Rules Roundup for January 2022

Rules Roundup for January 2022

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 34 specific issues outlined in the RMLS Rules and Regulations, and is responsible for addressing subscriber questions and concerns regarding listing accuracy whether those are submitted via the “Report Issue” button on a listing, through email, or by phone. When there are increases in specific violation types, we often place notifications on RMLSweb in order to alert subscribers so that they can avoid violations.

 

JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS

As the weather warms up and more houses begin to be put on the market it is important to keep in mind the rules regarding lockbox access and showings. Violating the lockbox and showing rules can have serious consequences which may include fines or even suspension from RMLS.

Rule 7.1 reads as follows:

The appointment for showing of listed property shall be arranged as indicated in the RMLS Listing Data Input Form.

a. A Cooperating Broker or Appraiser may use the lockbox access device to enter a listing whose status is Active, Bumpable or Short Sale Pending, only in accordance with the instructions on the RMLS Listing Data Input Form or in accordance with the express instructions of the Listing Broker or Owner.
b. A Cooperating Broker or Appraiser may use the lockbox access device to enter a listing whose status is other than Active, Bumpable or Short Sale Pending, only with the express permission of the Listing Broker or Owner.
c. A Listing Broker, Cooperating Broker or Appraiser may not use the lockbox access device to enter a listing whose status is Coming Soon-No Showing.
d. A property in Coming Soon-No Showing status cannot be shown.
e. If the Listing Broker’s representative is to accompany a Cooperating Broker on the showing of a listing, that requirement must be included in the RMLS Listing Data Input Form and the Listing Broker must have a representative available to accompany the showing at the convenience of the Owner and customer.
f. No Participant or Subscriber may require from a Cooperating Broker a prospective Purchaser’s address or telephone number.

Some tips to keep in mind:

  • Always follow the showing instructions and check the status of a listing prior to opening the lockbox, even if you checked before you left the office. It is better to take the extra step than to accidentally enter a pending listing.
  • Do not let your buyer have access to the listing before the agreed upon transfer of possession date. The seller is still the owner of the property until that time – your buyer may be excited to see the property, but until the transfer you should make an appointment with the Seller’s Agent to view the property. Utilizing the tools available and keeping the rule in mind will help to keep all parties safe and happy.
  • Prior to scheduling a showing, it’s important to double-check the listing for any special showing accommodation requests or notes from the seller(s) and/or Seller’s Agent.

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 cases in January 2022.

INFORMAL VIOLATIONS & COURTESY NOTICES

In January 2022, the RMLS Data Accuracy staff reviewed 23,291 listings in addition to the 381 notices sent through the “Report Issue” button on RMLSweb. Of the items reviewed, 1,069 violation notices and 1,050 courtesy notices were sent out. In addition, our team handled 373 phone calls.

Category January
Missing Tax ID 388
Incorrect or Missing Information 113
Missing School 84
Personal Promotion 80
Missing Owner Name 77
Duplicate Listing 71
No Showings 65
Incorrect Status 41
Property Condition 33
Incorrect First Photo 28
Incorrect Property Type 22
Conditions to Compensation 18
Is Property a Condo 14
Listing Input in Incorrect MLS area 9
Missing Condo Unit Number 8
Duplicate Listing Sold in Different Categories 7
HUD 6
Partial Bathrooms 5+ 1
Address Issues 1
Inaccurate Lot Size 1
City Unknown 1
Missing Photograph Omission Form 1

The following are the courtesy notifications sent to RMLS subscribers in January 2022:

Category January
Listing is Set to Expire 546
Listing Still Pending 332
Multiple Owner Names in First Field 144
New Listing Input Over 24 Hours 28

Questions about RMLS Rules and Regulations or the accuracy of specific listings can be directed to the RMLS Data Accuracy department at dataaccuracy@rmls.com or 503.395.1916.

Rules Roundup for January 2022

Rules Roundup for December 2021

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 34 specific issues outlined in the RMLS Rules and Regulations, and is responsible for addressing subscriber questions and concerns regarding listing accuracy whether those are submitted via the “Report Issue” button on a listing, through email, or by phone. When there are increases in specific violation types, we often place notifications on RMLSweb in order to alert subscribers so that they can avoid violations.

DECEMBER HIGHLIGHTS

A new year means new listing numbers and often the ‘refreshing’ of listings in order to get a new listing number. If you represent sellers, please let them know that if they ‘refresh,’ they could receive solicitation phone calls from other REALTORSⓇ aiming to represent their property.

Conversely, if you are planning to solicit business from sellers who have had a listing cancel or expire, please double-check that the property has not been relisted before contacting them. Solicitation of a listing that is under contract (i.e., Active (ACT), Bumpable Buyer (BMP), Short Sale Pending (SSP), Pending (PEN), Pending Lease Option (POP), Withdrawn (WTH), or Coming Soon-No Showing (CSN) statuses) can result in a fine of up to $2,500.00, in an amount to be determined by the RMLS Rules and Regulations Committee.

