Our annual tradition is to start the new year by looking back at the previous year. These numbers below demonstrate how RMLS supported real estate activity in the previous year. The numbers in parentheses show the difference from 2022 totals.
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
Solicitation of a Listing Under Contract (section 9.4 RMLS Rules and Regulations) is a rule that was adapted from the Realtor Code of Ethics (Realtor Code of Ethics Article 16). The purpose of this rule is to allow constituents to submit their listings to the MLS without fear of client poaching from other agents. This also allows homeowners peace of mind that they can provide their information to the MLS without being inundated by solicitations.
The value that a combined database provides is immense and utilization of this relies on cooperation between constituents. The most common violation we see regarding this fine occurs when an agent does not check if an expired or cancelled listing has been relisted prior to sending out solicitations. General solicitations that are based on geographic area, occupation, organization, or group membership are permitted under this rule so long as they are not specifically marketed using information pulled from the MLS.
Be aware that any use of the MLS database for the purpose of solicitation to a listing that is currently under contract is a violation of this rule, even if you are unaware that the listing was under contract at the time of solicitation. This violation carries a potential fine of up to $2500.
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 casees in November 2023.
INFORMAL VIOLATIONS
The chart below shows violations that generated at least 15 instances in the past month. This month we saw some significant changes for certain categories.
Data Accuracy Department Statistics
The gain or loss comparison displayed in the parenthesis is versus the previous month.
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.
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
RMLS has a 24-hour rule for all status changes on listings. This means that when a status change occurs on your listing, you have 24 hours to update that status. This includes when the listing goes active (after all your contracts have been signed), when you receive an offer and the listing is pending, if it happens to fail to sell and goes back on the market, if the listing is no longer active (withdrawn / cancelled) for some other reason, and, finally, when the listing sells.
All these statuses must be updated in RMLSweb within 24 hours of the change occurring. The reason for this is to maintain an accurate database. It causes confusion and difficulty among constituents when the data is not accurate or up to date.
If the listing has sold but remains in pending status, you will receive a courtesy notice to change the status of the listing. When this notice is received, you may have already changed the status at that point, so the notice just serves as a reminder for future listings.
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 (a lockbox usage violation) in October 2023 with a fine of $500 being administered.
INFORMAL VIOLATIONS
The chart below shows violations that generated at least 15 instances in the past month. This month we saw some significant changes for certain categories.
Data Accuracy Department Statistics
The gain or loss comparison displayed in the parenthesis is versus the previous month.
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.
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
Incomplete or Inaccurate data in a required field is a common violation that triggers notifications because
those fields are left empty, input incorrectly, or have inaccurate information.
These errors can cause a variety of issues:
As an MLS, one of our most valuable assets is our historical database. Staying on top of listing inaccuracies and correcting them as they happen allows us to more effectively manage the immense amount of data that we make available to subscribers.
Requiring consistency across a set of required fields streamlines many processes for subscribers and MLS staff. Consistency in listings also produces more accurate statistical analysis when comparing data points.
So, the next time you receive a violation for incomplete or inaccurate data, please remember that you are not in trouble, we are just working to maintain a highly accurate and reliable database.
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 four cases (two lockbox violations, an incorrect listing status, and solicitation of a listing under contract) in September 2023. The total fines equaled $450.
INFORMAL VIOLATIONS
The chart below shows violations that generated at least 15 instances in the past month. Personal Promotion and Incomplete or Inaccurate Information remain the two most common violation types.
Data Accuracy Department Statistics
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.
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
Although area numbers were originally adapted to segment out the location of listings in the newspaper, they have come to serve many purposes regarding accuracy and data analytics. Here are a few examples why choosing the correct area is important.
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 a case in August 2023.
INFORMAL VIOLATIONS
The majority of violations are simple errors – forgotten or misplaced data, or a misunderstanding of the rules. Our goal is to reduce all types of violations through education and awareness campaigns.
We’ve been thinking about violations in three categories:
In the new chart below, we’ve included the Fixer Upper and Complete Renovation violations in ascending order. You can see that Personal Promotion, Missing Owner Name, Missing School, and Missing Tax ID are four of the top five violation occurrences. Though Tax IDs are not always available at the time of listing, we can collectively reduce the other violations by double checking owner names and schools and making sure to avoid personal promotion violations.
Data Accuracy Department Statistics
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.