Assessor-Recorder Chu Announces Access To Instant Real Estate Data Through MLS

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ASSESSOR-RECORDER CHU ANNOUNCES ACCESS TO INSTANT
REAL ESTATE DATA THROUGH MLS
The Office of the Assessor-Recorder will use MLS to ensure more accurate and fair tax assessments
for all San Francisco property owners and taxpayers

San Francisco, CA – Assessor-Recorder Carmen Chu today announced that her office will now have access to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) an online software operated by the San Francisco Association of Realtors (SFAR) that tracks real estate sales in the city.  The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a resolution providing the Office of the Assessor-Recorder access to MLS. 

Assessor-Recorder Carmen Chu stated, “Gaining access to MLS has been a priority of mine since taking office and I’m excited to get this win for the department. Through this action we will be joining in the best practices of our peer counties so that our staff will now be better equipped with the most complete information to determine fair values in the marketplace.”

Chu continued, “I want to thank the San Francisco Association of Realtors and their Board of Directors for their collaboration, as well as Supervisor Scott Wiener for his willingness to serve as the sponsor of the legislation. It is through great public and private partnerships like these that allow government to be more effective and get results.”

The Office of the Assessor-Recorder is responsible for assessing over 206,000 parcels annually for property tax purposes.  Property taxes represent over one-third of the City’s general fund revenue used to support critical services.  California’s Proposition 13 requires that properties are valued at fair market value when there has been a change in ownership and access to information on sales and listings in the marketplace is critical to this work. MLS, which is solely operated by SFAR in San Francisco, is a web-based tool that gives users up-to-the minute listings in the real estate market and is commonly used by real estate professionals and buyer and sellers. 

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