If you have any questions or need any assistance, please reach out to Data Accuracy by emailing dataaccuracy@rmls.com or by phone at 503.395.1916.      

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 cases in December 2021.

INFORMAL VIOLATIONS & COURTESY NOTICES

In December 2021, the RMLS Data Accuracy staff reviewed 17,605 listings in addition to the 295 notices sent through the “Report Issue” button on RMLSweb. Of the items reviewed, 925 violation notices and 1,515 courtesy notices were sent out. In addition, our team handled 291 phone calls.

CategoryDecember
Missing Tax ID366
Incorrect or Missing Information87
Personal Promotion82
No Showings66
Missing School61
Incorrect Status50
Missing Owner Name38
Property Condition33
Duplicate Listing30
Incorrect First Photo25
Incorrect Property Type 24
Is Property a Condo16
Listing Input in Incorrect MLS area11
HUD 9
Conditions to Compensation7
Partial Bathrooms 5+ 6
Duplicate Listing Sold in Different Categories5
Address Issues 5
Missing Condo Unit Number4
Inaccurate Lot Size3
City Unknown 2
Missing SQFT by Level1

The following are the courtesy notifications sent to RMLS subscribers in Decemberr 2021:

CategoryDecember
Listing is Set to Expire1152
Listing Still Pending248
Multiple Owner Names in First Field92
New Listing Input Over 24 Hours23

Questions about RMLS Rules and Regulations or the accuracy of specific listings can be directed to the RMLS Data Accuracy department at dataaccuracy@rmls.com or 503.395.1916.

Rules Roundup for November 2021

Rules Roundup for November 2021

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 34 specific issues outlined in the RMLS Rules and Regulations, and is responsible for addressing subscriber questions and concerns regarding listing accuracy whether those are submitted via the “Report Issue” button on a listing, through email, or by phone. When there are increases in specific violation types, we often place notifications on RMLSweb in order to alert subscribers so that they can avoid violations.

NOVEMBER HIGHLIGHTS

One of our most common rule violations is for failing to follow showing instructions on a listing. Please, remember to check the showing instructions prior to entering a property that is listed in the RMLS system. Even if you checked the listing the day before, in the current fast-paced market changes can come swiftly. If there are any questions about the instructions, please reach out to the Seller’s Agent. If you are the Seller’s Agent and the instructions need to be changed, please do so as soon as is practical to avoid any confusion.

If you have any questions or need any assistance, please reach out to Data Accuracy at dataaccuracy@rmls.com or 503-395-1916.

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 cases in November 2021.

INFORMAL VIOLATIONS & COURTESY NOTICES

In November 2021, the RMLS Data Accuracy staff reviewed 21,664 listings in addition to the 331 notices sent through the “Report Issue” button on RMLSweb. Of the items reviewed, 1,102 violation notices and 1,054 courtesy notices were sent out. In addition, our team handled 297 phone calls.

Category November
Missing Tax ID 437
Personal Promotion 109
Incorrect or Missing Information 96
Missing School 72
Incorrect Status 51
Incorrect Property Type 50
Duplicate Listing 47
No Showings 41
Conditions to Compensation 40
Property Condition 39
Missing Owner Name 39
Is Property a Condo 16
Listing Input in Incorrect MLS area 11
Incorrect First Photo 11
Inaccurate Lot Size 9
Missing Condo Unit Number 9
Address Issues 8
Partial Bathrooms 5+ 5
Duplicate Listing Sold in Different Categories 5
City Unknown 3
HUD 2
Missing SQFT by Level 2

The following are the courtesy notifications sent to RMLS subscribers in November 2021:

Category November
Listing is Set to Expire 610
Listing Still Pending 258
Multiple Owner Names in First Field 161
New Listing Input Over 24 Hours 25

Questions about RMLS Rules and Regulations or the accuracy of specific listings can be directed to the RMLS Data Accuracy department at dataaccuracy@rmls.com or 503.395.1916.

 

Rules Roundup for November 2021

RMLS Rules Roundup for October 2021

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 34 specific issues outlined in the RMLS Rules and Regulations, and is responsible for addressing subscriber questions and concerns regarding listing accuracy whether those are submitted via the “Report Issue” button on a listing, through email, or by phone. When there are increases in specific violation types, we often place notifications on RMLSweb in order to alert subscribers so that they can avoid violations.

OCTOBER HIGHLIGHTS

There are some elements of a listing that, under the right circumstances and with the proper forms, can be omitted from the listing, such as Owner Name Omission, Photograph Omission, Commercial/Industrial Address Omission, and Authorization to Exclude from MLS and Public Marketing. In order to omit one of these elements for a listing it is important to upload the proper form by following the steps below:

Step 1: Open the Back Office menu at the top of RMLSweb.com.

