RMLS™ will be simplifying its subscriber fee structure—which will mean an increase for individual subscribers—beginning in the fourth quarter of 2018. Subscribers will see the fee change reflected on their invoice for the fourth quarter, which should be available September 1st.
Subscribers who previously paid either $105 per quarter or $135 per quarter will now both pay $141 per quarter, simplifying the overall RMLS™ fee structure. Offices that previously paid a quarterly access fee will no longer pay that fee. Administrative users and personal assistants will still be charged $25 per quarter for each user.
RMLS™ subscribers will see a fee increase of either $6 per quarter or $36 per quarter. Office access fees will be eliminated. Administrative users and personal assistant fees will remain unchanged. SentriLock key fees will not change.
The RMLS™ Board of Directors approved these changes at their June 2018 meeting, the result of ongoing discussions about serving subscribers as robustly as possible and the future of the organization. The board, comprised of working REALTORS® from around the RMLS™ service area, oversees the direction of RMLS™ as an organization and deemed these changes necessary in consideration of future projects.
These future projects include:
Creation of a new mobile app, slated for release in Summer 2018.
Hiring additional staff including a new product manager, UI/UX designer, and additional programmers that will enable RMLS™ to release more projects, more quickly.
The “Report Issue” button will be updated to use a CoreLogic Listing Data Checker dashboard. Subscribers will be able to see what inquiries they have submitted and what has been reported on their own listings.
The RMLSweb login page, desktop page, and menu bar will be updated with a more modern look and feel. It will be more user- and mobile device-friendly. This is just the beginning of a fresh look that will eventually find its way to all areas of RMLSweb.
A SentriLock Bluetooth lockbox upgrade slated for Fall 2018. NXT lockboxes will be exchanged, for free, for a new Bluetooth lockbox.
RMLS™ looks forward to better serving RMLS™ subscribers through these improvements, some of which are in direct response to feedback received from subscribers over the course of several years.
The RMLS™ Rules and Regulations Committee has requested that reports about the number of formal violations, the type of violations, and the results get shared periodically with subscribers.Read “If a RMLS™ Rule is Broken, What Happens?” for a deeper explanation.
Six formal violations were submitted in 2017, resulting in a total of $2,350.00 in fines being sanctioned. One RMLS™ subscriber had lockbox privileges suspended. The cited violations were as follows:
Section 5.1.L. Unauthorized Use of RMLS™ Lockbox Access Device or Method
• Not following showing instructions (3)
• Entering a property while in pending status (PEN) without prior approval (2)
• Using the lockbox system for purposes other than real estate business (1)
Violations in January through April 2018
During January through April of 2018, four formal violations were submitted resulting in a total of $800 in fines being sanctioned. The cited violations were as follows:
Section 5.1.L. Unauthorized Use of RMLS™ Lockbox Access Device or Method
• Entering a property while it was in pending status (PEN) without prior approval (2)
Section 5.1.S. Marketing of Listing Prior to RMLS™ Publication
• Marketing a listing prior to publication in RMLSweb (2)
The committee also discusses potential changes to the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations and makes recommendations to the RMLS™ Board of Directors. Subscribers are welcome to submit suggestions to the committee—contact Data Accuracy staff for more information via email or by calling (503) 236-7657.
Ask Technical Terry is a series RMLS™ aims to offer once a month. RMLS™ subscribers will drive the content—submit any question about RMLS™ to Technical Terry in the comments or by emailing communications@rmls.com. Don’t be shy—we won’t identify you by name.
Dear Technical Terry,
I’m a recent transplant to the Pacific Northwest. I was also a REALTOR® back in Atlanta and our MLS often gave us good, common sense tips about being a REALTOR®. Does RMLS™ do anything like that? As I’ve been reading some local chatter online, it seems like there is a real need for something like this!
I hope you will find the new document helpful in your day-to-day activities as a REALTOR® in our market. While reading through the document you may find that some of the items are common sense or we’ve listed things you think every REALTOR® should already know. What I know from watching our industry for many years is that things that are logical to you or me may not be to others.
RMLS™ has always believed that education is the best way to create a predictable and ethical working environment for our subscribers, and we’re hopeful that the new document will assist in doing that.
Technical Terry
Dear TT:
One of my coworkers claims that RMLS™ is going to be converting to a SentriLock lockbox that uses Bluetooth. When I asked him when it would happen, he didn’t know. Can you tell me about this? And why would we be swapping out our SentriLock lockboxes already—didn’t we just get these?
