RMLS™ Rules Roundup for March 2019

by RMLS Communication Department | Apr 12, 2019

The RMLS™ Rules and Regulations Committee has requested that periodic reports are given to subscribers about the number and types of formal rules violations, along with information about informal violations and courtesy notifications by type. Read “If a RMLS™ Rule is Broken, What Happens?” for a deeper explanation.

Have you ever spotted something wrong in a property listing on RMLSweb? The Data Accuracy team is responsible for sorting things out whenever a RMLS™ subscriber contacts us—whether that is via the “Report Issue” button on a listing, by email, or contacting us directly by phone. In March 2019 our team handled 293 phone calls.

We track 30 specific issues in Listing Data Checker (LDC), the software that helps us spot and correct issues proactively. Six of these are courtesy notifications, but the other 24 are informal violations of the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations. In addition to our focus on education we also process formal violations throughout the year.

HOT TOPICS

RMLS™ started sending out courtesy notices spring 2018 when Data Accuracy staff began using LDC. These notices are not violations, but rather courtesy notices informing subscribers to something regarding their listing. One of the newest courtesy notices is one that lets the seller’s agent know that their listing is set to expire within 10 days. We know that life can be busy and that reminders are helpful. In March 2019, 1,014 courtesy notices were sent out.

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.

In March 2019, one formal rules violation was filed, with a total of , with a grand total of $500 fine levied. Following is a list of the specific violation:

• 5.1L Unauthorized Use of a Lockbox: Buyer’s agent provided buyers a one day code to access a listing, allowing the buyers and home inspector access to property without permission or representation. Seller notified Seller’s Agent that the buyers and home inspector were inside the listing without their agent present.

INFORMAL VIOLATIONS

In March 2019, RMLS™ Data Accuracy staff reviewed 20,254 listings in addition to the 548 notices sent through Report Issue button on RMLSweb. Of the items reviewed, 1,428 violation notices and 2,524 courtesy notices were sent out.

Following are the courtesy notifications sent to RMLS™ subscribers in March 2019:

When we notice an uptick in a specific type of violation (perhaps a rule recently changed or market conditions lead to an increase in a certain type of issue) we may also put a notification up on RMLSweb, educating subscribers before one of their listings gets flagged and we need to contact them.

RMLS™ Data Accuracy can be reached via email or by phone at (503) 236-7657 if you ever have questions about the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations, if you wonder whether a specific listing has inaccurate data, or if you want to chat with us more about the above information.