RMLS Rules Roundup for October 2021

by RMLS Communication Department | Nov 5, 2021

The Rules Roundup provides a monthly accounting of RMLS rules violations and courtesy notifications. Our Data Accuracy team manages all reports of property listing errors, tracking 34 specific issues outlined in the RMLS Rules and Regulations, and is responsible for addressing subscriber questions and concerns regarding listing accuracy whether those are submitted via the “Report Issue” button on a listing, through email, or by phone. When there are increases in specific violation types, we often place notifications on RMLSweb in order to alert subscribers so that they can avoid violations.

OCTOBER HIGHLIGHTS

There are some elements of a listing that, under the right circumstances and with the proper forms, can be omitted from the listing, such as Owner Name Omission, Photograph Omission, Commercial/Industrial Address Omission, and Authorization to Exclude from MLS and Public Marketing. In order to omit one of these elements for a listing it is important to upload the proper form by following the steps below:

Step 1: Open the Back Office menu at the top of RMLSweb.com.

Step 2: On the drop down menu, select “Submit Excluded Listing.”

Step 3: In the upper right corner select “Add a PDF.”

Step 4: On the page that opens you will see a set of input fields. On the drop down menu you will see the types of omissions that are possible – select the appropriate one.

Step 5: There are two different sets of fields depending on the selected form. Three of the forms use the following fields:

The Authorization to Exclude from MLS and Public Marketing form requires additional information:

Step 6: In the upper right corner, click the “Upload PDF” button and the form will then be sent to us.

That’s all there is to it. The forms can be found by following the instructions below.

1. At the top of RMLSweb homepage, find the dropdown menu that says “Toolkit.”

2. On the drop down menu, select “All Documents.”

3. Type the name or document number of the document you need in the Search field.

You can also use the links below.

• Document #1261 Owner Name Omission Form
• Document #1263 Photograph Omission Form
• Document #1262 Commercial/Industrial Address Omission Form
• Document #1260 Authorization to Exclude From MLS and Public Marketing Addendum

If you have any questions or need any assistance, please reach out to dataaccuracy@rmls.com.        

FORMAL VIOLATIONS

The RMLS Rules and Regulations Committee reviews all formal complaints which allege a violation of the RMLS Rules and Regulations. The committee has the power to impose sanctions.

The committee did not review any cases in October 2021.

INFORMAL VIOLATIONS & COURTESY NOTICES

In October 2021, the RMLS Data Accuracy staff reviewed 29,131 listings in addition to the 399 notices sent through the “Report Issue” button on RMLSweb. Of the items reviewed, 1,193 violation notices and 1,276 courtesy notices were sent out. In addition, our team handled 359 phone calls.

Category	October
Missing Tax ID	454
Personal Promotion	126
Incorrect or Missing Information	116
Missing School	112
Incorrect Status	51
Property Condition	44
Missing Owner Name	41
Duplicate Listing	40
No Showings	39
Incorrect Property Type	33
Is Property a Condo	28
Incorrect First Photo	22
Inaccurate Lot Size	20
Address Issues	17
Listing Input in Incorrect MLS area	14
Missing Condo Unit Number	13
Conditions to Compensation	9
Partial Bathrooms 5+	7
Duplicate Listing Sold in Different Categories	3
HUD	2
City Unknown	2

The following are the courtesy notifications sent to RMLS subscribers in October 2021:

Category	October
Listing is Set to Expire	706
Listing Still Pending	357
Multiple Owner Names in First Field	181
New Listing Input Over 24 Hours	31

Questions about RMLS Rules and Regulations or the accuracy of specific listings can be directed to the RMLS Data Accuracy department at dataaccuracy@rmls.com or 503.395.1916.

RMLS Rules Roundup for September 2021

by RMLS Communication Department | Oct 8, 2021

The Rules Roundup provides a monthly accounting of RMLS rules violations and courtesy notifications. Our Data Accuracy team manages all reports of property listing errors, tracking 34 specific issues outlined in the RMLS Rules and Regulations, and is responsible for addressing subscriber questions and concerns regarding listing accuracy whether those are submitted via the “Report Issue” button on a listing, through email, or by phone. When there are increases in specific violation types, we often place notifications on RMLSweb in order to alert subscribers so that they can avoid violations.

