Gavel

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.

CategoryJuly
Missing Tax ID418
Personal Promotion184
Missing School153
Incorrect or Missing Information109
No Showings62
Property Condition56
Missing Owner Name42
Duplicate Listing39
Incorrect Status39
Is Property a Condo38
Incorrect First Photo32
Incorrect Property Type26
Conditions to Compensation20
Listing Input in Incorrect MLS area18
Inaccurate Lot Size11
Missing Condo Unit Number10
City Unknown9
Partial Bathrooms 5+7
Duplicate Listing in Different Categories5
HUD2
Address Issues2
Missing SQFT by Level2

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

CategoryJuly
Listing Still Pending618
Listing is Set to Expire515
Multiple Owner Names in First Field397
Listing Status Changed from PEN to SLD > 24 hours289
Listing Still in OMS, Public Records Indicate SLD89
New Listing Input Over 24 Hours86

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.