A New Global Data Exchange, Overseas Certifications, Emerging MLSs
The 3rd International MLS Forum highlighted major new global data initiatives, cross-border partnerships, emerging technology and international award honorees. Held September 25–26, 2025, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the event brought together nearly 300 attendees from 130 companies across 20 countries to explore the future of real estate marketplaces. With 57 speakers and 23 sessions, the event showcased the power of collaboration, the momentum of global standards and the promise of technology to reshape how property data moves across borders.
A Global Welcome
The forum opened with warm welcomes from leaders representing Canada, Europe and the United States. Janice Myers, CEO of The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA); John DiMichele, CEO of the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) and President of the Council of Multiple Listing Services (CMLS); Jan Borůvka, President of the European Association of Real Estate Professions (CEPI); and Merri Jo Cowen, CEO of Stellar MLS and Universal Consulting Opportunities (UCO) emphasized the growing strength of organized marketplaces and the importance of international cooperation. Their remarks set the tone for two days of energizing dialogue and strategic vision.
Milestones in Global Certification
Leading up to the forum, two major international organizations achieved RESO certification milestones. In April, France’s Syndicat National des Professionnels Immobiliers (SNPI) became certified for Data Dictionary 2.0 and Web API Server Core 2.0.0. Just a week before the event, Advanced Real Estate Services (ADRES) from Abu Dhabi, UAE, joined SNPI on the global stage with the same certifications, underscoring the accelerating adoption of RESO standards worldwide.
Launching the Global Data Exchange (GDX)
The forum’s most groundbreaking moment came at the close of Day One, when five leading organizations – Stellar MLS (USA), TRREB (Canada), SNPI (France), Madhmoun MLS (UAE) and San Diego MLS (USA) – signed a Memorandum of Understanding to launch the Global Data Exchange (GDX). This new framework, built on RESO’s Web API and Data Dictionary, aims to simplify cross-border listing data sharing, reduce custom integrations and accelerate time-to-value for technology providers and marketplaces.
GDX represents a paradigm shift in international real estate, enabling professionals and consumers to explore global opportunities while respecting local rules, licensing and data protections.
Gala and Awards
Thursday night’s gala was a celebration of international excellence, capped by an entertaining awards ceremony. Honorees included:
🏆 Excellence in Community Impact: Omni MLS
🏆 Excellence in Expansion and Growth: RE/MAX Canada
🏆 Excellence in Innovation: Coraly
🏆 Outstanding Leadership in Member Care: 4Property
🏆 Outstanding Leadership in Standards: Centris
🏆 Excellence in Mentorship: ThinkProp
🏆 Excellence in Technology Integration: VestaPlus
🏆 Presidential Award for Leadership in Collaborative Technology: SNPI
Session Highlights: Innovation, Adaptation and Opportunity
The forum’s sessions spanned a wide range of topics, offering insights into the mechanics, challenges and future of MLS systems around the world. The full agenda is available online. Here are some key themes:
Marketplace Foundations: Sam DeBord of RESO explored how shared standards and cooperative infrastructure create trusted information marketplaces, including efficient property ecosystems – comparing MLS data liquidity to stock exchanges, research bodies and learning institutions that benefit societies.
Local Adaptation: Mathew Kallumadil of Stellar MLS/UCO, Martin Mucha of Igluu, Carlos Matias of Proptech Solutions and Alireza Memar of the International MLS Forum Board of Advisory discussed how MLSs must mold to local market needs, leveraging global tools while respecting regional constraints.
Tech Across Borders: Rebecca Jensen of MRED, Alain Duffoux of SNPI, Fouad Bekkar of Coraly and Giselle Abadi of Realtyna covered tech from Paris to Dubai and shared how AI and data are connecting marketplaces across continents.
Latin American Innovation: Shayne Fairley of Stellar MLS/UCO, Christiano Oliveira of BnTouch and Ross Buck of Omni MLS showcased how they are helping diverse Latin American markets flourish with tailored solutions.
