The end of passwords is good news for real estate

We are in an era when a cyberattack does not always look like a cyberattack.

With artificial intelligence making phishing more convincing, a routine-looking link can be enough to put your device, identity or bank account at risk. A simple attachment, a familiar-looking login page or a message that appears to come from someone you trust can open the door to attackers, giving them path into your accounts and personal information.

For real estate professionals, that risk is especially serious. Your login can connect to business systems, confidential client information, financial records and tools you rely on every day like the multiple listing platform.

For years, real estate professionals have been told the same thing: make your passwords stronger. Use more characters. Add a symbol. Mix uppercase and lowercase letters. Don’t reuse the same password. Change it again when prompted.

That advice was never wrong. It’s just no longer enough.

Passwords have become one of the weakest links in application security across all industries, which is why the cybersecurity sector is working to render them as extinct as the dinosaurs. For agents constantly on the go, managing complex passwords in the field is an increasing source of frustration. This friction often leads to risky workarounds like password reuse, which only heightens security vulnerabilities. Consequently, multiple listing organization staff frequently bear the brunt of complaints whenever security rules update, even though these changes are designed to protect their members and subscribers. A single MLS login grants access to a massive web of sensitive data, including:

• Proprietary listing data and tax records
  
• Confidential client information
  
• Showing tools and transaction platforms
  
• Internal collaboration systems

It’s why the end of passwords should not be seen as another technology headache. It should be seen as a long-overdue step forward. 

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Why traditional passwords fail real estate professionals

To understand the risk, it helps to look at what’s really driving it.

Complexity rules make passwords harder to crack, but bad actors have shifted to phishing because it’s easier and more efficient. Even the strongest credentials can still be phished or captured by fake login pages. The time-sensitive nature of real estate makes the industry a perfect target for cybercriminals, who ruthlessly leverage urgency to trick their victims. Operating constantly on the move and under tight deadlines makes it dangerously easy for agents to fall prey to fast-moving scams. Attackers know the potential payoff is incredibly bountiful; with multiple large financial transactions from escrow to down payments and commissions, real estate is the ultimate target-rich environment. When an account is compromised, the consequences go far beyond a simple reset. Sensitive information can be exposed, access to critical tools disrupted, and client trust put at risk. That’s why the next step in security isn’t asking agents to create even more complicated passwords—it’s reducing dependence on them altogether.

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The evolution of real estate cyber security: From MFA to adaptive security

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) improved security by adding another way to verify identity. Did every agent love it at first? No. Agents want fast access to the tools they use every day, and multiple listing organizations want to avoid unnecessary friction.

Still, MFA proved that stronger security can work in real estate when it’s implemented thoughtfully. It also reinforced an important point: one extra step can help protect far more than a login—it can help protect a business, a client relationship, and years of trust.

That smarter approach has continued to evolve. Instead of applying the same requirements to every login, adaptive security evaluates context and only asks for more verification when it’s needed.

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Every login is not the same

Traditional MFA forces a lose-lose choice. Either every single login is challenged, forcing agents to constantly enter a password, wait for a code, and type it in, or the system uses "trusted device" cookies to skip the hassle, which creates a massive vulnerability that hackers can easily steal to bypass security entirely. Adaptive security takes a smarter approach. Using AI, it evaluates the context of every login before deciding what to do next: the device, location, timing and whether the behavior matches what the system usually sees from this user. It only challenges with MFA if something looks unusual.  

Of course, some friction is unavoidable. Users will still be challenged at times, especially agents with fast-moving, on-the-go workflows put them into higher-risk categories that require extra vigilance.

What is password-less authentication and how does it protect agents?

Password-less authentication builds on that smarter approach by removing the password from the login process and leveraging passkeys, which verify identity using secure cryptographic keys stored on a trusted device. The sensitive part never leaves that device and is not shared with the system the agent is logging into.

The best part: There are no passwords to remember, reuse, type into a fake website or reset after too many failed attempts. Agents can sign in seconds using a fingerprint, face scan or device PIN.

For attackers, passkeys create a much harder target. A criminal can trick someone into typing a password into a fake login page, but a passkey only works with the real login page for that account.

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How Clareity Assure™ simplifies MLS security

Clareity Assure from Cotality™ now supports password-less authentication, helping multiple listing organizations strengthen account security while giving agents a simpler and faster way to log in. Authentication is verified on the user’s device, and their passkey can be securely synced across devices using trusted tools like Google Password Manager, iCloud and other supported password managers.

Because Clareity password-less is inherently a multi-factor authentication, we can help reduce friction even further by eliminating the need for email or text message codes.  There is nothing to type, the code is replaced with secure biometric verification.   For multiple listing organizations it’s a practical way to modernize access security while improving the member experience. For agents, it means less time managing passwords, fewer interruptions and more confidence that their login is helping protect their business.

The end of passwords is not something agents should fear. It may be one of the best security upgrades they never knew they wanted.

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FAQs

Question: What is password-less?

Answer: Password-less is a modern authentication framework that utilizes Passkeys as the primary method, eliminating the need for users to enter a password. It offers direct, highly secure multi-factor authentication (MFA) with minimal friction for users. This approach represents the future of logins, as traditional passwords are quickly becoming obsolete.

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Question: Can I still log In with a password?

Yes, the login screen allows users to choose either Password-less or traditional password login. Password login may be useful if you experience issues with a passkey or are logging in from a new or public device. Password logins are evaluated using the same Assure risk criteria and may prompt an MFA challenge as needed.

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Question: Can I use my passkey across devices?

Yes, there are multiple ways to use your Passkey on different devices.

Browser-Based Passkeys: The easiest way to use the same Passkey on multiple devices. You must be logged into the relevant browser or mobile device from the same ecosystem with the account that stores the Passkey. See below for details:

• Apple iCloud Keychain: Stores and syncs Passkeys across Apple devices signed into the same Apple Account, with iCloud Keychain enabled.
• Google Password Manager: Stores and syncs Passkeys across Android devices (and Chrome) signed into the same Google Account.
• Microsoft Password Manager (in Microsoft Edge): Stores Passkeys in Edge and can sync them across devices where you're signed into Edge with the same Microsoft account (availability and behavior may vary by platform and rollout).