Cheque literally pays for itself by providing a non-dues revenue stream that charges for RETS data. Cheque provides flexible billing structures that allow an MLS to charge for RETS access based on methods such as flat monthly rate, bandwidth usage, per GB usage, tiered bandwidth usage, etc. With Cheque’s flexible billing structures, MLSs can charge IDX vendors for the appropriate amount of RETS data used by their IDX web site customers.

Cheque eliminates the need to send contracts, authorizations, approvals and billing statements back and forth between the MLS and the RETS Data Recipient. Because Cheque is fully integrated with Contact RETS Data Recipients can be tracked, billed, monitored and restricted from one toolset.

As the MLS industry evolves to meet the needs of the real estate consumers, ever increasing demands for data will put the MLS in a position to open up new revenue streams for non-dues revenue and services.

"Dramatically; the consumer will demand and get even more access to our "sacred data". The only question is will Brokers and agents still be the conduit for the access to real estate information. The MLS is uniquely positioned (absent the politics) to fill the void. Those MLS’ that are able to seize the opportunity will remain viable and grow; the others-good bye!" (source: 2009 CMLS MKS Operations Benchmarking Survey.)

With increased competition from inside and outside the real estate industry, MLSs are more and more seeing the need to change the definition of data responsibilities, and add new pricing models.

"We will be more data centric and provide more products and services our members currently get elsewhere, provide more technology and different levels of data (ex - IDX versus VOW)" (source: 2009 CMLS MKS Operations Benchmarking Survey.)