RMLS Privacy Policy

RMLS operates a subscriber-based multiple listing service. To become a subscriber of RMLS, you must provide information about yourself. Because RMLS wants to demonstrate its commitment to our subscribers’ privacy, we wish to disclose our information practices in the following Privacy Policy. The privacy of your personal information is important to RMLS, and we will use your information only in accordance with the terms of this Privacy Policy.

The RMLS Privacy Policy includes:

  1. RMLS websites and systems that are covered by this policy
  2. Identification of specific information that is collected from our subscribers
  3. Identification of specific information that is collected from the public and documented in the RMLSweb system
  4. How collected information is used
  5. With whom the information may be shared
  6. What choices are available to our subscribers regarding collection, use, and distribution of the information
  7. Identification of RMLS security procedures that are in place to protect the loss, misuse, or alteration of information under RMLS control
  8. How to access, correct, or update personal or property information with RMLS

Definitions:

“Personally identifiable information” is information about you that distinguishes who you are and is not otherwise publicly available.

“RMLS websites” include all areas (public and private) of the RMLS websites, including http://www.rmlsweb.com, http://mobile.rmlsweb.com, http://www.rmls.com and all related testing and development databases.

A “Cookie” is a small amount of data, often including an anonymous unique identifier, transmitted to your browser from a website, which includes information about you and your computer. “Cookies” are stored on your computer’s hard drive. A “session cookie” is sent to the subscriber’s computer during the login process to RMLSweb when the username and password is entered.

  1. RMLS websites and systems covered by this privacy statement

This privacy statement covers the RMLS websites available to RMLS subscribers. Other computer systems are used within RMLS to store information and provide services to our REALTOR® and appraiser subscribers and they include the Abila NetForum System (membership, accounting, and support call tracking system) and the SentriLock SentriCard® system (lockbox and access device information management). RMLS also posts data on other web internal systems to distribute subscriber contact information to those websites authorized by the participant.

  1. Identification of specific information that is collected from our subscribers

RMLS collects and stores subscriber information including name, office name and address, preferred mailing address, phone numbers (office, home, cell, fax), email addresses, subscriber statuses (active, terminated, etc.), authorized level of access (broker, agent, administrative assistant, etc.), designated broker name, payment history and methods, related URLs, REALTOR® Association membership and designations, and passwords used to access the RMLSweb and key management systems. This information is not released to any third party.

RMLS may also store records of attendance at RMLS training classes and technical information about our subscribers to better assist them with hardware and / or software problems. If you send us correspondence, including emails and faxes, RMLS may retain such information in the records of your account. RMLS may also retain customer service correspondence and other correspondence from RMLS to you.

The RMLSweb system, which stores property information, also stores production rates of agents and offices.

RMLS also collects data from “cookies.” These cookies allow RMLS to recognize the same visitor viewing multiple pages on RMLSweb during the same session. This avoids the need to logon multiple times and can provide a more customized user experience. RMLS collects forensic access data on login sessions including, but not limited to, locations, time of day, devices, browsers, operating systems, and networks to further protect your password, ensure that your login credentials are validated, and secure your sensitive information. No personal information is retained on the cookies. The functions performed on RMLSweb are also tracked to provide usage information and assist with development decisions.

Because of the way that World Wide Web communication standards work, when you arrive at or leave an RMLS website, RMLS can receive the web address of the site that you came from or are going to. RMLS also collects information of website pages visited while you are on any RMLS website, the type of browser you use, and times you access our website.

  1. Identification of specific information that is collected from the public and other sources and documented in the RMLSweb system

When a subscriber of RMLS enters a property into the MLS system, the content, including images associated with that listing become part of the RMLS copyrighted compilation. The use of the content is governed by the RMLS Rules and Regulations.