SEPTEMBER HIGHLIGHTS

Every month we send more courtesy notices than we do violation notices by a fairly wide margin. The top two most sent notices every month are reminders to let our subscribers know that their listing is going to expire soon and that their listing is still in pending (PEN) status.

We understand that life can be hectic, and we want to make sure that you are aware of what is happening with your listings. Year-to-date we have sent 10,054 notices, split nearly evenly between the two categories. In contrast, the top two violation notices, Missing Tax ID, and Incorrect or Missing Information, have combined for 5,045 total year-to-date.

FORMAL VIOLATIONS

The RMLS Rules and Regulations Committee reviews all formal complaints which allege a violation of the RMLS Rules and Regulations. The committee has the power to impose sanctions.

The committee reviewed 2 cases in September 2021.

The committee reviewed one case in June 2021 that resulted in fines totaling $2,700.00.

• 5.1.l – Unauthorized use of lockbox system: A Buyer’s Agent gave keys to a listing to the buyer prior to closing and then left them there.
• 5.1.q – Availability for Showing: A Seller’s Agent did not make a listing available for showing.

INFORMAL VIOLATIONS & COURTESY NOTICES

In September 2021, the RMLS Data Accuracy staff reviewed 28,796 listings in addition to the 449 notices sent through the “Report Issue” button on RMLSweb. Of the items reviewed, 1,220 violation notices and 1,577 courtesy notices were sent out. In addition, our team handled 416 phone calls.

The following are the courtesy notifications sent to RMLS subscribers in September 2021:

Questions about RMLS Rules and Regulations or the accuracy of specific listings can be directed to the RMLS Data Accuracy department at dataaccuracy@rmls.com or 503.395.1916.

RMLS Rules Roundup for August 2021

by RMLS Communication Department | Sep 10, 2021

The Rules Roundup provides a monthly accounting of RMLS rules violations and courtesy notifications. Our Data Accuracy team manages all reports of property listing errors, tracking 34 specific issues outlined in the RMLS Rules and Regulations, and is responsible for addressing subscriber questions and concerns regarding listing accuracy whether those are submitted via the “Report Issue” button on a listing, through email, or by phone. When there are increases in specific violation types, we often place notifications on RMLSweb in order to alert subscribers so that they can avoid violations.

AUGUST HIGHLIGHTS

When entering a residential listing, it is important to make sure that the correct property type is listed. There can be some confusion about what the property type should be for a listing. Fortunately, we have a handy document that defines property types that you can bookmark in case you need it.

FORMAL VIOLATIONS

The RMLS Rules and Regulations Committee reviews all formal complaints which allege a violation of the RMLS Rules and Regulations. The committee has the power to impose sanctions.

The committee did not review any cases in August 2021.

INFORMAL VIOLATIONS & COURTESY NOTICES

In August 2021, the RMLS Data Accuracy staff reviewed 31,260 listings in addition to the 490 notices sent through the “Report Issue” button on RMLSweb. Of the items reviewed, 1,275 violation notices and 2,018 courtesy notices were sent out. In addition, our team handled 416 phone calls.

The following are the courtesy notifications sent to RMLS subscribers in August 2021:

Questions about RMLS Rules and Regulations or the accuracy of specific listings can be directed to the RMLS Data Accuracy department at dataaccuracy@rmls.com or 503.395.1916.

RMLS Rules Roundup for July 2021

by RMLS Communication Department | Aug 6, 2021

The Rules Roundup provides a monthly accounting of RMLS rules violations and courtesy notifications. Our Data Accuracy team manages all reports of property listing errors, tracking 34 specific issues outlined in the RMLS Rules and Regulations, and is responsible for addressing subscriber questions and concerns regarding listing accuracy whether those are submitted via the “Report Issue” button on a listing, through email, or by phone. When there are increases in specific violation types, we often place notifications on RMLSweb in order to alert subscribers so that they can avoid violations.

JULY HIGHLIGHTS

When a listing is input into RMLS it is important to remember that personal promotion is not allowed in the public remarks, on the photos, or in the virtual/video tours. Rule 3.25 of the RMLS Rules and Regulations states:

Listings submitted to RMLS may be used to provide information pertinent to the listed property only and may not be used to provide broker, seller or lessor contact information, or to advertise a Subscriber’s services to the public by way of direct or indirect advertising or “branding” of the listing data (through linking or otherwise.)

