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.
HIGHLIGHTS
Recently, there have been numerous requests seeking clarity regarding marketing practices prior to a listing being published in the MLS. It has become increasingly popular to promote new listings on social media as “Coming Soon.”
According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), it is a mandatory requirement that any listing must be entered into the MLS for cooperation with constituents within 24 hours of its public marketing, including posts on Facebook or any other public site.
This policy aims to ensure fairness and transparency in the real estate industry. You are able to market new listings on social media as long as you are abiding by the 24-hour rule outlined by NAR’s “Clear Cooperation” rule.
Here is the NAR excerpt on the specific policy rule:
Section 1.01 Clear Cooperation
Within one (1) business day of marketing a property to the public, the listing broker must submit the listing to the MLS for cooperation with other MLS participants. Public marketing includes, but is not limited to, flyers displayed in windows, yard signs, digital marketing on public facing websites, brokerage website displays (including IDX and VOW), digital communications marketing (email blasts), multi-brokerage listing sharing networks, and applications available to the general public. (Adopted 11/19)
Note: Exclusive listing information for required property types must be filed and distributed to other MLS Participants for cooperation under the Clear Cooperation Policy. This applies to listings filed under Section 1 and listings exempt from distribution under Section 1.3 of the NAR model MLS rules, and any other situation where the listing broker is publicly marketing an exclusive listing that is required to be filed with the service and is not currently available to other MLS Participants.
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 May of 2023.
Case: Misuse of a Lockbox
Fine: $500
INFORMAL VIOLATIONS
Incomplete or Inaccurate Data violations have exceeded Personal Promotion ones for the month of May. This violation can occur for a variety of reasons, some of which include agent reported violations, incorrect mapping, and misrepresenting the property or sales terms.
The chart below shows the next three most frequent informal violations from May 2023.
This pie chart shows the remainder of the informal violations last month.
Data Accuracy Department Statistics
- Listings Reviewed: 25,931 (+4,642)
- Notices Sent: 2,150 (+253)
- Violation Notices Received: 382 (-14)
- Courtesy Notices Sent: 1,203 (+106)
- Phone Calls Received: 280 (-120)
How to Report Violations
Subscribers have multiple options to report violations, including a Report Issue button on every RMLSweb listing. Subscribers can email our Data Accuracy team at dataaccuracy@rmls.com or call them at 503.395.1916. When there are increases in specific violation types, we sometimes place notifications on RMLSweb.