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:
Can you tell me when I need to submit an Authorization to Exclude from MLS Addendum to RMLS™? I recently sent in a form and later learned it was unnecessary.
NRVOUS
Dear NRVOUS:
Don’t be afraid, you’re not the only person who has sent this form to us in error. It sounds like you’re familiar with the changes we recently made to the form, so you’re already ahead of the game.
If you have a signed contract and are not publishing the listing within 72 hours but still do want to market the property before that time, the Authorization to Exclude from MLS Addendum (Document #1260) is required. Complete the form and send it to RMLS™ within 72 hours of signing a listing contract.
There are other scenarios that would require this document to be completed as well, but it can be confusing. RMLS™ is here to help! Contact RMLS™ Data Accuracy at (503) 236-7657 or write us an email if you’re ever unsure about whether your situation requires submission of this form.
Technical Terry:
Why did RMLS™ redo the Office Exclusive form? As my uncle always said, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it…
Donald in Sutherlin
Hi Donald—great question. My uncle always used to say time heals all wounds. He died of an infected bedsore at the age of 76. But I digress…
Vallerie reports that the name of the form itself was changed to better reflect what the form is being used for: when a seller is choosing to exclude their listing from RMLSweb. This could be the duration of the listing contract or a shorter length of time.
The look of the form also changed a bit, but the content is pretty similar. After each paragraph, the seller is asked to initial each point reflecting their understanding of each.
What’s the big idea behind these changes? The committee wants sellers to be informed about the value of listing their property on a multiple listing service, and precisely what they’re opting out of by signing the form.
Finally, Vallerie points out that because the title of the form changed, the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations and listing contracts for Oregon and Washington were also updated to reflect the new title.
The other night I was checking out some Agent Fulls on RMLSweb and clicked on the listing agent’s name. A box came up with the agent’s name, contact information…and their photo! How did they get their photo to display on the report?
Peanut Butter and Jelly Jacqueline
Hello PB+JJ:
It sounds like you may have missed the RMLSweb roster improvements we made back in January. Uploading an agent photo as part of your roster information is so simple, you might be embarrassed when I tell you how to do it. Navigate to User Preferences—get there by clicking on your name on the upper right corner of RMLSweb.
Choose the tab on the left that says “My Photo.”
Then click Browse to select the photo file, and click the Upload button to finish. Voilà! Your photo will appear whenever agents click your name in an Agent Full or search for your roster information.
We’d love to see a sea of friendly REALTOR® faces on RMLSweb, so get that photo uploaded! Thanks for your question, PB+JJ.
RMLS™ is combining forces with HomeSpotter to bring an easy-to-use mobile app to RMLS™ subscribers on Monday, September 12th.
Activating the HomeSpotter app will give instant access to RMLSweb listing information to RMLS™ subscribers out in the field. HomeSpotter offers a simple interface for ease of use, and can call up details on a listing in less time than it takes to sign in to RMLSweb.
HOMESPOTTER FEATURES
HomeSpotter can easily find listings by typing in a MLS number, address, city, or ZIP code.
The app can also use location data to display a map of nearby listings that have been on the market over the last year. Zooming in on the map will reveal more listings than can be seen in the top-level view.
If all else fails, HomeSpotter can even use your phone’s camera and location to pinpoint a listing that’s right in front of you! Activate this feature, navigate the screen to the property in question, and HomeSpotter will deliver listing information in a flash.
HomeSpotter’s other tools include a menu item to quickly access your own listings, access to the RMLSweb agent roster to connect with with another RMLS™ subscriber, and a handy mortgage calculator.
SOUND INTERESTING?
Download HomeSpotter on your mobile device through the Apple App Store or Google Play. Activate your account with a unique activation code found on RMLSweb by clicking on “Homespotter” under the Toolkit menu.
Downloading the app and using this service is completely free to RMLS™ subscribers.
