The best Local MLS alternatives
Local MLS earns its reputation — but depending on which part of it you actually use, one of these 8 tools may fit your workflow better in 2026.
Direct MLS access is the default answer for comps, and the data really is the gold standard. The problems are practical. Access requires a license or a generous agent, coverage comes one board at a time, and the MLS hands you data instead of answers.
Some alternatives replace the data, others replace the work. Decide which half you actually want to stop doing.
Why investors look for a Local MLS alternative
- —You are not licensed and do not want to be
- —You work more markets than your board covers
- —You want comps selected and adjusted for you, not a search screen
- —You need repair budgets and offer prices, not just sold data
The alternatives, ranked
1.Bricked
AI comps & underwriting softwareBricked finds comps, estimates repairs, and underwrites deals with AI in under 30 seconds, nationwide, including non-disclosure states.
Best for: Investors who want deals underwritten — comps, repairs, ARV, offer price — automatically
- Comps selected automatically the way an appraiser works: recent sales first, boundaries respected, adjustments applied
- AI reads listing photos and scores renovation condition, so as-is comps never mix with flipped ones
- Itemized repair estimates built from local material and labor costs
2.PropStream
Lead generation & property data platformPropStream is a nationwide property data platform built around list building, with 165+ search filters, owner data, and marketing tools for off-market lead generation.
Best for: Investors whose bottleneck is finding off-market leads, not analyzing them
- One of the largest filterable property databases in the industry, with 165+ search filters for building targeted lists
- All-in-one lead-gen workflow: lists, skip tracing, direct mail, and campaign tracking in one place
- Extras most tools skip: foreclosure data, lien and mortgage documents, an ADU calculator
3.BatchLeads
List building, skip tracing & outreach platformBatchLeads is a data and outreach platform for wholesalers: list stacking, built-in skip tracing, driving for dollars, and direct mail, with AI distress scoring via BatchRank.
Best for: High-volume wholesalers running data-driven list building and outreach
- List stacking is the core competency. Layer distress signals to find the most motivated sellers.
- Skip tracing for phones and emails is included in every plan rather than billed per hit
- BatchRank AI scores property distress, and the platform covers driving for dollars, direct mail, and dialer add-ons
4.DealMachine
Driving for dollars & direct mail appDealMachine is the leading driving-for-dollars app. Snap distressed properties from your phone, pull owner info with free skip tracing, and follow up with automated mail.
Best for: Investors whose acquisition strategy is physically driving neighborhoods
- Best-in-class driving-for-dollars app: route tracking, photo capture, and property tagging in seconds
- Free skip tracing included on every plan
- Automated direct-mail sequences with a custom mail designer, plus Alma, an AI assistant for talking through deals
5.Privy
On-market deal finding with MLS dataPrivy surfaces investor-grade deals from live MLS data: automated deal alerts, LiveCMA comps on listed properties, and signals showing where investors are buying.
Best for: Investors buying on-market deals who want the MLS watched for them
- Direct MLS data with automated deal alerts the moment matching listings hit the market
- Investor activity signals show where and what investors are actually buying in a market
- LiveCMA generates comps on listed properties automatically, with fix-and-flip before and after context
6.DealCheck
Deal analysis calculatorsDealCheck is a property analysis calculator. Plug in your numbers and model flips, rentals, and BRRRR deals with clean projections and professional PDF reports.
Best for: Beginners and buy-and-hold investors modeling one deal at a time
- Simple enough to learn in an afternoon
- Deep long-term modeling: rental cash flow, BRRRR, financing scenarios, multi-year projections
- Clean, custom-branded PDF reports for lenders and partners
7.Flipster
Wholesaling leads + deal tools bundleFlipster is Jerry Norton’s all-in-one wholesaling bundle: motivated-seller leads, cash buyer and lender lists, skip tracing, comps, contracts, and marketing tools in one subscription.
Best for: New wholesalers who want every tool in one place with training-adjacent workflows
- Genuinely broad bundle: leads, skip tracing, comps, deal analyzer, offer generator, contracts, and marketing in one subscription
- Wholesaling-specific extras like proof of funds, lender access, and cash buyer sites
- Contracts, offer documents, and marketing templates included alongside the data tools
8.ChatARV
AI comping & offer calculatorChatARV is a ChatGPT-style comping tool. Enter an address and get six comparables, an ARV, and offer math for wholesale, flip, and rental strategies in about a minute.
Best for: Wholesalers who want fast AI comps and offer math
- AI comp selection in about 60 seconds, with shareable comp reports
- Offer calculators for wholesale, novation, flip, buy and hold, and BRRRR
- Simple chat-style workflow that new investors pick up quickly
Bricked vs Local MLS, head to head
| Bricked | Local MLS | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Underwriting | Raw listing & sold data |
| Time per deal | ~17 seconds | Manual |
| Automatic comp selection | ||
| Photo condition scoring | You read the photos | |
| Itemized repair estimates | ||
| Instant ARV & offer price | Your judgment | |
| Non-disclosure state comps | ||
| Client-ready CMA reports | Agent CMA tools | |
| API access |
Frequently asked questions
Can I get MLS-quality comps without a license?
Yes. Bricked pulls live data from MLS sources, county records, and public web listings, then runs the analysis automatically: condition-scored comps, an itemized repair estimate, ARV, and an offer price on any address.
What do investors use instead of the MLS?
Data platforms like PropStream for lead lists, Privy for on-market alerts, and Bricked for underwriting. Most investors who move off the MLS are replacing the manual analysis, not just the data access.