Merri Jo Cowen, Chief Vision Officer at Stellar MLS and Executive Vice President at Universal Consulting Opportunities (UCO), will deliver a keynote titled “From Paris to Istanbul” at the International MLS Forum in Istanbul on November 16–17, 2026. The forum, now in its fourth edition, brings together MLS leaders, real estate organizations and technology providers from around the world. Cowen’s address will draw on more than 40 years in the MLS industry and her participation in every forum since its inaugural gathering in Paris.
UCO, a subsidiary of Stellar MLS, returns as Title Partner for the third consecutive year, having supported the forum since its inception. Cowen’s central message is that markets can develop organized real estate marketplaces without simply importing the North American MLS model. “We need to reinforce that it’s possible. It’s not one size fits all,” Cowen said. “The model we have here in the United States and Canada is not necessarily the perfect model for another global entity, but it’s possible.” She added that markets must assess local laws, business practices and needs to build a framework that can evolve.
Since the Paris forum, conversations have turned into agreements. At last year’s forum in Toronto, Stellar MLS was one of five organizations from the U.S., Canada, France and the United Arab Emirates to sign the cross-border data share that launched the Global Data Exchange (GDX). Ahead of Istanbul, FIABCI, the International Real Estate Federation, has joined GDX. Cowen serves as GDX Board President through 2026 and sees connectivity as a practical way for MLS organizations to broaden resources for members while retaining control over their participation.
“I think it’s going to open a lot of doors for agents and brokers all across the globe to connect with potential buyers and sellers,” Cowen said. For MLSs focused on their local market, she described cross-border exchange as an achievable first step. “There’s a huge opportunity here for MLSs to build a network for their agents to expand their business, even if that’s all they do,” she said. “There’s something there that can be done that’s relatively simple. It doesn’t involve a huge investment, but it will expand the opportunities for their agents.”
For consumers, the absence of an organized listing system can mean fragmented property information, inconsistent prices and uncertainty about whom to trust. “A buyer could see the same property at five different prices, listed by five different agents,” Cowen said. “How do they know who the best agent is to work with?” An MLS can provide a framework for shared listing information and professional cooperation, but Cowen cautions against treating the U.S. and Canadian approach as a universal template. “If you sit down and figure out what your market needs, and then you have some help pulling that together, you can start that framework of an MLS that can evolve to where you want it to go,” she said. “But you have to start. That’s the key: start somewhere; it can be done.”
Cowen believes in-person gatherings can turn an initial conversation into an idea worth pursuing. “It’s not just business building through networking. It’s the excitement that comes from an idea, or learning something new, or hearing a success story,” she said. “It motivates others to move forward and continue building.” Tickets are available now for the event at Raffles Istanbul.
