The San Francisco Association of REALTORS® (SFAR) is the main real estate organization in San Francisco. With over 4,000 REALTOR® members in San Francisco and nearby areas, SFAR has been helping real estate professionals since 1905. The group offers many services, including a listing system, standard forms, education, networking, market data, and advocating for fair real estate practices.
A Rich History Dating Back to 1905
SFAR started on February 6, 1905, when 33 leading real estate agents in the city created the San Francisco Real Estate Board. This group came before the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) and the California Association of REALTORS® (CAR). The San Francisco board helped form both these larger groups.
Over the years, SFAR has grown and changed:
- After the 1906 earthquake, members helped rebuild the city.
- In the mid-1900s, they created the San Francisco REALTOR® District Map, which splits the city into 10 districts and 89 neighborhoods.
The group changed its name from the San Francisco Real Estate Board to the San Francisco Association of REALTORS® to match the national brand. In recent years, SFAR has focused on diversity and inclusion by forming a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility Committee.
Where SFAR Operates
SFAR mainly works in the City and County of San Francisco, but its reach goes a bit beyond the city limits:
- The main area is San Francisco itself
- SFAR also serves parts of northern San Mateo County (the “Northern Peninsula”)
- This includes nearby communities like Daly City, Colma, and Brisbane
While SFAR focuses on San Francisco, it works with other REALTOR® groups on bigger issues affecting the Bay Area, such as housing initiatives and sharing listing data.
Becoming a Member
SFAR offers different types of membership:
- REALTOR® Members: Licensed real estate salespeople or brokers
- Designated REALTORS®: Brokerage owners or managing brokers who lead their office
- Affiliate Members: People or companies in related fields (like mortgage lenders, title companies, or home inspectors)
To join SFAR as a REALTOR®, you need:
- An active California real estate license
- To complete an application that signs you up for SFAR (local), CAR (state), and NAR (national)
- To agree to follow the REALTOR® Code of Ethics and the rules of all three groups
New members must attend an orientation that includes ethics training within 25 days of joining. If they don’t, their membership is put on hold until they complete it. All REALTORS® must also take ethics training once every 3 years to stay members.
Members pay annual dues that include local, state, and national portions. In 2025, NAR dues are $156 per member, and CAR dues are around $237. With SFAR’s local dues, a member might pay about $600-$800 annually. Members who want access to the listing service (MLS) pay extra fees of about $204 per quarter ($816 annually).
The Property Listings Database
One of SFAR’s most essential services is running the Multiple Listing Service for San Francisco, SFARMLS. This online database is where REALTORS® lists properties for sale and collaborates on deals.
SFARMLS mainly includes:
- Residential listings (single-family homes, condos, TICs, 2-4 unit buildings)
- Rental properties (though fewer than sales)
- Some smaller commercial and mixed-use properties
The system is accessed through a member login and uses technology from Rapattoni. SFARMLS contains thousands of active listings and tens of thousands of past sales for San Francisco.
SFARMLS shares data with other Bay Area listing services through the NorCal MLS Alliance, which connects:
- BAREIS (North Bay)
- MLSListings Inc. (South Bay/Peninsula)
- East Bay Regional MLS
- MetroList (Sacramento area)
This sharing means SFAR members can see listings beyond SF, and agents from those areas can see SF listings. While the public can’t directly access SFARMLS, they can see Realtor.com or brokerage site listings.
Market Statistics: San Francisco Real Estate Today
SFAR tracks key numbers about the local market. Recent stats from late 2024 show:
- Median home price (all types): $1.4 million (+8.8% year-over-year)
- Median condo price: $1.1 million (+5.8% year-over-year)
- Median single-family home price: $1.6 million (+9.6% year-over-year)
- Homes sold in Q4 2024: 1,009 sales (-5.3% year-over-year)
- Median price per square foot: ~$1,000 (+4.6% year-over-year)
San Francisco home prices saw a strong comeback in 2024 after a dip in 2022-2023. By early 2025, the market showed mixed signals: sales volume was picking up slightly, with homes selling in a median of just 19 days. According to Redfin, the San Francisco market remains “very competitive,” with the average property getting multiple offers.
Different parts of the market behave differently:
- Single-family houses are in higher demand than condos
- Luxury homes (top 10% of prices) recovered in 2023-24 after some softening in 2022
- Different districts have different price trends (District 5 – Central District is powerful)
The commercial real estate market faces challenges, especially for offices. As of early 2025, the office vacancy rate hit a record high of 31.7%, with about 32.7 million square feet of vacant office space citywide.
Key Services for Members
SFAR provides many tools and services to help its members succeed:
- Multiple Listing Service (MLS): The core listing database for San Francisco
- Standard Forms and Contracts: San Francisco-specific documents like the SFAR Residential Purchase Agreement
- Technology Tools: Free or discounted access to tools like Disclosures.io, Cloud CMA, Glide, and RentSpree
- Education and Training: Classes on topics like contracts, legal updates, and technology
- Networking Events: Mixers, annual events, and broker tours
- Information and Publications: Market reports, newsletters, and updates on industry changes
- Legal and Ethics Support: Help with ethical questions and dispute resolution
- Advocacy: Speaking up for members’ interests at City Hall and in Sacramento
These services help REALTORS® increase their skills and better serve their clients. SFAR wants to be a one-stop resource for agents, providing tools, knowledge, support, and community.
