Narek Arakelyan, Secretary-General of FIABCI, the International Real Estate Federation, will attend the 4th International MLS Forum, November 16-17, 2026, at Raffles Istanbul in Istanbul, Türkiye, with a FIABCI delegation. FIABCI’s work with the Global Data Exchange (GDX) is a central focus of this year’s Forum.
FIABCI World President Lily Chang will speak at the Forum and take part in a signing ceremony that brings several FIABCI association chapters together with GDX. For Arakelyan, the goal is “to demonstrate the real support from FIABCI to this initiative.”
“It’s not just having a logo, having visibility or some virtual endorsements, but really to show how FIABCI is committed to this platform,” he says.
Since 1951, FIABCI has brought together more than 40 professions across real estate and the built environment, with a presence in more than 80 countries. “They’re part of the same economic value chain,” Arakelyan says of its members. “Some of them are architects, some are developers, investors, brokers, realtors, lawyers, valuers, operators.”
FIABCI and GDX signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the FIABCI World Congress in Vienna.
Many FIABCI associations already run their own MLSs and portals. FIABCI’s role, Arakelyan says, is to encourage them to work together. “Our role is not to provide one technology or one business model, but to help create conditions for better connectivity, greater transparency and more efficient cross-border cooperation,” he says.
“The GDX initiative is particularly interesting because it looks at how real estate data and professional networks could become more connected internationally,” Arakelyan says. The Memorandum of Understanding set out to continue the dialogue between the two organizations’ leadership toward a final scope of partnership, one that would allow FIABCI “not only to endorse the GDX initiative but also fully support its implementation.”
Arakelyan describes three areas where FIABCI plans to work with GDX. The first is encouraging FIABCI associations to join the GDX network. The second is helping associations and practitioners that do not have their own MLS, through technology and other support, so their data can be consolidated on one platform connected to GDX. The third is a global platform where developers can market their projects, including off-plan properties, which is also expected to connect to GDX.
“It creates business for many professions, it creates business for existing associations, it creates business for our principal members and developers,” Arakelyan says.
The initiative is now part of FIABCI’s strategic plan, Vision 2035. “Of course, we are not waiting until 2035 to implement it,” Arakelyan says. “The most important thing for us within the next three years is to implement the three platforms technically and to create a positive dynamic, a snowball effect, inside our community.”
FIABCI brings associations, technology providers and market leaders into the conversation. “The idea is to bring them not just for the event, but around common standards,” Arakelyan says.
GDX is built on RESO data standards, which Arakelyan sees as a way to create a more consistent language for real estate data. “If professionals are expected to cooperate internationally, the systems they use need to be able to communicate with each other,” he says. “From FIABCI’s perspective, the value of standards is particularly important when they can support different markets without ignoring local legal, regulatory and commercial specificities.”
In GDX, each partner decides with whom it shares its data. “FIABCI has no role in imposing anything on anyone,” Arakelyan says. “We are just providing solutions that could help our associations, companies holding MLSs, or real estate portals to do more business and to create more value for their clients and members.”
“It was fundamental for us to show our industry that we are not deciding on your behalf,” he adds. “We are creating a platform where you decide what is best for your own organization.”
“The forum will be an excellent opportunity to move forward and to move from discussions to practical dialogue,” Arakelyan says.
He is looking forward to continuing the conversation with GDX, RESO, Stellar MLS and the wider community, “and those we haven’t met yet, to better understand where FIABCI can add the most value.” The Forum will also mark the start of a FIABCI task force recently created by its board of directors to understand what real estate practitioners expect from the federation. “This is a focal point for us,” he says.
Chang will represent FIABCI on a Forum panel and at the signing ceremony. “FIABCI is proud to support the Forum as an Industry Partner for the third consecutive year,” she says. “We value this opportunity to meet colleagues, exchange experience and explore how we can make international real estate cooperation work better in practice.”
For real estate leaders deciding whether to attend, Arakelyan’s case is direct. “This is the place to be, because this is where their peers are going to decide what is best for the next couple of years,” he says. “Being there means being actively involved in that decision-making process.”
Arakelyan, Chang and the FIABCI delegation will be in Istanbul for the Forum, November 16-17. The Forum brings together MLS executives, brokers and technology providers from a few dozen countries. Tickets are available at mlsforum.org.
About The International MLS Forum
The International MLS Forum brings together MLS leaders, real estate organizations and technology providers from around the world to build more connected, transparent property marketplaces. The 4th edition, organized by RESO, ADRES and RealtyFeed, takes place November 16-17, 2026, at Raffles Istanbul.
This article is based on information provided by the expert source cited above. It is intended for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or real estate advice. Readers should conduct their own research and consult qualified professionals before making any real estate or financial decisions.
Disclosure: Individuals or companies mentioned may have a commercial relationship with KeyCrew.
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