This sounds big:

The four largest realtors networks in the state are joining forces to share their public data across the state, they said in a statement Friday.

The listing services for the Asheville, Charlotte, Greensboro and Raleigh areas are part of the program, called the North Carolina Data Share.

NCDS, as the program is known, expands the Internet Data Exchange programs of the four listing services.

The Internet Data Exchange is essentially the public version of a listing service, which is typically restricted to real estate brokers. Using the data exchange, a potential home buyer can log on to a broker's Web site and see all of the publicly available information about real estate listings in an area.

Now, those Web sites will contain information about homes in all four of the regions that are part of NCDS.

"Our four MLSs have taken steps to improve access to real estate information in North Carolina for brokers and consumers," said Richard Renton, executive vice president of Triad MLS. "Broker Web sites in North Carolina can now compete with Web sites of national aggregators as comprehensive sources of listing information."

The Wilmington Regional Association of Realtors is still deciding whether to join the program.