Mobile Area Association of Realtors

What Mobile Area Association of Realtors does

Mobile Area Association of Realtors (MAAR) is a private, nonprofit professional trade association founded in 1907 and headquartered in Mobile, Alabama, serving licensed real estate professionals across Mobile and Baldwin Counties (a 2,828-square-mile territory). MAAR operates under a three-way agreement with the Alabama Association of REALTORS® and the National Association of REALTORS®, granting it local franchise rights to the REALTOR® brand, Code of Ethics enforcement, and political advocacy infrastructure. Its core product is the Gulf Coast Multiple Listing Service (GCMLS), a wholly-owned subsidiary MLS platform providing property listings, Realist Tax Data, CMA Reports, Hot Sheets, Agent Forms, SentriLock lockbox integration, and Client/Agent Portals, complemented by public-facing Property Search, Agent Directory (3,794 agents), and Affiliate Directory (600 offices).

MAAR generates revenue through a fixed annual subscription model: REALTOR® membership dues of $628 (composed of $200 local, $233 state, and $195 national portions) billed in November, GCMLS subscription fees of $432 for agents and $900 for Designated REALTORS billed in June, plus one-time application fees ($225 local, $300 state), reinstatement fees, and ancillary revenue from affiliate memberships, continuing education programs (online via The CE Shop and Lancaster Institute plus in-person classes), and event fees. The association employs a lean staff of 10–11 executives under CEO Cy Cain (appointed April 2025), governed by a member-elected Board of Directors with elected officers including President Marie Dickinson and President-Elect Chad Fincher.

MAAR's strategic positioning centers on regulatory franchise protection (REALTOR® mark, Code of Ethics), MLS network effects in a defined territory, and incremental ecosystem expansion through the Mobile REALTORS® Charitable Foundation (501(c)(3), established 2010), the RPAC political action committee with tiered investor levels, and the January 2026 Founders Circle partnership with the University of South Alabama's new Real Estate Major. Distribution is direct (online application, in-person orientation, member portal) with no external ownership, venture capital, or M&A activity disclosed in available data.

Name

Mobile Area Association of Realtors

Legal name

Mobile Area Association of REALTORS®

Website

https://mobilerealtors.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1907

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Mobile Area Association of Realtors is a 1907-founded nonprofit trade association serving 1,000+ REALTOR® members across Mobile and Baldwin Counties, Alabama, operating the Gulf Coast MLS subsidiary and generating revenue from annual membership dues, MLS subscription fees, and affiliate services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Mobile

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Association Membership Dues: Annual membership dues covering local ($200), state ($233), and national ($195) association fees totaling $628. Billed in November, due December 31st. Prorated based on join month through remainder of calendar year.
2. GCMLS Subscription Fees: MLS services billed annually on June 1st, due by June 30th. $432.00 for agents and $900.00 for Designated REALTOR® (Qualifying Brokers). Prorated based on application month.
3. Application Fees: Local application fee of $225.00 collected upon joining. One-time state application fee of $300.00 collected upon joining. Application fees also assessed to new or returning accounts with more than 90 days without membership.
4. Reinstatement Fees: $225.00 reinstatement fee for unpaid memberships. $50 reinstatement fee per subscription for unpaid GCMLS subscriptions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Mobile Area Association of REALTORS® (MAAR) is a professional trade association that provides REALTOR® membership services, operates the Gulf Coast Multiple Listing Service (GCMLS), and delivers real estate education, advocacy, and networking to real estate professionals across Mobile and Baldwin Counties in Alabama. Its portfolio includes member dues-based subscriptions, MLS access and listing tools, continuing education programs, market statistics reports, and legislative advocacy at local, state, and national levels.

