Listen as stakeholders in the real estate industry discuss the purpose and applicability of property safety data in MLSs.

Many real estate professionals may start noticing new safety fields in their MLS. How MLSs gather information on property safety conditions can be important. But don’t misunderstand what these safety fields are for because inaccuracies can cause a ripple of issues. Host Tracey Hawkins discusses the purpose of MLS safety fields, as well as best practices for using them, with two practitioners who have been intimately involved in bringing these fields to fruition.

Meet the Guests

Sam DeBord is CEO of the Real Estate Standards Organization (RESO), which is the body that creates standardized policies and procedures for the real estate industry. He is a former practitioner who served as managing broker at Coldwell Banker Danforth in Seattle. DeBord also has served NAR as president’s liaison for MLS and data management; a mentor with the REACH(link is external) tech accelerator program; and a director for Second Century Ventures(link is external) and CRMLS.

Johnny Mowad, ABR, is an associate broker with Ebby Halliday, REALTORS®, in Dallas, and founder of The Mowad Group. He is the 2024 chair of NAR's Multiple Listing Issues and Policies Committee, which worked with RESO and other industry stakeholders to create standardized MLS safety fields. Mowad also is the 2024 president-elect for the MetroTex Association of REALTORS®. He was president of the board for North Texas Real Estate Information Systems, a 50,000+ subscriber MLS.