Imin U. Gene
Dear IUG:
The reason your coworker cannot give you a date is this: there isn’t one to give! The RMLS™ Board of Directors has discussed the possibility of doing a conversion to SentriLock’s Bluetooth lockboxes but nothing firm has been decided yet. Your view that we “just” transitioned to SentriLock NXT lockboxes is only partly true—it has been 4.5 years since we did our most recent conversion!
In fact, here are a few fun facts about SentriLock at RMLS™:
Lockboxes currently in distribution at RMLS™: 56,450
RMLS™ lockboxes per active/pending listing: 3.64 per listing
Lockboxes per active RMLS™ subscriber: 4.04 per subscriber
That being said, the new SentriLock Bluetooth lockboxes really do offer a lot compared with the NXT lockbox. Two of the biggest benefits are that the lockbox can be opened via the SentriSmart™ app on your smartphone even when you’re out of cell range, as it uses Bluetooth instead of cellular; and many of the lockbox programming functions can be performed using SentriSmart™ instead of your SentriCard®. (If you haven’t started using SentriSmart™ yet, get it on the Apple App Store or Google Play!)
If you have a lockbox that has suffered battery failure, you can simply plug in a “battery jumper pack” into the side of the Bluetooth lockbox to provide the power for it to open. If you’ve ever needed to use the Power Paddle to get an NXT lockbox open after its batteries have died, you’ll realize what a benefit this is!
If this project moves forward, we’ll surely inform RMLS™ subscribers through the RMLSweb desktop page, the RMLS™ Weekly Report, and our blog on RMLScentral. Keep your eyes toward us!
At the annual RMLS™ leadership retreat last month, the RMLS™ Board of Directors reviewed a list of potential projects and prioritized those they believe will have the best benefit for RMLS™ subscribers. Following is a brief description of the three projects that will get the attention of our software development team this year along with a fourth that will be scheduled if possible. The forms changes approved in 2017, Showing Time and the new Coming Soon-No Showing status are also in the works.
Listing Load Enhancements
This project will add ability for authorized users to initiate editing of a listing from Agent Full/Data Only reports and to add/start a new listing from Tax Search, Tax Full, and CMA (subject property/features) page, providing a more streamlined workflow for the agent.
When adding a new listing, the agent will be able to upload PDF documents directly from the input screen, similar to Photo Manager. Agents will also be able to test video/virtual tour links to ensure that they work correctly before saving the listing.
Ever publish a listing and forget to save a copy of the listing contract? Well this project will eliminate that issue by allowing users to print a copy of the listing contract, even after the listing has been published.
RMLS™ will also look for ways to enhance the Tax ID auto-population function to include additional data found from other sources such as comparable listings, map layers, Realtors Property Resource (RPR®) and other data sources.
Search and Prospecting/Auto-Email Enhancements
This project will add the ability to create/save a prospect search from Advanced Search and other saved searches within RMLSweb. In addition, the ability to filter prospect matches based upon price changes falling within a certain range (mimicking the Hotsheet’s price change option) will be added to eliminate notifications of listings that have a daily price change.
We know it’s important to know when a profile is set to expire, so an alert to the subscriber will be sent via email. Advanced search will also see enhancements. Subscribers will be able to search by any public ID or broker code, and when searching by status, days back function, an “apply all” function will be available to make it easier to set the dates for all statuses.
Watch List
This project will add a notes field to each saved watch list item, making it easier to remember why it is being watched. In addition, when a listing is added to the watch list, the tax parcel record will also be included automatically so notifications can be sent if the property is relisted with a different MLS number.
CMA Enhancements
This project will enable the user to adjust the font and font size of the report and include the option to print the 32-Up Photo report. In addition, a notes field will be added to the adjustment section of the CMA for each comparable listing, allowing the user to detail why the adjustment was made. A column will be added to the Recommended Price page of the CMA which will reflect adjustments made.
RMLS™ subscribers who read our post from earlier this month no doubt have questions about the new status that will debut on RMLSweb in the coming months: Coming Soon-No Showing, or CSN. We’re ready to outline some key details, answer some questions, and talk about what this new status will mean for RMLSweb, listing forms, and subscribers.
THE BASICS
The Coming Soon-No Showing (CSN) status is for short-term use. Subscribers may use CSN to prepare a listing for Active (ACT) status. The listing may be in CSN status for no longer than 21 days and must have a valid listing agreement as well as seller approval. CSN status will indicate the listing firm and seller(s) are preparing the property for sale and marketing before the listing becomes active on RMLSweb. As such, CSN will be considered an off-market status as the listing is not actively being marketed and is not ready to be shown. Affiliate subscribers will not be able to view listings that are in CSN status, nor will CSN listings be included in statistical searches and reports.
