates differently.

When a property is entered into OneKey® MLS:

The listing can syndicate directly to Zillow through MLS data feeds
Zillow may begin tracking exposure immediately
The listing may never appear on StreetEasy, depending on location and marketing strategy

As a result:

Zillow may show longer or shorter exposure depending on whether the listing originated from StreetEasy, OneKey® MLS, or both at different times
A property may appear “new” on one platform while showing longer history on another

Days on Market: RLS Rules vs Portal Display

Under REBNY RLS rules, Days on Market is governed by professional standards designed to reflect contractual reality, not consumer browsing behavior.

Key points as of 2026:

Listings in Participant Only Network or Coming Soon status do not accrue Days on Market
Days on Market resets only after specific events, including:
- A property being sold or rented
- A listing being withdrawn for at least 30 consecutive days
- A listing being cancelled for at least 30 consecutive days

Consumer websites such as StreetEasy and Zillow use their own display logic to make searches feel current. A visible timeline may restart after inactivity or reposting, even though the property’s full history still exists.

Both systems are accurate within their own frameworks, but they answer different questions.

Why Buyers and Agents Often See Different Numbers

Most buyers are looking at StreetEasy and Zillow.

Agents, meanwhile, are working inside professional tools that may include:

RLS data
Brokerage CRM systems
Transaction management platforms
NYC-focused platforms such as Perchwell
Firm-specific systems

These tools may show:

Cumulative exposure across listing cycles
Time since the original exclusive agreement
Days since the most recent status change

That is why two people can look at the same property and come away with very different impressions.

Compensation and Cooperation in 2026

Both OneKey® MLS and RLS facilitate cooperation between listing and buyer brokers, but neither platform sets commissions.

Compensation today is:

Fully negotiable
Governed by written agreements
Shaped by buyer broker representation agreements and disclosure requirements

Recent updates to REBNY agreements and industry practices emphasize transparency and clear documentation over assumptions.

Why Choosing an Agent With Access to Both Systems Matters

In New York City, agents who participate in both OneKey® MLS and RLS can offer a more complete view of the market.

For sellers, this can mean:

Broader professional exposure
More informed pricing strategy
Stronger positioning across city and regional audiences

For buyers, it can mean:

Access to listings that may never appear on consumer sites
Better context around prior market activity
Guidance that goes beyond surface-level metrics

Bottom Line

New York City does not run on a single listing system.

OneKey® MLS and REBNY RLS serve different roles, feed consumer platforms differently, and measure exposure from different starting points. StreetEasy and Zillow reflect public visibility, not the full professional history of a listing.

Understanding where a property has been, how it was marketed, and when exposure actually began matters far more than a single number on a screen.

In today’s market, context beats counters every time.