Education and Professional Growth
SFAR puts a lot of focus on helping members grow their skills. The Association offers:
- Classes on sales techniques, contracts, technology, ethics, and best practices
- Continuing education courses that count toward license renewal requirements
- Special events like economic forecasts and legal updates
- Help to earn professional designations like:
- Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS)
- Graduate, REALTOR® Institute (GRI)
- Certified Residential Specialist (CRS)
SFAR’s Young Professionals Network (YPN) holds panel discussions where experienced agents share tips with newer agents. The Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility Committee also offers training on fair housing and diversity.
Global Connections
San Francisco is an international city, and SFAR helps its members work with global real estate opportunities:
- The Global Business Council (GBC) provides education and networking for international business
- SFAR works with groups like GlobalSF to connect international investors with local opportunities
- Members can use NAR’s global network to find REALTORS® in other countries for referrals
- Many SFAR members speak multiple languages, which helps with international clients
SFAR hosted a Czech Republic trade delegation in 2024, connecting Czech investors with local real estate opportunities. The Association also encourages members to attend international events and build referral networks with agents in other countries.
Speaking Up for Real Estate
SFAR is very active in policy advocacy and government relations. The Government Relations Committee reviews laws that could affect real estate and recommends positions to the Board of Directors.
Recent advocacy wins include:
- Helping defeat attempts to allow unlimited local rent control in California
- Supporting state measures to boost housing, like SB9 (which enables lot splits to and accessory dwelling units)
- Successfully challenging San Francisco’s Proposition I, which increased transfer taxes on high-value properties
- Opposing the residential vacancy tax, which was struck down as unconstitutional in 2024
- Campaigning against Proposition 33, a state measure that would have expanded rent control
SFAR encourages members to get involved through legislative days in Sacramento, candidate forums and contacting elected officials. The Association also joins coalitions with other groups to find solutions to San Francisco’s housing crisis.
Giving Back to the Community
SFAR and its members are involved in many community projects:
- The SFAR Foundation runs the Welcome Home Project, which provides household items to families who have experienced homelessness.
- Members volunteer with groups like Rebuilding Together and Habitat for Humanity.
- SFAR holds food drives and toy drives during holidays
- The Association supported the Florence Fang Community Farm in the Bayview neighborhood, helping create an urban garden for the community.
- Many REALTORS® serve as coaches, on nonprofit boards, or in other volunteer roles.
Through these efforts, SFAR shows that REALTORS® care about more than selling homes—they also want to build strong communities.
Building a Real Estate Website with SFAR Data
To create a professional real estate website using San Francisco Association of REALTORS® (SFAR) MLS data:
- Choose a hosting provider and domain name – Select a reliable hosting service like SiteGround, Bluehost, or WP Engine, and register a domain name representing your real estate brand.
- Install WordPress – Most hosting providers offer one-click WordPress installation. This creates the foundation for your site.
- Select a real estate theme – Install a specialized WordPress theme like WP Residence, Houzez, or Real Homes compatible with MLS integration.
- Apply for SFAR MLS access—To legally display SFAR listings on your site, you’ll need to be an SFAR member with MLS access credentials.
- Choose your MLS integration method. Install the MLSImport plugin for direct integration with the SFAR RESO API, which offers better performance and design control than traditional IDX solutions.
- Configure property display settings – Set up how listings will appear and what fields to show, and create custom property search filters for your visitors.
- Add essential real estate plugins – Install additional plugins for functionality like mortgage calculators, neighborhood information widgets, and lead capture forms.
- Create key pages—Build out your About, Contact, Neighborhoods, and Blog sections to provide value beyond property listings.
- Add SFAR-required disclaimers—To maintain compliance with SFAR rules, Ensure you include all required MLS attribution statements and disclaimers.
- Test thoroughly—Before launching, Check your site’s performance and functionality on various devices to ensure a smooth user experience.
The MLSImport approach gives you more design flexibility and better performance than traditional iframe-based IDX solutions while properly handling the hourly updates from the SFAR database.
Looking Forward
For over 115 years, the San Francisco Association of REALTORS® has been helping real estate professionals and working to improve the housing market. From its start in 1905 to today, SFAR has adapted to changes while staying true to its mission: supporting REALTORS® and advancing the local real estate industry.
As San Francisco faces housing challenges, SFAR continues to push for policies that increase supply and make homes more affordable. Through education, advocacy, and community service, SFAR and its members are shaping the future of real estate in one of the world’s most expensive markets.
Whether you’re a new agent looking for training, an experienced broker seeking market insights, or a homeowner interested in local trends, SFAR works to create a fair, ethical, and successful real estate environment for everyone.
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