RMLS websites contain information about properties that are (or were) for sale or lease, in the process of being sold, or have been sold. RMLS is the primary multiple listing service provider in the Portland, Oregon metro area, including Clark County, Washington, and in Baker, Columbia, Coos, Curry, Douglas, Gilliam, Grant, Hood River, Josephine, Lane, Morrow, Sherman, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wasco, Wheeler, and Yamhill counties of Oregon, as well as Cowlitz, Klickitat, Pacific, and Skamania counties of Washington. The RMLS systems also contain property content from other areas. Property records may include the owners’ name, address and phone numbers. Records may also include multiple images, financial information such as annual property tax assessments, liens, and mortgage balances. The RMLS systems also contain public tax assessor information for parcels in many Oregon and Washington counties.

RMLS subscribers have the option to create a prospect or address book entry in the RMLSweb system, which by its nature contains personally identifiable information on an individual who is not an RMLS subscriber. RMLS will not use prospect information or sell or rent that information to third parties.

  1. How collected information is used

When a subscriber of RMLS submits property listing content to RMLS, it becomes part of the RMLSweb listing database compilation. All right, title, and interest in every copy of the RMLS multiple listing compilation, or portion thereof, including images created by RMLS is copyrighted by RMLS and shall remain at all times vested in RMLS. Copyright and ownership interest in images submitted by RMLS subscribers for inclusion in the RMLSweb database remain with the RMLS Participant on whose behalf the image was submitted. However, the RMLS Participant licenses RMLS to reproduce, distribute, and transform such images and place a copyright legend on each such image. Ownership of the RMLS database compilation and each RMLS subscriber’s “fair use” thereof is governed by RMLS Rules and Regulations.

RMLS is a fee-based organization open to licensed real estate brokers, appraisers, and affiliates who belong to a REALTOR® Association. RMLS collects information about our subscribers in order to provide multiple listing services to them. The computer systems that collect and store subscriber information are used for billing purposes, to create on-line rosters of active RMLS subscribers, and to identify the listing and selling agents and offices in property transactions. Subscriber information is used to notify subscribers of changes to the web site, provide updated information, notification of upcoming subscriber events and to verify eligibility for subscribership. Technical information collected in the call tracking system is used to determine product usage and issues, and to determine training needs and future development efforts.

RMLS does not serve the public but does provide the web site RMLS.com (which provides a link to Realtor.com), which subscribers may use with their clients (the public). Realtor.com is a public web site that provides photo(s) and some details about properties that are for sale. Owner’s names are not provided. All information displayed on Realtor.com comes from content on RMLSweb.com.

From time to time RMLS may use subscriber’s email addresses, preferred mailing address, or fax numbers to notify our subscribers of technical problems, upcoming events, important issues, and for collection of RMLS fees.

RMLS does not sell, provide, or make available any subscribership lists to any third parties.

Website traffic information is used only to better understand our subscribers’ preferences and to manage the load on our servers in order to improve system response time and provide a quality experience using the website.

Statistical analysis of the listing content is made available to the media and other interested parties. However, this information does not disclose the principals or the brokers of individual transactions.

  1. With whom the information may be shared

RMLS will disclose information about our subscribers or their companies if required to do so by law or legal process.  REALTOR® Associations and all RMLS subscribers have access to contact information for all RMLS subscribers through RMLS.com and RMLSweb.com. Participant brokers can also access production rates of individual brokers and offices.

RMLS may elect to further distribute property information, including seller and agent contact data, to third parties for Internet display or for licensing to obtain industry statistics and trends. Specific property records are made available to the public only with the participant broker’s authorization and are required to operate according to the RMLS Internet policy. We also license this content, in accordance with our Rules and Regulations, to third-party service providers of Internet Data Exchange (IDX) and Virtual Office Websites (VOW), and Brokers with automated showing products and other real estate tools. This content may include some personally identifiable information about the listing agent, such as their name, photo and / or contact information.

RMLS shares aggregated statistical data with our business partners as well as for public relations. For example, we may disclose that a specific percentage of our subscribers live in a particular county. However, this aggregated information is not tied to personally identifiable information.

RMLS may disclose the information we collect, as described above, to companies that perform marketing services on our behalf. Those companies are subject to confidentiality agreements with us as well as other legal restrictions that prohibit them from using the information except to market the specified RMLS (and related) products or services, unless there is specific permission for other uses.