USING CSN ON RMLSWEB
A listing agent will have the choice to publish a property as CSN. All required fields will still be required for a CSN listing and must follow all other input business rules. The required first photo will bear a watermark saying “Coming Soon-No Showings.” The Oregon and Washington listing contracts will be updated to allow seller(s) to choose between publishing the listing as ACT or CSN in RMLSweb or to exclude the property from the MLS.
Listings can stay in CSN status for up to 21 days. Listing Load will not allow a date further than 21 days in the future from being entered as the list date. If a listing agent submits a list date of fewer than 21 days in the future, the agent may extend the list date up until that 21st day—something that may come in handy if more time is needed to prep a property than was originally estimated.
The status of a CSN listing may be manually changed to ACT or WTH at any time during the 21 day period. When the list date is reached or the listing has been in the system for 21 days RMLSweb will automatically change the status of the listing to ACT at midnight. Once a listing is out of CSN status it cannot be reverted back, nor can properties that were once in CSN status be re-entered as a new CSN listing (exceptions: the property has expired or has been withdrawn for over 90 days; the property has been relisted with a new brokerage; or the property has been sold).
Open houses and broker tour offerings cannot be set up in Listing Load for a listing in CSN status. Listing View Count reports will still be available showing viewing counts from within RMLSweb, but Days on Market (DOM)/Cumulative Days on Market (CDOM) will not accrue while a listing is in CSN status.
RMLSWEB SEARCH AND CSN
CSN will not be included in the default status criteria when doing a new search—ACT and BMP will remain the two default statuses. CSN listings will be excluded from exported reports and consumer prospecting auto-emails. CSN can be searched with other statuses, included in a user’s watch list. CSN listings may be used to conduct a reverse prospect search or using Hotsheet. CSN listings are included in agent-only prospect notifications. CSN listing reports can be printed and emailed from RMLSweb, including client reports. The listings will state “no showings permitted” in showing instructions on agent reports, with the actual showing instructions hidden while in CSN status.
DATA FEEDS
CSN listings will be excluded from data feeds, including but not limited to RMLS.com, Realtor.com, HomeSpotter, IDX, VOW, and broker specific feeds.
AUTHORIZATION TO EXCLUDE
Listing agents will be able to submit the completed Authorization to Exclude from MLS Addendum directly into Listing Load on RMLSweb, eliminating the need to email or mail a copy to RMLS™. If a property is excluded, it will be for the full length of the listing contract, as the short-term option on the addendum will be eliminated. The listing firm may list the property as active again once 30 days from the form’s expiration date have passed.
Not all REALTORS® who subscribe to RMLS™ have an intimate familiarity of the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations. This is why the Data Accuracy staff work hard each day to reach out to subscribers and correct issues that have been spotted in listings or address other concerns called in by fellow REALTORS®.
As Data Compliance Manager I’m relatively new to RMLS™ but one of my roles is to educate subscribers about the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations in our ongoing effort to ensure data accuracy on RMLSweb.
One of the most basic questions our subscribers may ask themselves is this: what happens when a RMLS™ subscriber breaks one of the RMLS™ Rules?
The answer depends on the rule, and whether a formal complaint was received. There are two types of issues that get sent to us. The most common of these is done using the report issue button that is found on the listing in RMLSweb, calling the RMLS™ Help Desk, or sending an email to rules@rmls.com. This is an anonymous process and is helpful to us in identifying errors on listings as well as rules violations.
The second type is the formal violation. A formal violation is not an anonymous process and involves accusations of rule breaking that could carry a sanction. These are far less common but we take them very seriously when they happen. Between January and July 2017 RMLS™ had received six formal violations. All of them were regarding various misuses of a lockbox (Section 5.1.l. Lockbox Access). Of those, three were for not following showing instructions, two were for entering a property while it was in pending (PEN) status and the last was for using it, the lockbox, for something other than real estate business. The six violations were reviewed by the Rules Committee and a total of $1,350.00 in fines were sanctioned. In one case, lockbox privileges were suspended.
The RMLS™ Rules and Regulations Committee has requested that reports about the number of formal violations, the type of violation, and the result get shared periodically with subscribers. RMLS™ will be reporting updates throughout the year, so keep watching for these reports throughout the year!