This rule is why we don’t allow links in the public remarks as well as why video tours must not lead to a site that contains contact information. We do review video tours to ensure that they are unbranded. In addition, we review the site where the video is hosted to make sure that it is also free from personal promotion.

Some personal promotion examples to avoid are using your name, your firm’s name, or having an email or phone number on the host site. One example of a hosting site would be YouTube. If the hosting site requires a name to be displayed our recommendation would be to use the property address, a generic phrase like “property for sale,” or a description from the public remarks.

FORMAL VIOLATIONS

The RMLS Rules and Regulations Committee reviews all formal complaints which allege a violation of the RMLS Rules and Regulations. The committee has the power to impose sanctions.

The committee did not meet in July as there were no cases to review.

INFORMAL VIOLATIONS & COURTESY NOTICES

In July 2021, the RMLS Data Accuracy staff reviewed 32,693 listings in addition to the 435 notices sent through the “Report Issue” button on RMLSweb. Of the items reviewed, 1,284 violation notices and 1,994 courtesy notices were sent out. In addition, our team handled 322 phone calls.

The following are the courtesy notifications sent to RMLS subscribers in July 2021:

Questions about RMLS Rules and Regulations or the accuracy of specific listings can be directed to the RMLS Data Accuracy department at dataaccuracy@rmls.com or 503.395.1916.

RMLS Rules Roundup for June 2021

by RMLS Communication Department | Jul 7, 2021

The Rules Roundup provides a monthly accounting of RMLS rules violations and courtesy notifications. Our Data Accuracy team manages all reports of property listing errors, tracking 34 specific issues outlined in the RMLS Rules and Regulations, and is responsible for addressing subscriber questions and concerns regarding listing accuracy whether those are submitted via the “Report Issue” button on a listing, through email, or by phone. When there are increases in specific violation types, we often place notifications on RMLSweb in order to alert subscribers so that they can avoid violations.

JUNE HIGHLIGHTS

We are seeing a greater number of listings that are being entered and not able to be shown right away. As a reminder, if a listing has been entered into RMLS it must be available for showing unless it meets criteria laid out in rule 3.27 of the RMLS Rules and Regulations:

Availability for Showing. With the exception of Commercial Lease, Auction, and Coming Soon-No Showing listings, all active listings shall be available for showing immediately upon entry into the RMLS system, excluding listings which require all offers to be made contingent on interior inspection. Listings cannot restrict showing until a future date.

Though there may be valid reasons for your client to restrict showings, such as a renter occupying the property or the property being unsafe, but in cases like this agents should add a statement to the listing remarks that explains that all offers are contingent upon an interior inspection. It may be helpful to provide a brief explanation as to why showings are unavailable. If a home is simply not ready to be shown but you want to let people know it will available soon then publishing as Coming Soon-No Showing (CSN) would be appropriate. This allows other RMLS subscribers the chance to know about your listing so that they can share it with their clients while still affording your client up to 21 days to finish getting their home ready for showings.

It is also important to follow the showing instructions. As listing volume increases with the sunny weather, it can be easy to get excited and not double check the instructions before taking a client into a listing.

FORMAL VIOLATIONS

The RMLS Rules and Regulations Committee reviews all formal complaints which allege a violation of the RMLS Rules and Regulations. The committee has the power to impose sanctions.

The committee reviewed one case in June 2021 that resulted in a fine of $250.00.

• 5.1.l – Unauthorized use of lockbox system: A Buyer’s Agent did not follow showing instructions.

INFORMAL VIOLATIONS & COURTESY NOTICES

In June 2021, the RMLS Data Accuracy staff reviewed 35,446 listings in addition to the 505 notices sent through the “Report Issue” button on RMLSweb. Of the items reviewed, 1,380 violation notices and 2,065 courtesy notices were sent out. In addition, our team handled 515 phone calls.

The following are the courtesy notifications sent to RMLS subscribers in June 2021:

Questions about RMLS Rules and Regulations or the accuracy of specific listings can be directed to the RMLS Data Accuracy department at dataaccuracy@rmls.com or 503.395.1916.