RMLS also shares personally identifiable information with the REALTOR® Associations whom we serve. This is done in order to verify your information and your standing in the Association, which may directly affect your RMLS subscribership. These Associations may use this information to market other products and services which may be of interest to you.

RMLS gives access to personally identifiable information to those employees who need that information to provide products or services to you, or in order to do their jobs, such as fulfill customer service requests. We require our employees to protect the privacy of information about our customers.

If you are a registered RMLS user, your name, office, office address, and office phone/fax numbers are displayed to other RMLS subscribers when they perform a roster search using an RMLS product. If you are a Participant Broker / Owner, you may have access to or we may notify you of other personally identifiable information for each agent in your office, such as their individual RMLS account information, fees paid or owned, rules violations, etc.

  1. What choices are available to our subscribers regarding collection, use and distribution of the information

By nature of the RMLS Rules and Regulations and the RMLS Subscriber and Participant Agreements, subscribers agree to receive faxes, emails, or other communications from RMLS. One of the purposes of the MLS is to facilitate the offer of cooperation among practitioners to market properties. To fulfill this objective, it is necessary to associate each property listed in the system with a listing broker and participant who is offering the property for sale so that they may be contacted with potential buyers or other issues related to the sale of the property. The listing broker is also required to enter the seller’s name in the property listing unless the seller specifically requests in writing that the listing does not include the name and contact information of the seller.

RMLS is a subscriber-based organization with subscribers billed quarterly. For that reason, it is necessary to maintain current contact information on each subscriber.

  1. Identification of RMLS security procedures that are in place to protect the loss, misuse or alternation of information under RMLS control
    RMLS hosts most of the systems containing personal and property information. Those systems that are not located in the RMLS facilities are hosted by authorized entities that have executed an agreement with RMLS specifically restricting further distribution of content. RMLS proactively audits the authorized websites receiving authorized RMLS content for compliance, searches for Internet data to discover unauthorized displays of RMLS content and has and will continue to legally pursue misuse of RMLS content.

RMLS employs security practices, including firewalls, virus protection, and disaster recovery planning. Vendor recommended patches are installed in a regular and timely manner. Physical access to the computer room is restricted to authorized personnel. Regular data backups and off-site storage practices are followed. A separate facility is retained with redundant hardware to continue services in the event of a disaster.

We restrict access to your personally identifiable information to employees who need to know that information in order to provide products or services to you. We enforce physical and electronic measures to guard your non-public personally identifiable information.

The security of your RMLS account also relies on the safeguarding your RMLS passwords. If you do share your password with a third party for any reason other than authorized by RMLS rules, you will be in violation of the RMLS Rules and Regulations; the third party will have access to your account and your personal information, and you may be responsible for actions taken using your password, as well as sanctions from RMLS, including possible fines and suspension of services. If you believe someone else has obtained access to your password, please change your password right away. You may receive communications from RMLS regarding possible misuse of your password.

  1. How to correct or update personal or property information with RMLS

RMLS subscribers can change property information on any property record associated with their subscriber identification code, for ongoing transactions. Authorized personal assistants can modify any property record associated with their broker employer. Authorized assistants of a Participant Broker can modify any property record associated with the firm of the Participant Broker. Additionally, RMLS subscribers can request that RMLS staff modify a property record that the subscriber could have or were unable to modify when written proof of the sellers request for a change is sent to RMLS.

Personal subscriber information can be changed by written notification to RMLS. Subscribers changing offices require the approval of Participant Brokers from both the previous and future firms.

From time to time, RMLS may elect to add new features to products and services provided by RMLS or their authorized providers. This policy may be revised as we incorporate suggestions from our subscribers and introduce new services and features into the marketplace.

The RMLS websites include links to some third-party websites. These sites are governed by their own privacy statements, and RMLS is not responsible for their operations, including but not limited to their information practices. Users submitting information to or through these third party websites should review the privacy statement of these sites before providing them with personally identifiable information.

If you are no longer an RMLS subscriber, we will note your account in our database as “Terminated,” but will keep your account information in our database.

For more information about this Privacy Statement, contact RMLS:

RMLS Corporate Office – 503.236.7657
16101 SW 72nd Avenue, Ste 200
Portland, OR 97224