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 27 specific issues outlined in the RMLS Rules and Regulations, and is responsible for addressing subscriber questions and concerns regarding listing accuracy.

HIGHLIGHTS

Communicating buyer’s agent commission (BAC) via the MLS is strictly prohibited. However, you may publish BAC in your own newsletters, signage, social media accounts, and on your brokerage’s own website, provided there is no direct link from the MLS to any page that communicates BAC.

Important Reminders

• Virtual Tour links in listings must not include any references to BAC.
• Allusions to BAC, even subtle or “coy” references, are not allowed under the terms of the settlement. Any content that appears to imply BAC must be removed to ensure compliance.

Acceptable Statements

You may include statements related to concessions, but dollar amounts and percentages are not allowed. Here are some examples of permissible statements:

• “Concessions available; please contact the seller’s agent!”
• “Seller is open to contributing to closing costs!”
• “Seller is open to negotiating concessions for roof repair, new carpeting, fencing, etc.”

Prohibited Statements

The following types of statements are not allowed:

• “WE LOVE BUYERS’ AGENTS!”
• “Seller loves buyer’s agents.”
• “Offering concessions of 2.5 Bananas!”
• “Ready to cooperate!”
• “2.5% concessions for buyer agent costs.”

By adhering to these guidelines, you can ensure compliance with the settlement terms while maintaining transparency in your communications.

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 (misuse of a lockbox) in October 2024 and the offender was fined $100.

 INFORMAL VIOLATIONS

 The chart below shows violations that generated at least 15 instances in the past month. Some notable gains and decreases are noted below. 

• HUD fell to 13 from 32
• People in Photo fell to 16 from 43
• Missing Condo Unit Number rose from 20 to 51
• Personal Promotion rose from 130 to 197
• Incomplete or Inaccurate Data fell to 62 from 83

Data Accuracy Department Statistics

The gain or loss comparison displayed in the parenthesis is versus the previous month.

• Listings Reviewed: 32,962 (+11,165)
• Notices Sent: 2,464 (+169)
• Violation Notices Received: 207 (-119)
• Courtesy Notices Sent: 1,865 (+61)
• Phone Calls Received:  387 (-61)

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.