Thank you all for the valuable information and answers to my question(s). I agree with Barbara Weismann that Trulia is a wealth of varied information and it's one of the major reasons that I check Trulia once or twice a day. You have all been wonderful to provide these answers!

I am a member of both the Garden State MLS (GSMLS) and the New Jersey MLS (NJMLS) and I can tell you with no doubt whatsoever that the primary MLS for Mahwah and Bergen County is the NJMLS. While both systems overlap into each other's areas somewhat, if you're looking for properties in Bergen County, its the NJMLS for the full listing inventory.

Trulia is different because Trulia gets it's listings from agents and real estate brokerage companies that choose to post their listings there. For example, let's say I have a listing at Ridge Gardens but I don't post my listings on Trulia and neither does my broker - well, they'll be in the NJMLS but they won't be on Trulia.

A MLS is a sharing of broker's listings. All the brokers in a specific georgraphic area agree to put every listing into a shared system called a Multiple Listing System. In other words, you have multiple numbers of listings from all the brokers going into 1 system that they can all access. Trulia is basically a private company that invites brokers to share their listings. Realtor.com gets it's listings from all of the MLS systems across the country which means that if you belong to a MLS system that doesn't send it's listings to Realtor.com, your listings won't be there but, in reality, almost every MLS does upload their listings to Realtor.com

Now, on the subject of Trulia, I believe that it is not only foolish but a lack of duty to the homeowner for any listing agent to not post their listings on Trulia. In fact, my company has been working on an automatic feed with Trulia so that our listings are posted here immediately. As you know, Trulia is a great site with tons of good information for buyers and sellers. I really think it's terrific and made sure my listings were posted here since it got going.

So, if you're dealing with, frankly, a lazy or technologically challenged listing agent, you won't see a home posted on Trulia while it is in the local MLS. And, if you're looking for properties in Bergen County, you'll find a smattering of them in another MLS but for all of them, go to http://www.NJMLS.com as well as Trulia.

Camille is right, Ginny. There are a few different MLS databases throughout NJ - not all agents become members and list properties on all of them because they are spread out according to geographic areas . Garden State MLS has a public site http://(www.gsmls.com) that you can visit as well and covers most of Central and parts of North NJ. Middlesex County has their own database; Trend MLS is for most of Mercer; Monmouth MLS handles mostly Monmouth County parts of Mercer and Middlesex and there's a few more.

If you know a specific area where you would like to purchase a home, I suggest teaming up with an agent from that has access to that area who will have the most up-to-date MLS database so you can truly see what's available, when it goes Under Contract and what homes are really selling for.

Any additional questions, feel free to ask!

Christine Markow,e-PRO
ERA Statewide Realty
christine.markow@era.com

The NJMLS only carries a limited area of NJ property listings. An agent may belong to GSMLS and have it posted there.


CAMILLE MILLER
MANAGING PARTNER, JUSTJERSEYREALESTATE.COM
BROKER, JUST JERSEY PROPERTIES

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