The MLS has multiple architectural styles available for searching. Some are easily recognizable, while others can be more difficult to identify, due to the influences pulled from other architectural styles.
Below are the 11 architectural styles in the MLS, along with a brief description and photo. You can find these by searching for Architecture in the Add a Field search box. There’s also an Other and See Remarks option if the house you are listing falls into a different category, such as Colonial or Geodesic.
A-Frame
An A-Frame house is a triangular, letter A-shaped home known for its striking aesthetic, natural light through large windows and efficient snow/rain shedding due to its sloped walls.
Mid-Century Modern
A Mid-Century Modern home is characterized by clean lines, open floor plans, and minimalist detailing. Common features can include large windows and sliding glass doors. These homes typically utilize modern and industrial materials such as glass, steel and concrete, with one-level layouts and low-pitched or flat roofs.
Pueblo
A Pueblo-style home is characterized by its use of earthy, natural materials like adobe, stone and wood, often featuring rounded walls, flat roofs with parapets and exposed wooden beams.
Victorian
A Victorian-style home is characterized by ornate details, complex rooflines and a decorative, asymmetric style. Common features include steep, gabled roofs, towers or turrets, complex ornamentation like gingerbread trim and spindle work and wrap-around porches.
Bungalow
A Bungalow is a compact, typically single-story home with a low-pitched roof, broad front porch and often an open floor plan. It is known for its accessibility, energy efficiency and use of natural materials. Key features include a wide front porch, sloped roofs with wide overhangs and large windows.
Cabin
A house is considered a Cabin when it has the following typical features: a small, simple design with rustic construction, often made from logs or wood, a rural location, simpler architecture and basic amenities.
Ranch
A Ranch-style home, also known as a rambler, is an architectural style originating in the United States. Ranch-style homes are usually one story and are either rectangular or “L” shaped. They have low-pitched roofs and are usually built on a concrete slab, but can also have a basement or crawl spaces. Ranch-style homes are found all over the U.S. but are less prevalent on the east coast.
Spanish
A Spanish-style home refers to a style that was built between 1915 and 1940. They were the influence of Spanish colonial architecture. These homes boast thick stucco walls or indigenous material of the area, red tile roofs and often have enclosed courtyards or patio rooms to extend the living space. The Spanish style is prominent in the southwest U.S., Florida and Texas, but less common in the north.
Santa Barbara/Tuscan
A Santa Barbara/Tuscan-style home is derived from the Italianate style of architecture that was first developed in Britain in the early 1800s. In the U.S., it became hugely popular between the 1840s to 1890s. Design elements include stucco (but stone and brick are often incorporated), low-pitched or flat roofs and pediment windows and doors. Wrought iron and exposed ceiling beams are also common.
Territorial/ Santa Fe
Territorial-style architecture was used in the New Mexico Territory from the time of the American occupation in 1846 until 1912. The style uses Greek and Gothic detail added to Pueblo and Spanish style homes, and became popular again in the 1930s and 1940s as the Santa Fe or Territorial Revival Style.
Contemporary
Contemporary architecture is the style of the 21st century. Contemporary homes have clean lines and large windows with no decorative trim. They have flat or gabled roofs with open floor plans and asymmetrical shapes.
