CDAR

What CDAR does

CDAR (California Desert Association of REALTORS®) is a member-owned trade association, founded in 1958 and headquartered at 44475 Monterey Avenue in Palm Desert, California, that represents over 3,000 licensed real estate professionals across the Greater Palm Springs, Coachella Valley, and Riverside/San Bernardino County regions of Southern California. Following a 2026 merger with the California Desert Inland Gateway (CDIG), CDAR's service footprint now extends through San Diego and parts of Northern California via the CRMLS Matrix platform.

The association operates a bundled membership product that combines exclusive regional Multiple Listing Service access (FLEXMLS, transitioning to CRMLS Matrix), electronic lockbox entry through Supra eKey, transaction management and e-signature tools (zipForm with Authentisign and DocuSign integration), and ongoing professional standards enforcement under the NAR Code of Ethics. Member services extend to monthly broker tours across eight desert cities, recurring economic forecasts (notably delivered by C.A.R. Chief Economist Jordan Levine), continuing education webinars, advocacy and government affairs representation, the Desert Young Professionals Network (YPN) pipeline program, and a scholarship fund that has distributed over $200,000 to more than 300 high school seniors since 1988.

CDAR is governed by an elected Board of Directors (Stephenie Zinn, 2025 President) and an operational staff of 1-10 employees. Revenue is generated through recurring membership dues, quarterly MLS access fees ($126/quarter beginning Q3 2026), event ticket sales (e.g., Bowling for Scholarship, REALTOR Headshot Day, Del Mar Day at the Races), and educational webinar fees, with governance provided under a three-tier federation structure linking CDAR to the California Association of REALTORS (C.A.R.) and the National Association of REALTORS (NAR). The organization is affiliated with NAR for ethics enforcement and national advocacy but is not a parent-owned entity.

Name

CDAR

Legal name

California Desert Association of REALTORS®

Website

https://cdaronline.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CDAR is a member-owned trade association representing over 3,000 real estate professionals across Greater Palm Springs, Coachella Valley, and—post-2026 CDIG merger—San Diego and Northern California, providing MLS access, professional standards enforcement, education, advocacy, and member networking under the three-tier NAR/C.A.R./CDAR federation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Palm Desert

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: CDAR membership fees that provide access to MLS, professional development, advocacy services, and member benefits
2. MLS Fees: Quarterly MLS access fees billed to members. Starting Q3 2026, MLS fees are $126 per quarter with additional products and expanded MLS coverage following a merger.
3. Event Fees: Revenue from ticketed events such as Del Mar Day at the Races ($65/person), Bowling for Scholarship ($25/person or $75/group), and REALTOR Headshot Day ($25-$148 packages)
4. Education and Training: Fees for educational programs including Forms Update Webinar ($5 for members, $20 for non-members) and other training courses

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CDAR is a non-profit regional trade association that provides member REALTORS and affiliate real estate service providers in the Greater Palm Springs/Coachella Valley region with access to the FLEXMLS multiple listing service (MLS), zipForm transaction and electronic signature tools, and the Supra electronic key/lockbox system. The association also enforces the REALTOR Code of Ethics through its Professional Standards process, advocates on legislative issues through Government Affairs and the CRPAC political action committee, delivers continuing education and networking events, and supports the next generation of practitioners via its Scholarship Foundation.

Product overview

CDAR (California Desert Association of REALTORS®) is a trade association for real estate professionals offering a unified platform of services centered around its FLEXMLS Multiple Listing Service. The association provides core products including professional standards enforcement, government advocacy, and member networking through events like the Desert Young Professionals Network. Additional offerings include education and training programs, the CDAR Scholarship Fund, Supra key access systems, zipForm digital transaction tools, and the Broker Tour property showcase program. The portfolio operates as a comprehensive membership ecosystem rather than a modular software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CDIG: California Desert Inland Gateway - the combined association entity resulting from the merger of CDAR and PSRAR
• TIGAR

