Greater Tyler Association of REALTORS®
GTAR is the largest REALTOR® association and MLS serving East Texas, headquartered in Tyler — the largest city in Northeast Texas and the heart of the region's real estate market. Texas Ally is a GTAR member broker, which makes GTAR one of the local boards our agents can choose to join.
Texas Ally is a GTAR member broker. Every agent who joins us is required to become a member of a local REALTOR® board of their choice — and GTAR is one of the options. Our brokerage-level membership is what makes it available to you.
What GTAR Is
The Greater Tyler Association of REALTORS® is the local REALTOR® board headquartered in Tyler. Founded in 1959, GTAR is the largest REALTOR® association and MLS in East Texas, representing members across Smith County and six surrounding counties.
GTAR represents more than 2,500 REALTORS® and was recently awarded a BEST MLS Badge by the WAV Group Customer Experience Index — a peer recognition for excellence in training and member experience. The board has also been investing in modernized infrastructure, launching GTAR Hub (a unified single sign-on platform for members) in 2025.
GTAR members are part of the broader networks of Texas REALTORS® (110,000+ members) and the National Association of REALTORS® (1M+ members), and operate under the NAR Code of Ethics.
East Texas — Seven Counties Around Tyler
GTAR's service area covers Smith County and six surrounding counties in East Texas. For TA agents working the Tyler metro or the surrounding East Texas region, GTAR is typically the most natural choice of local board.
- Smith County Tyler, Flint, Bullard, Whitehouse — the core
- Gregg County Longview, Kilgore — the East Texas oil corridor
- Wood County Mineola, Winnsboro, Quitman — lake country
- Van Zandt County Canton, Grand Saline — western GTAR reach
- Henderson County Athens, Malakoff, Cedar Creek Lake
- Anderson County Palestine — southern reach
- Cherokee County Jacksonville, Rusk
Cities covered by GTAR include Tyler, Mt. Pleasant, Bullard, Flint, Gilmer, Longview, Kilgore, Athens, Mineola, Palestine, and many smaller East Texas communities.
GTAR MLS
GTAR's multiple listing service is the primary MLS for the East Texas region and includes tools recognized nationally for quality — the WAV Group BEST MLS Badge acknowledges excellence in training and customer experience.
What It Covers
Residential, commercial, farm and ranch, vacant land, and rental listings across the seven-county East Texas region. Approximately 6,700 active listings at any given time.
GTAR Hub
Launched in 2025, GTAR Hub is a unified single sign-on dashboard powered by Solid Earth that brings together MLS platforms, member resources, and business applications into one secure login with passkey-enabled security.
Syndication
Listings syndicate to REALTOR.com, Zillow, Trulia, Homes.com, and the major consumer portals. IDX feeds are available to member brokerages.
What You Get as a GTAR Member
Beyond MLS access, GTAR membership carries weight. Here's what actually matters day-to-day for a working agent.
REALTOR® Standing & the Code of Ethics
GTAR membership is what lets you use the REALTOR® trademark and operate under the NAR Code of Ethics — the standard that distinguishes professional REALTORS® from the general pool of licensees. Consumers increasingly search for REALTOR®, not "real estate agent."
GTAR MLS Access
Full access to listings, comps, market data, property histories, and the MLS tools you'll rely on for pricing, CMAs, and showing scheduling. IDX for your own website if Texas Ally's public search isn't enough.
Continuing Education & Designations
GTAR offers TREC-approved CE courses at the board and pathways into NAR designations like ABR (Accredited Buyer's Representative), SRS (Seller Representative Specialist), and GRI (Graduate, REALTOR® Institute).
Advocacy — Local, State, National
Your membership dues fund RPAC and the advocacy work of GTAR, Texas REALTORS®, and NAR — which lobby on private property rights, tax treatment, licensing reform, and housing policy issues that affect your business.
Networking & Referrals
Access to local GTAR REALTORS® and 110,000+ statewide, plus the NAR referral network for clients moving into or out of the region. GTAR also hosts local events, committees, and affiliate networking opportunities.
Consumer Trust Resources
GTAR publishes local housing reports, provides market data tools, and maintains public member directories — all tools you can point clients to as neutral third-party sources.