Step 2: On the drop down menu, select “Submit Excluded Listing.”

Step 3: In the upper right corner select “Add a PDF.”

Step 4: On the page that opens you will see a set of input fields. On the drop down menu you will see the types of omissions that are possible – select the appropriate one.

Step 5: There are two different sets of fields depending on the selected form. Three of the forms use the following fields:

The Authorization to Exclude from MLS and Public Marketing form requires additional information:

Step 6: In the upper right corner, click the “Upload PDF” button and the form will then be sent to us.

That’s all there is to it. The forms can be found by following the instructions below.

  1. At the top of RMLSweb homepage, find the dropdown menu that says “Toolkit.”

2. On the drop down menu, select “All Documents.”

3. Type the name or document number of the document you need in the Search field.

You can also use the links below.

If you have any questions or need any assistance, please reach out to dataaccuracy@rmls.com.        

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 cases in October 2021.

INFORMAL VIOLATIONS & COURTESY NOTICES

In October 2021, the RMLS Data Accuracy staff reviewed 29,131 listings in addition to the 399 notices sent through the “Report Issue” button on RMLSweb. Of the items reviewed, 1,193 violation notices and 1,276 courtesy notices were sent out. In addition, our team handled 359 phone calls.

CategoryOctober
Missing Tax ID454
Personal Promotion126
Incorrect or Missing Information116
Missing School112
Incorrect Status51
Property Condition44
Missing Owner Name41
Duplicate Listing40
No Showings39
Incorrect Property Type33
Is Property a Condo28
Incorrect First Photo22
Inaccurate Lot Size20
Address Issues17
Listing Input in Incorrect MLS area14
Missing Condo Unit Number13
Conditions to Compensation9
Partial Bathrooms 5+7
Duplicate Listing Sold in Different Categories3
HUD2
City Unknown2

The following are the courtesy notifications sent to RMLS subscribers in October 2021:

CategoryOctober
Listing is Set to Expire706
Listing Still Pending357
Multiple Owner Names in First Field181
New Listing Input Over 24 Hours31

Questions about RMLS Rules and Regulations or the accuracy of specific listings can be directed to the RMLS Data Accuracy department at dataaccuracy@rmls.com or 503.395.1916.

Rules Roundup for November 2021

RMLS Rules Roundup for September 2021

Gavel

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 34 specific issues outlined in the RMLS Rules and Regulations, and is responsible for addressing subscriber questions and concerns regarding listing accuracy whether those are submitted via the “Report Issue” button on a listing, through email, or by phone. When there are increases in specific violation types, we often place notifications on RMLSweb in order to alert subscribers so that they can avoid violations.

SEPTEMBER HIGHLIGHTS

Every month we send more courtesy notices than we do violation notices by a fairly wide margin. The top two most sent notices every month are reminders to let our subscribers know that their listing is going to expire soon and that their listing is still in pending (PEN) status.

We understand that life can be hectic, and we want to make sure that you are aware of what is happening with your listings. Year-to-date we have sent 10,054 notices, split nearly evenly between the two categories. In contrast, the top two violation notices, Missing Tax ID, and Incorrect or Missing Information, have combined for 5,045 total year-to-date.

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 2 cases in September 2021.

The committee reviewed one case in June 2021 that resulted in fines totaling $2,700.00.

  • 5.1.l – Unauthorized use of lockbox system: A Buyer’s Agent gave keys to a listing to the buyer prior to closing and then left them there.
  • 5.1.q – Availability for Showing: A Seller’s Agent did not make a listing available for showing.

INFORMAL VIOLATIONS & COURTESY NOTICES

In September 2021, the RMLS Data Accuracy staff reviewed 28,796 listings in addition to the 449 notices sent through the “Report Issue” button on RMLSweb. Of the items reviewed, 1,220 violation notices and 1,577 courtesy notices were sent out. In addition, our team handled 416 phone calls.

CategorySeptember
Missing Tax ID370
Incorrect or Missing Information141
Missing School132
Personal Promotion131
Missing Owner Name61
Incorrect Status56
No Showings55
Duplicate Listing55
Is Property a Condo43
Property Condition35
Incorrect First Photo32
Incorrect Property Type31
Listing Input in Incorrect MLS area21
Inaccurate Lot Size17
Missing Condo Unit Number16
Partial Bathrooms 5+12
Conditions to Compensation9
HUD1
City Unknown1
Missing SQFT by Level1

The following are the courtesy notifications sent to RMLS subscribers in September 2021:

CategorySeptember
Listing is Set to Expire649
Listing Still Pending451
Multiple Owner Names in First Field290
Listing Status Changed from PEN to SLD > 24 hours104
New Listing Input Over 24 Hours51
Listing Still in OMS, Public Records Indicate SLD32

Questions about RMLS Rules and Regulations or the accuracy of specific listings can be directed to the RMLS Data Accuracy department at dataaccuracy@rmls.com or 503.395.1916.