Rules and Trust: Moath Maqbol and Jasem Alhosani of ADRES in Abu Dhabi joined Sam DeBord of RESO in highlighted how government-backed rules and tech can build trust and unlock global value in real estate.
Portals vs. MLSs: A lively discussion with Marion Weiler of Stellar MLS/UCO, Patrick Pichette of REALTOR.ca, John Kennedy of 4Property and Bob Evans of realtor.com examined how advertising portals and MLSs can coexist – or compete – in different countries.
Overcoming Doubt: Dan Negulescu of RealPRO in Romania and Zola Szerencses, a National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Global Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) Advisor, lead an inspirational session titled, “It Will Never Work Here.” They tackled skepticism head-on, sharing success stories from unlikely markets around the world.
Proptech + Partnerships: Patrick Pichette of REALTOR.ca, Paula Kwan of Canvas + Key and Stephanie Wood of Alante Partners explored how capital, innovation and collaboration drive real-world impact in MLS organizations.
Broker-Led Innovation: Marion Weiler of Stellar MLS/UCO, Nadia Habib of eXp Realty, Victoria Sampah of the Ghana Real Estate Professionals Association (GREPA) and Don Inouye of the Real Estate Institute of Canada shared how they are evolving business models around the world to improve consumer outcomes.
Data Pathways: Ian McIntosh of ListHub and Cezar Nasui of Centris joined Shayne Fairley of Stellar MLS/UCO to talk about the complex webs of real estate data shaped by licensing, competition and government relationships.
Licensing and Agency Models: Jessica Hickock of the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials (ARELLO), Azizali Kanjee of IPB Realty and Akin Opatola of Olawale Jordan Company discussed how different regulatory environments affect market behavior and opportunity.
Government and Trade: Kat Newel of Greater Vancouver REALTORS®, Karolina Konicarova of Czechinvest and Ilze Lacgalve of the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia emphasized the role of governments in facilitating cross-border real estate investment and data exchange.
AI and Search: Joe Schneider of Modern.tech, Dominik Pogorzelski of Restb.ai, Joshua Lamerton of PropTexx and Dan Troup of Broker Public Portal (Cribio) offered a glimpse into the future of AI-powered real estate tools.
Lessons Learned: This reflective session featuring Merri Jo Cowen of Stellar MLS/UCO, Sam DeBord of RESO, Alireza Memar of the International MLS Forum Board of Advisory and Ali Attar of Realtyna looked at the forum’s three-year journey, highlighting both incremental and rapid growth across markets through the viewpoints of four of the forum’s pioneer organizations.
Emerging MLSs: Mathew Kallumadil of Stellar MLS/UCO, Sergio Juvencio of SyncMLS and Victoria Sampah of GREPA shared the challenges and triumphs of launching MLS systems in new countries.
Rich Media Experiences: Antoni Costa of Restb.ai, Pawel Rajszel of Roomvo, Sam Mehrbod of Roomvu and Kurtis Cicalo of VoiceFlip demonstrated how immersive media is transforming the digital real estate experience.
Global Standards First: Ethan Bailey of Cotality, Eric Charbonneau of Centris and Martin Mucha of Igluu discussed how to future-proof tech for international use by starting with standardized data.
Local Nuance: Andrew Coca of Modern.tech, Janet Choynowski of Immobel, Colleen Doyle of NAR and Denise Estevez Zorbaz of SNPI spoke about the importance of delivering real estate information in ways that reflect local language, law and business practices.
New Construction Tech: MLS Strategic Advisor Bill Fowler, Bill Gaul of Builders Update and Eileen O’Driscoll of Century 21 Concept 100 explored how digital tools are helping professionals manage both resale and new construction marketplaces.
Looking Ahead
The next two host cities for the International MLS Forum were announced: Abu Dhabi, UAE, in 2026 and Prague, Czechia, in 2027, signaling the continued global momentum of the movement.
As the International MLS Forum Board of Advisory continues its work, the conversations sparked in Toronto will ripple outward, fueling innovation, strengthening standards and building bridges between markets. For more information and updates on future events, visit mlsforum.org. Event photos and session videos will be posted soon.
Photos by AJ Canaria.
