How to Search for Homes With an MLS Number

MLS stands for Multiple Listing Service, which is a professional service that real estate agents use in the sale of real estate property. The MLS number is a unique number assigned to each property that is listed for sale by a real estate agent. If you have the MLS number for a home, you can use the National Association of Realtors website or other real estate websites that allow you to search for the property using this number. Once you pull up the listing with the number, you have access to the property information, including the address, square footage and photos of the interior and exterior of the home, if available.

• 1

  Write down the MLS number from the property owner who is selling the home or a real estate professional. You may also obtain a MLS number when looking in real estate catalogs and magazines that list homes for sale.

• 2

  Pull up the real estate website of your choice, such as Realtor.com. Almost any real estate listing website allows you to search for properties using different search criteria. Almost all of the websites offer the option to search by MLS number. This means you can choose to use a specific real estate company's website, a specific real estate agent's site whom you know or one you simply access online.

• 3

  Click on the "Search by MLS #" link from the website. On Realtor.com, the link is the first option under the search address information at the top of the page.

• 4

  Type the MLS number into the search box.

• 5

  Click on the "Search" Button. The page that comes up will contain the property information that coordinates with the MLS number that you entered into the system.

• 6

  Type "MLS #" followed the number into your favorite search engine. Click the "Search" or "Enter" button on your computer keyboard. If the property is listed on any real estate agent or company's website or other online listing, it will show up in an online search as well.