Lake Superior Area REALTORS

What Lake Superior Area REALTORS does

Lake Superior Area REALTORS® (LSAR) is a non-profit trade association headquartered in Duluth, Minnesota, serving real estate professionals across seven counties in Northern Minnesota and Wisconsin. Formed in August 2017 through the merger of the Duluth Area Association of REALTORS® (founded 1906) and the Superior Area Association of REALTORS® (founded in the 1910s), the association operates as a local chapter of the National Association of REALTORS® and is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. As of 2022, LSAR's reported membership exceeded 800 REALTOR professionals across 312 active offices, supplemented by 99 affiliate members providing ancillary real estate services such as home inspection, appraisal, photography, mortgage, and title work.

LSAR's core product is its Multiple Listing Service (MLS), powered by the Paragon platform, which provides listing management, property search, and transaction support to members. The technology stack is augmented by Supra ekey for electronic lockbox access, Showingtime for showing management, and rDesk IDX and RETS data feeds for website integration and third-party distribution across 35+ approved technology vendors. Beyond the MLS, the association delivers continuing education for Minnesota and Wisconsin licensees, code of ethics and professional standards enforcement, legislative advocacy at local/state/federal levels, and a REALTORS as Neighbors Foundation that allocates grant funding for community causes. Public-facing tools include property search, Find a REALTOR and Find an Office directories, and market statistics.

LSAR generates revenue through a subscription-based membership model: annual dues from REALTOR and affiliate members (undisclosed), supplemented by $15/month rDesk IDX subscriptions, RETS data feed licensing, fee-based continuing education courses, and event sponsorships (golf scrambles, bowl-a-thons, member appreciation events). Distribution is direct, with members enrolling through the Duluth office and accessing services via the member portal. The association is also expanding its product surface with resources like the July 2022 Short Term Rental Resource and has invested in regional policy influence through co-commissioned workforce housing studies.

Name

Lake Superior Area REALTORS

Legal name

Lake Superior Area Realtors, Inc.

Website

https://lsarealtors.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lake Superior Area REALTORS® (LSAR) is a non-profit trade association serving 800+ real estate professionals across Northern Minnesota and Wisconsin. It provides MLS access via Paragon, Supra ekey, Showingtime, continuing education, professional standards enforcement, and legislative advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Duluth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees for REALTORS and affiliate members providing access to MLS, continuing education, advocacy services, and member benefits.
2. MLS Data Feed Services: rDesk IDX subscription at $15/month for IDX data feeds and website integration; RETS data feed available for web developers requiring raw MLS data access.
3. Continuing Education: Fee-based continuing education courses and classroom training for Minnesota and Wisconsin real estate licensees.
4. Event Revenue: Association events including holiday parties, golf scrambles, and bowl-a-thons with sponsorship support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Lake Superior Area REALTORS operates a regional Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and trade association for real estate professionals across seven counties in Northern Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin. The organization provides MLS access via the Paragon platform, tiered REALTOR/Affiliate membership, continuing-education classes, advocacy, lockbox services, and networking events for its 800+ members and 312 active brokerages.

