The MIAMI Association of Realtors (MIAMI) and Broward, Palm Beaches & St. Lucie Realtors (RWorld) and their respective MLSs are merging, creating a single association and MLS that will be the largest local Realtor association in the world and one of the nation’s biggest MLSs, according to an announcement on Monday.
The merger, effective May 11, 2026, will unify 93,000 members across South Florida and is being positioned by the organizations as the largest and fastest local Realtor and MLS merger in National Association of Realtors (NAR) history, according to the announcement. The combined association is proposed to be called Miami and South Florida Realtors, pending NAR approval.
MIAMI, with 56,000 members, is currently the largest local Realtor association in the U.S., while RWorld, with 37,000 members, is the third largest. The combined 93,000-member body will be larger than 47 state associations, more than double the next largest local association at 43,000 members and about one-third larger than the next largest local association globally, the organizations said.
“Two of the strongest MLS and Realtor organizations in the U.S. are now one, building on South Florida’s momentum as a global real estate powerhouse and shaping the industry’s next frontier,” MIAMI Chairman of the Board Alfredo Pujol said in the announcement. “This is a win for South Florida, our 93,000 collective members and their clients. Our members will have broader, more fluid access to the data, tools and services they need — without the limitations or complexity of multiple memberships.”
Pujol, currently chairman of MIAMI, will serve as the first chairman of the board of the combined association. Katherine Arteta will serve as 2027 chair-elect.
RWorld President Jonathan Dolphus, who will serve as 2026 chair-elect and 2027 chairman of the board for the new organization, said the combination is aimed at streamlining how South Florida real estate professionals access data and services.
“By bringing our organizations together, we are creating a more connected and efficient Association and MLS, one that delivers complete MLS data, expanded access to tools and services and a simpler way for our members to do business,” Dolphus said. He will be the first Black chairman of the board in the history of both MIAMI and RWorld.
The new association will be led by co-CEOs Teresa King Kinney and Dionna Hall, extending more than 60 years of women’s leadership at the organizations. Kinney, who has led MIAMI for 33 years, announced on Feb. 20, 2026, that she will retire at the end of 2026. Hall will remain as CEO of Miami and South Florida Realtors & BeachesMLS in 2027 and beyond.
The associations said that division boards for both legacy organizations will remain in place to preserve existing cultures and local representation. Upon completion of the merger, Evian White De Leon, MIAMI chief operating officer and chief legal counsel, will become COO of the new association and chief of the MIAMI Division. Kim Hansen, RWorld’s COO, will serve as COO of BeachesMLS and chief of the RWorld Division.
According to the announcement, the associations will initially continue to operate their MLSs as separate entities after the merger closes, with plans to fully combine them “in the near future.” Once combined, the Miami and South Florida Realtors Beaches MLS is expected to have about 93,000 subscribers, which would make it the third-largest MLS in the U.S., behind Bright MLS (101,000 subscribers) and California Regional MLS (CRMLS, 99,000 subscribers), based on T3 Sixty’s 2025 MLS rankings.
The resulting Beaches MLS will also be the largest MLS owned by a single Realtor association in the U.S., according to the announcement. The organizations reported that MIAMI and RWorld members closed $69 billion in total real estate volume in 2025.
The merged association will maintain access to both Flexmls and Matrix, giving subscribers two MLS platform options under the same organizational umbrella, according to the announcement. The combined group says it will offer more than 2,830 educational seminars annually and provide access to more than 300 marketing tools, products and services.
In addition, the new organization will expand on MIAMI’s existing global program, which includes more than 437 signed international agreements with real estate associations worldwide. These partnerships drive referral business and promote South Florida to international buyers, investors, tourists and corporations.
The unified association also has 11 data exchange relationships with some of the largest MLSs in the U.S. and Canada, allowing reciprocal access to each other’s MLS data.
The organization said it will soon launch participation in the Global Data Exchange (GDX), a platform enabling MLSs and real estate organizations across multiple countries to share public listing data. That initiative could further extend South Florida listing exposure to global audiences and deepen inbound referral pipelines.
This article was generated using HousingWire Automation and reviewed by a HousingWire editor before publication. The system helps convert company announcements and industry data into HousingWire-style news coverage.