Products and services

• FLEXMLS Multiple Listing Service (MLS) Access Regional MLS subscription access for CDAR REALTOR members, migrated to the FLEXMLS platform providing listing input, search, and reporting functionality for the California desert regional real estate market. Access is billed quarterly and is required for member participation in the regional listing database.
• Professional Standards & Ethics Services Enforcement and adjudication of the REALTOR Code of Ethics for CDAR members, including ethics complaint intake, arbitration, and disciplinary processes administered by the association's Professional Standards committee.
• Government Affairs & REALTOR Advocacy Legislative and regulatory advocacy program covering federal, state, and local issues affecting real estate, including coordination with the California REALTORS Political Action Committee (CRPAC) and the California Association of REALTORS. Provides members with representation on housing, taxation, land use, and private property rights issues.
• Education & Training Programs Continuing education, designation courses, and topical webinars/webcasts (including economic forecasts) delivered to CDAR members to support licensing compliance, professional development, and market intelligence.
• Member Events, Mixers & Broker Tours In-person member networking events including new member mixers, affiliate mixers, the annual Installation event, and weekly Broker Tours where members tour listed properties. Events include sponsored registration tiers listed at $195 and $290 and seasonal mixers.
• zipForm Digital Transaction Tools Standardized digital real estate transaction management platform with electronic signatures (Authentisign) provided to CDAR members for preparing, managing, and e-signing real estate contracts and disclosures in compliance with state forms requirements.
• Supra Electronic Key / Lockbox Access Supra electronic lockbox (key) access system issued to CDAR REALTOR members for authorized showing access to listed properties in the regional MLS.
• CDAR Scholarship Foundation Non-profit scholarship fund administered by CDAR that collects member donations and other contributions to award scholarships to students and aspiring real estate professionals in the desert region.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 300 high school seniors supported with $200,000+ in scholarships since 1988
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Association of REALTORS (NAR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDAR is affiliated with NAR, providing members access to the REALTOR Code of Ethics, national advocacy, Fair Housing Resources, REALTOR Action Fund, and REALTOR Party initiatives. NAR governs the professional standards and ethical requirements that CDAR enforces for its members.
• California Association of REALTORS (C.A.R.)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level partnership providing C.A.R. forms, professional standards resources, and representation. CDAR disseminates C.A.R. forms updates to members and hosts Forms Update webinars featuring C.A.R. trainers.
• CRMLS (California Regional MLS)coreTechnology or IntegrationAs part of the merger with Palm Springs Regional Association of REALTORS, CDAR transitioned to CRMLS Matrix platform. Ed Zorn, Chief Legal Counsel for CRMLS, is providing guidance on legal and compliance structure for the merger transition.
• FLEXMLS (by Flexmls)coreTechnology or IntegrationMultiple Listing Service technology platform providing listing data, market analytics, and transaction management tools to CDAR members.
• Agua Caliente Casino Rancho MirageminorOthersHost venue for CDAR Economic Forecasts and Annual Summits, providing meeting facilities for member education and networking events.
• Real Data Strategies / Pat VelingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEconomic research firm providing Coachella Valley market analysis and economic forecasts for CDAR events and member education.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• National Association of REALTORS® (NAR): National federation of real estate professionals and CDAR's apex affiliate body. NAR provides the Code of Ethics, Fair Housing resources, REALTOR Action Fund, and advocacy infrastructure that CDAR enforces at the local level.
• California Association of REALTORS® (C.A.R.): State-level trade association for California real estate professionals. C.A.R. directly partners with CDAR to provide forms, ethics resources, and government affairs support, and serves overlapping REALTOR members across the state.

Direct peers

• Pacific Southwest Association of REALTORS® (PSAR): Regional Southern California REALTOR association serving nearby geographies. Operates as a peer membership trade body offering MLS, education, advocacy, and standards services competing for overlapping agent affiliation in the inland Southern California market.
• TIGAR (Temecula Valley/Inland Regional Association of REALTORS): Regional REALTOR association serving Beaumont, Banning, Cherry Valley, and surrounding inland areas. Directly comparable membership-association model and geographic overlap, and is referenced in CDAR's own sub-brand network.
• Orange County Association of REALTORS® (OCR): County-level Southern California REALTOR trade association offering MLS, ethics enforcement, education, and advocacy. Comparable structure and revenue model to CDAR, serving an adjacent SoCal territory of similarly licensed agents.
• Riverside County Association of REALTORS®: County-level REALTOR association covering the same Riverside County geography that CDAR also serves. Provides a closely analogous set of MLS, education, and member services to overlapping REALTOR members.
• Greater San Diego Association of REALTORS® (SDAR): County-level REALTOR trade association in San Diego, directly overlapping with CDAR's newly expanded MLS territory following the CDIG merger. Competes for member affiliation and runs MLS, education, and advocacy services comparable to CDAR's.

Others

• CRMLS (California Regional MLS): Core MLS technology infrastructure partner for CDAR following the post-PSRAR platform transition. Operates the Matrix MLS platform and provides the listing/transaction backbone CDAR members rely on, making it a critical enabling ecosystem peer.
• FLEXMLS: MLS technology vendor whose platform is the primary listing and transaction system CDAR members access. Comparable to CDAR as a technology enabler in the real estate association ecosystem rather than a competing association.

Regional players

• Greater Phoenix Association of REALTORS®: Large metropolitan REALTOR association in a comparable desert/Sun Belt housing market in Arizona. Structurally analogous trade body to CDAR (membership dues, MLS, advocacy, education) serving a similar demographic and economic profile in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mycdar
• Facebookfacebook.com/caldesertrealtors
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/california-desert-association-of-realtors

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 CDAR