Bye, Bye, MLS Areas!

Searching By Neighborhood Names

No, the map (at right) isn't some sort of alternate zip code for Hennepin County.

Actually, come to think of it . . . it is.

For Realtors.

Unbeknownst to (most of) the public, the Twin Cities Multiple Listing Service ("MLS") database splits the metro and outlying areas into 139 districts.

So, on MLS, Realtors looking for something by Lake of the Isles would search under MLS area 300.

That's in addition to searching by custom map, zip code, price range, and home attributes.

"Name that Neighborhood!"

Which is kind of the problem for MLS areas: they've been superseded by more powerful (and customizable) search criteria.

So, by the end of year, they're going to be gone.

In their place will be neighborhood names (Linden Hills, Country Club, Fern Hill, etc.)

Which makes intuitive sense.

The only catch I see is that not every neighborhood is easily defined -- and not every home is in a defined neighborhood.

Just to take two examples:

--in Golden Valley, the area east of Lions Park and west of North Tyrol Hills is really part of neither. What will it be called under the new system?

--Ditto for the area west of Cedar Pass and east of Bent Tree in Minnetonka.

People old enough recall a game show called "Name that Tune."

Get ready for the real estate equivalent: 'Name that Neighborhood!'

No More "No Name" Neighborhoods

Neighborhood Name as "Brand"

Once upon a time, people lived in St. Paul, or Minneapolis, or St. Louis Park.

Now, they live in Fern Hill, Birchwood, or Sorenson (all neighborhoods in St. Louis Park).

Overall, as Martha Stewart would say, "that's a good thing."

Especially if the neighborhood name isn't just marketing, but reflects an active neighborhood association, and a growing sense of neighborhood identity.

As a Realtor, I can attest that Buyers value -- and pay up -- for those things.

Just look at prices in Linden Hills!