Product overview

Lake Superior Area REALTORS operates as a non-profit trade association serving real estate professionals across Northern Minnesota and Wisconsin. The core offering is the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) powered by the Paragon platform, which provides listing data management and property search capabilities. This is supplemented by data distribution tools including rDesk IDX for website integration and RETS Data Feed for custom development. Additional member services include continuing education programs (webinars, classroom, and online courses), the Supra ekey electronic lockbox system, Showingtime for showing management, a Member Portal for billing and records, and the Tech Helpline for after-hours support. The organization also supports members through the REALTORS as Neighbors Foundation charitable arm. The association was formed in August 2017 through the merger of the Duluth Area Association of REALTORS (founded 1906) and the Superior Area Association of REALTORS (founded 1910).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Regional MLS Subscription (Paragon)
• REALTOR Membership
• Affiliate Membership
• Continuing Education Courses
• Lockbox / Key Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 800 real estate professionals served across Northern Minnesota and Wisconsin
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Arrowhead Builders AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 April 2018LSAR partnered with Arrowhead Builders Association and Northspan Group to commission a study analyzing costs associated with single-family workforce housing development in Duluth, Minnesota. The study explored factors affecting construction costs and offered framework for policymakers seeking to develop more housing units.
• Northspan GroupminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 April 2018Collaborated on the 'Housing for the Next Generation of Duluth's Workforce' study to analyze housing development costs and provide framework for policymakers on housing unit development in Duluth.
• National Association of REALTORS (NAR)coreOthersLSAR is a local chapter of NAR, providing Code of Ethics enforcement, continuing education resources, legislative advocacy coordination, and access to NAR tools including REALTOR Pledge of Performance, Code of Ethics training, and Fair Housing resources.
• Minnesota REALTORS (MNR)coreOthersState-level association partnership for Minnesota-licensed members providing advocacy, education resources, and compliance support specific to Minnesota real estate regulations.
• Wisconsin REALTORS Association (WRA)coreOthersState-level association partnership for Wisconsin-licensed members including access to Line by Line forms training video series, legislative advocacy, and Wisconsin-specific CE courses. WRA REALTOR & Government Day events bring members to Madison for advocacy.
• REALTORS as Neighbors FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLSAR's charitable arm providing disaster relief, homebuyer education services, homeowner assistance, and community relief organizations. The Foundation hosts annual fundraising events including golf scrambles and bowl-a-thons, having raised over $16,000 in 2022 and approved $17,500 in grants.
• Paragon (MLS Technology Provider)coreTechnology or IntegrationPrimary MLS technology platform providing listing database, Paragon login, Paragon training calendar, and technical support for LSAR members. Paragon Training Calendar available for member education on MLS system usage.
• Supra (Lockbox System)coreTechnology or IntegrationElectronic lockbox key access system for showing properties. LSAR provides Supra ekey memberships as part of member benefits with tech helpline support available.
• ShowingtimecoreTechnology or IntegrationShowing management platform integrated with MLS services for scheduling and managing property showings. Included in member benefits and supported through technical assistance.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Association of REALTORS: National umbrella trade association for the REALTOR brand, of which LSAR is a local chapter. Provides the Code of Ethics, advocacy infrastructure, and brand that LSAR's value proposition depends on.
• Minnesota REALTORS: State-level REALTOR association that LSAR partners with for Minnesota-side advocacy, education, and compliance support. Directly comparable state-level equivalent serving LSAR's primary jurisdiction.
• Wisconsin REALTORS Association: State-level REALTOR association that LSAR partners with for Wisconsin-side advocacy, CE, and forms. Operates one tier above LSAR but with overlapping scope for Wisconsin members.

Emerging players

• Bright MLS: Large regional MLS covering the Mid-Atlantic. Comparable to LSAR's MLS data aggregation and distribution role, but consolidated to a multi-state footprint rather than a single regional association.
• Heartland MLS: Regional MLS provider serving Kansas, Missouri, and surrounding areas. Comparable to LSAR's MLS function (Paragon-based listing services and data distribution) but operated at substantially larger geographic scale.

Regional players

• Florida Realtors: State-level REALTOR association offering the same suite of MLS, advocacy, education, and professional standards as LSAR. Functions identically but geographically separated and several orders of magnitude larger.
• California Association of Realtors: State-level REALTOR association with MLS, advocacy, and professional standards comparable to LSAR. Operates in a different geography but provides a structural benchmark for dues, services, and governance.

Direct peers

• Minneapolis Area Association of REALTORS: Regional REALTOR association serving the Minneapolis metro with MLS, advocacy, and professional standards. Directly comparable to LSAR in structure and services, but operating at significantly larger scale in an adjacent Minnesota market.
• St. Paul Area Association of REALTORS: Regional REALTOR association serving the St. Paul metro area with MLS, advocacy, and member services. Structurally and functionally identical to LSAR, operating in the Twin Cities area of the same state.
• Realtors Association of Northwestern Wisconsin: Regional Wisconsin REALTOR association. Directly comparable to LSAR's Wisconsin-side membership; the interim LSAR CEO (Brenda Barnhardt) came from this association, evidencing operational similarity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/DuluthREALTORS
• Facebookfacebook.com/LakeSuperiorREALTORS

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Lake Superior Area REALTORS