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:
There’s a listing I have in Hillsboro that hasn’t sold despite the low inventory and hot activity happening in the Portland metro area. I want this thing to sell! To that end, I’ve cancelled the listing on RMLSweb three times…and then created a new listing for the same property. This way, the days on market will stay low and I’ll get more eyeballs from area brokers. Why doesn’t RMLS™ teach people about this?
Hotsheet Harry
Dear Harry:
I’ve got some bad news for you—you’re doing a lot of extra work relisting your property for no reason!
On the back end of RMLSweb, changing a listing’s status to Pending, Sold, Withdrawn, Cancelled, or Expired will trigger an off-market date. If the property is relisted within 31 days of that off-market date, the listing will still show cumulative days on market (CDOM). Have a look at RMLS™ Document #1742, How CDOM is Calculated for more on this.
If the property has been off the market for more than 31 days and it’s relisted, that listing will just show regular days on market (DOM).
Here’s an idea. If your property isn’t selling (or even if it’s new on the market), try your hand at the Reverse Prospecting tool on RMLSweb. Reverse Prospecting searches for other brokers with a saved prospecting profile that matches the criteria for your listing. Check out RMLSweb Document #1772, Reverse Prospecting, and give it a try! This way, you can target your marketing efforts on those brokers with clients shopping for precisely what you’re selling.
TT:
Last week my eagle-eyed clients asked about the photo that appeared on a listing I sent them. The listing said the house was under construction, but the photo showed the exterior of the house, complete with landscaping! Was this a listing error I need to submit to RMLS™ staff or is Photoshopping really getting that good?
Those are bad examples, but RMLS™ has noticed some confusion about listing photos and just released a watermark feature in order to address the issue.
If your listing photo has what we in the biz call “virtual staging” (meaning someone used computer technology to add furniture and other decorative items to a listing photo), you’ll need to add the “Virtually Staged” watermark to the photo.
Similarly, if your RMLSweb listing is marked as Proposed or Under Construction but features photographs of an actual built house, you’ll need to add the “Sample Image” watermark to the photo.
If your listing photo features both a model home and has been virtually staged, you’ll need to add both watermarks!
My entire office staff consists of me, myself, and I. Instead of spending my day creating listing flyers in Microsoft Word, I’d rather be out in the world showing my clients some listings. Or snagging some new clients. Perhaps shopping for client gifts. In short, doing anything but wrangling with Microsoft Word! Do you have any suggestions on how I might be able to tackle listing flyers in a better way?
Sincerely, Riddled in Riddle
Great question, Riddled. We recommend the flyer module available on Realtors Property Resource® (RPR). Look for a direct link on RMLSweb under the Toolkit menu, then enter a valid RMLSweb listing number to open the flyer module in a new tab.
Data from your listing will already be pre-loaded—confirm the property address at minimum, and personalize the flyer as you’d like. Once the flyer is ready to go, select the delivery method and click “Run Report.” Your flyer will be ready to go in a jiffy.
Ever find an under construction listing on RMLSweb and wonder why an actual home appears in the photographs? Ever show an empty house and wonder where all the furniture in the listing photos went? We’d like to help.
RMLS™ will release a new feature Monday, August 22nd, designed to help clarify listing photos uploaded to RMLSweb. Two types of photos will now require watermarks: photos with virtual staging, and photos of a model home.
Photos that are virtually staged include furniture and other items that have been added electronically to a photograph. Under construction or proposed listings that feature an actual built house in photographs are not an exact representation of the listed property, and as such will need to be flagged as a sample image.
If you have a listing with either or both of these features, you can set the watermark(s) in Listing Load on RMLSweb. Open the photo loader, and check the appropriate box(es) in the right hand corner. Don’t forget to save the changes.
Checking these boxes will create watermarks on listing photos that read “virtually staged” or “sample image,” eliminating confusion about the photographs.
Saving a photo with checkbox(es) marked permanently alters the image stored on RMLS™ servers. This means if you accidentally add a watermark in error, you’ll need to delete the photo and upload a clean copy using the photo loader.
Do note that when preparing a new listing, the listing will need to be published before the Sample Image box is available in Listing Load.
