Handbook Housecleaning

Splits and Caps Daily: Action for Agents

November 18, 2025

📈 Market Move:

Policy Purge

NAR just gave the MLS Handbook its biggest cleanup in 20 years — not for fun, but to avoid future lawsuits and hand more control back to local MLSs.

After an antitrust risk audit, they scrapped 18 policies. The theme: de-risk and decentralize.

Highlights:

• Non-Realtor access rules? Gone. NAR’s done telling MLSs how to vet or manage non-member access. Translation: “You decide — and don’t sue us.”

• Mandatory membership drama: This has been lawsuit bait forever. Even MLS CEOs have been begging NAR to stop making blanket rules. Now NAR is stepping back.

• Outdated or unenforceable stuff: Naming conventions, reciprocal agreements, security key protocols, arbitrary fine amounts — all deleted. They weren’t enforceable anyway.

• Disciplinary guidelines: Removed entirely. Locals will handle their own discipline from now on.

Big picture: NAR is shifting from “here’s how to run your MLS” to “figure out what works for your market.”
It’s not sexy, but it’s a meaningful reset — fewer central rules, more local control, and fewer reasons for lawyers to get involved.

🌟Quote of the Day:

“In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.” — Sun Tzu

⚡ Quick Win:

Highlight Reel Refresh: Update one Instagram or Facebook Story Highlight with a recent win or testimonial. Shows credibility without extra effort.

🎉 Fun Fact of the Day: 

Royal Realty: 🏰 Scotland has more castles per square mile than anywhere else. There are so many that some sell for the price of a starter home in Florida — BYO roof.

📚 Book Recommendation:

“The Laws of Success” by Napoleon Hill — If you want to understand why some people seem to crush it while others just… exist, pick up The Laws of Success by Napoleon Hill. This isn’t just motivational fluff — it’s a blueprint. Hill breaks down the habits, mindsets, and strategies that separate high achievers from everyone else.

For real estate agents, it’s gold: it’ll teach you how to think big, focus relentlessly, and build momentum in a business that thrives on hustle, relationships, and timing.

The best part? These “laws” aren’t theoretical—they’re actionable. Apply them to your daily grind, your pipeline, your client interactions, and suddenly you’re not just doing transactions—you’re building a system that produces results without burning out.

TL;DR: If you want to stop winging it and start winning consistently, this is your playbook.

You showed up — that’s already progress.

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