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 February 2020 our team handled 263 phone calls.

We track 32 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

As the weather gets warmer and business begins to heat up it is a good time to remind everyone that it is not okay to solicit listings that are under contract. Section 5.1.v of the Rules and Regulations states:

For solicitation of a listing 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(i.e.: Active (ACT), Bumpable  Buyer (BMP), Short Sale Pending (SSP), Pending (PEN), Pending Lease Option (POP), Withdrawn (WTH), or Coming Soon‐No Showing (CSN)), 
a fine of up to Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500), in an amount to be determined by the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations Committee. 

So please, if you see a listing has cancelled or expired recently, check to make sure that it is has not been relisted by the Seller’s Agent. This will save everyone some frustration and allow you to focus on profitable activities.

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 6 cases in February 2020 that resulted in $7,750 in fines.

• 5.1.l – Unauthorized use of lockbox system: A buyer’s agent did not follow showing instructions.
• 5.1.l – Unauthorized use of lockbox system: A buyer’s agent entered a listing that was in pending (PEN) status.
• 5.1.l – Unauthorized use of lockbox system: A buyer’s agent gave a lockbox code to their buyer without being present.
• 5.1.l – Unauthorized use of lockbox system: A buyer’s agent did not follow showing instructions.
• 5.1.l – Unauthorized use of lockbox system: A buyer’s agent gave a lockbox code to their buyer without being present.
• 5.1.s – Marketing of a Listing Prior to RMLS™ Publication: A Seller’s Agent was found to be marketing a listing prior to publishing it as active (ACT) in the MLS.

INFORMAL VIOLATIONS

In February 2020, RMLS™ Data Accuracy staff reviewed 20,938 listings in addition to the 426 notices sent through “Report Issue” button on RMLSweb. Of the items reviewed, 1,041 violation notices and 1,601 courtesy notices were sent out.

Following are the courtesy notifications sent to RMLS™ subscribers in February 2020:

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.