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.

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.

 

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.

• Document #1261 Owner Name Omission Form
• Document #1263 Photograph Omission Form
• Document #1262 Commercial/Industrial Address Omission Form
• Document #1260 Authorization to Exclude From MLS and Public Marketing Addendum

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.

Category	October
Missing Tax ID	454
Personal Promotion	126
Incorrect or Missing Information	116
Missing School	112
Incorrect Status	51
Property Condition	44
Missing Owner Name	41
Duplicate Listing	40
No Showings	39
Incorrect Property Type	33
Is Property a Condo	28
Incorrect First Photo	22
Inaccurate Lot Size	20
Address Issues	17
Listing Input in Incorrect MLS area	14
Missing Condo Unit Number	13
Conditions to Compensation	9
Partial Bathrooms 5+	7
Duplicate Listing Sold in Different Categories	3
HUD	2
City Unknown	2

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

Category	October
Listing is Set to Expire	706
Listing Still Pending	357
Multiple Owner Names in First Field	181
New Listing Input Over 24 Hours	31

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.