Product overview

Mobile Area Association of Realtors (MAAR) is a professional trade association, not a single SaaS product. Its service portfolio centers on the Gulf Coast Multiple Listing Service (GCMLS) — the core platform providing property listings, market data (CMA Reports, Realist Tax Data, Hot Sheets), and Agent Forms Access — supplemented by public-facing Property Search and Agent/Affiliate directories. Member benefits include monthly Market Facts Reports (from ACRE and South Alabama), Continuing Education Programs (in-person and online via The CE Shop and Lancaster Institute), RPAC political advocacy, and the Mobile REALTORS® Charitable Foundation (501(c)(3)). The ecosystem is held together by a member portal, networking events (quarterly luncheons, seasonal events), and various committees for professional standards, community relations, and governmental affairs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• REALTOR® Membership
• Gulf Coast Multiple Listing Service (GCMLS)

Quantifiable outcome

• Access to Gulf Coast MLS providing up-to-date property information often before public websites

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• University of South Alabama Mitchell College of BusinesscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 January 2026MAAR is recognized as a Founders Circle partner of the University's Real Estate Major program, which launched as a full undergraduate major in Fall 2025. This strategic partnership supports real estate education, leadership development, and community engagement. The program experienced rapid growth with enrollment more than doubling in one semester.
• National Association of REALTORS®coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the three-way agreement covering local ($200), state ($233), and national ($195) association dues. Provides access to NAR Code of Ethics, professional standards, legislative advocacy, and 1,000,000+ member network nationally.
• Alabama Association of REALTORS®coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the three-way agreement providing state-level advocacy, professional standards, and access to resources. State application fee of $300 collected upon joining.
• Gulf Coast Multiple Listing Service (GCMLS)coreOthersGCMLS is a subsidiary of MAAR providing MLS services including REALTOR® News and Alerts, Hot Sheets, Realist Tax Data, CMA Reports, Client/Agent Portals, and Agent Forms Access. Works with virtually all computer operating systems, web browsers, and mobile devices.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• National Association of REALTORS® (NAR): The national umbrella organization for the REALTOR® brand and Code of Ethics; MAAR operates under NAR's three-way agreement, making NAR the broader governing incumbent that shapes MAAR's dues and standards.
• Compass, Inc. A national residential real estate brokerage; while not a member-based organization, Compass competes for the same agent population MAAR serves and overlaps in MLS-data and tools.

Direct peers

• California Regional MLS (CRMLS): The largest MLS in the U.S. by agent count; operates as a comparable MLS technology and data service platform to GCMLS, although at significantly greater scale.
• MIAMI Realtors: One of the largest local REALTOR® associations in the U.S., serving the Greater Miami area; directly comparable to MAAR as a member-driven association offering MLS access, education, advocacy, and affiliate services.
• Houston Association of REALTORS®: One of the largest local REALTOR® associations in the U.S., HAR operates a comparable member-services and MLS-adjacent model serving real estate professionals in the Houston metro, making it a directly comparable trade association to MAAR.
• Stellar MLS: A large regional Multiple Listing Service serving multiple state associations; directly comparable to MAAR's wholly-owned GCMLS subsidiary in providing MLS data, tools, and member access to real estate professionals.
• Bright MLS: One of the largest MLS operators in the U.S. spanning the Mid-Atlantic region; comparable to GCMLS as a regional MLS technology platform that provides listing data, tax records, and agent tools to subscribing REALTORS®.
• Austin Board of REALTORS®: A Texas-based REALTOR® association serving Austin-area real estate professionals with MLS access (ABoR MLS), education, and advocacy; closely comparable to MAAR's role and offering mix in Mobile/Baldwin County.

Others

• CoreLogic: A data and analytics provider supplying Realist tax and property data — the same data product referenced in MAAR's GCMLS offering — making it an upstream data partner feeding MAAR's MLS technology.
• Zillow Group: A consumer-facing real estate platform and listing aggregator; an ecosystem participant whose listing portal may influence the value MAAR members derive from exclusive GCMLS data access.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/mobilerealtors
• Facebookfacebook.com/MobileREALTORAssociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mobilerealtors

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mobile Area Association of Realtors