What GTAR Membership Looks Like for a TA Agent
Every Texas Ally agent is required to join a local REALTOR® board of their own choice — the brokerage can't join for you, and different territories call for different boards. We're a GTAR member broker, which makes GTAR available as one of your options. Here's how it works if you pick it.
If you choose GTAR as your local board
- You apply to GTAR directly under our brokerage sponsorship — this is what unlocks your ability to list and sell across the service area and access GTAR MLS.
- You pay your own GTAR dues and MLS fees directly to the board — the same as you would at any other brokerage. Those fees aren't marked up or administered by us.
- You keep 100% of your commissions at Texas Ally. No splits, no desk fees, no franchise fees, no monthly tech fees. Our plans are flat.
- You have direct access to our managing broker for contract questions, guidance, and broker support — we answer the phone.
- If your business also takes you outside this region, you can join additional boards. We're member brokers at the other major Texas associations, so multi-board setups are common and welcomed.
GTAR Membership Basics
The board sets its own requirements; we just sponsor. These are the essentials any new GTAR member needs to know.
Who Qualifies
Any actively licensed Texas real estate agent or broker whose sponsoring brokerage is a GTAR member broker. Texas Ally qualifies. Appraisers, inspectors, lenders, and other service providers can join as affiliates.
Dues & Fees
Annual GTAR dues plus MLS participation fees, paid directly to the board. Exact amounts change year to year; confirm current rates at gtar.com.
Onboarding Requirements
New members complete a GTAR New Member Orientation and the NAR Code of Ethics course, typically within a defined window after joining. Both are offered locally and online.
Work East Texas. Keep 100%.
Texas Ally is a GTAR member broker. If you're a licensed Texas agent and GTAR is the right local board for your market, we'll sponsor you there. If another board fits better, we can sponsor you there too — we're member brokers at all the major Texas associations. Either way, you keep 100% of your commissions. No splits, no desk fees, no surprises.
100% Commission in Tyler & East Texas →See Our Plans Talk to a BrokerGTAR & Texas Ally — FAQ
Can Texas Ally sponsor my GTAR membership?
Yes. Texas Ally is a GTAR member broker, which is the prerequisite that lets our agents join the board. Once you're sponsored at Texas Ally, you apply to GTAR directly and pay dues to the board. We don't mark up or administer those fees.
Do I have to join GTAR specifically if I work with Texas Ally?
No. Every Texas Ally agent joins a local REALTOR® board of their own choice — not one we assign. GTAR is the natural choice for agents working the GTAR service area, but if your territory calls for a different Texas board, that's fine. We're member brokers at the other major associations and can sponsor you accordingly.
What does GTAR membership cost?
Annual GTAR dues plus MLS participation fees. Exact amounts change year to year and are set by the board — not by Texas Ally. The authoritative source is GTAR's membership page at gtar.com.
Can I belong to GTAR and another MLS at the same time?
Yes — many working agents do, especially those whose territory straddles markets. Texas Ally has access to the major Texas boards, so if your book of business crosses regions, we can usually get you sponsored at multiple.
Does GTAR offer continuing education?
Yes. GTAR offers TREC-approved CE courses required for license renewal, plus the coursework pathways for NAR designations like ABR, SRS, and GRI. Schedules are published on the board's website.
How is this different from just joining any random brokerage in the area?
The board access is the same — any GTAR-member broker can sponsor you. The difference is what the brokerage keeps from your commission checks. At most traditional brokerages in this market, it's a meaningful percentage. At Texas Ally, it's zero. That's the core of what we do.
Is East Texas a viable real estate market to specialize in?
Yes. The Tyler metro alone has a population of over 230,000 and is the largest population center in Northeast Texas. The surrounding East Texas region has a strong lakeside second-home market (Cedar Creek Lake, Lake Palestine), an oil and gas corridor (Longview/Kilgore), and steady residential demand from families relocating from the DFW metroplex seeking more land for less money.
What's different about the East Texas market?
More land per dollar, a strong acreage/rural-residential component, active lakefront submarkets, and a rhythm that's different from the major metros — buyers often drive from DFW, Shreveport, or Houston to tour properties on weekends. GTAR's MLS coverage is built around that regional geography.
Greater Tyler Association of REALTORS®
This page is maintained by Texas Ally Real Estate Group as a resource for prospective agents. For authoritative information on membership, dues, governance, and policies, always refer directly to GTAR at gtar.com.