REALTORS®, if you’re looking for an easy way to make a snazzy listing flyer, RMLS™ has just introduced a great solution. RMLSweb now features a direct link from the Toolkit menu to the RPR flyer module.
Look for the RPR Flyer option under the Toolkit menu on RMLSweb. Enter a valid RMLSweb listing number into the box that appears and click the Yes button. A new tab will open RPR reports with the RPR flyer module selected.
There can be some lag time between listings being entered in RMLSweb and data availability on RPR. If you just published or updated your listing, it could take up to four hours for the RPR data to catch up with the RMLSweb listing.
Once inside the RPR flyer module, be sure to confirm the property address and personalize as you wish. Once the edits are complete, select your desired delivery method (display now or send as an email) and click the Run Report button at the bottom. When the bell dings, your flyer will be ready!
Questions about this new option on RMLSweb? Contact the RMLS™ Help Desk at (503) 872-8002 or (877) 256-2169.
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-
Is there an easy way to get a listing report to fit on one page? Currently I click on PDF and then Print, but then the margins cut off the top of the page and leave lots of white space at the bottom. Sometimes the second page only has one or two lines of text, which is just a waste of paper.
Sincerely, Marginalized
Dear Marginalized:
First things first—whenever you’re printing from RMLSweb, use the Print button that appears on the site for best results. Here’s where to find it:
When you do not see a Print button within RMLSweb, use the browser’s File and Print command. You can get the same thing done by right-clicking and selecting Print.
Adjusting Print Margins
In the past there were specific margin settings to set in your browser to allow an Agent Full report to print on a single page. As browsers have evolved in number and versions, there are no longer “one size fits all” settings. Printing setup has become more complicated! Margin settings may vary between browsers and between printers, so you may need to set and adjust the margins on the machine you’re using to achieve your desired result.
If you’re embarking on a big print job, my colleagues at the RMLS™ Help Desk suggest that you test the print settings with a single listing first. If you need to alter the settings, you can do so before sending the whole kit and caboodle to print.
Here are some web links that provide instructions on accessing the print setup in a few major browsers:
• Firefox
• Chrome
• Safari
• Internet Explorer print adjustment can be tricky. We recommend reading Printing from RMLSweb (Document #1769) in RMLSweb Forms and Documents.
In some rare instances, no matter how much margin adjusting you do, there will always be an additional page printed out instead of just printing to a single page. If that happens, turn the document into a PDF first, then delete the extra page or just print the one(s) you need.
Good luck! If you have further questions, contact the RMLS™ Help Desk at (503) 872-8002 or toll free at (877) 256-2169.
Sincerely,
Technical Terry
Hello Technical Terry:
RMLS™ has certainly been making a hullaballoo about this new billing system that’s coming to RMLSweb. What’s the big deal? Can you talk a little more about it?
Will Billerston
Hello Will:
Ever force yourself to squeeze into a pair of pants that were two sizes too small? That’s essentially what RMLS™ has been doing the last several years with its existing accounting software. A core team of RMLS™ staff has been working with vendors for over a year on this project!
Here’s what it means for RMLS™ subscribers:
• RMLS™ will be able to accept more forms of payment
• A friendlier user interface than subscribers saw in Internet Member Services (IMS)
• Increased credit card security
• RMLS™ staff will be able to assist you with multiple types of issues in one call or visit
• Dual licensees will have just one set of login credentials, switching back and forth between licenses easily.
Changing a system that is such an integral part of RMLSweb is no easy task, but we’ve been trying to roll out the change slowly in order to avoid disruptions to YOUR access of RMLSweb. RMLS™ staff are really excited about the new system and hope subscribers enjoy it just as much as we do.
Don’t be afraid, you’re not the only person who has sent this form to us in error. It sounds like you’re familiar with the changes we recently made to the form, so you’re already ahead of the game.
Activating the HomeSpotter app will give instant access to RMLSweb listing information to RMLS™ subscribers out in the field. HomeSpotter offers a simple interface for ease of use, and can call up details on a listing in less time than it takes to sign in to RMLSweb.
HOMESPOTTER FEATURES
