RMLS™ Rules Roundup for March 2020
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 2020 our team handled 326 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
Please remember to check state and local policies regarding showings, since several new policies, rules and regulations, and business best practices have been rolled out in recent weeks.
Please also check the listing for special accommodation requests or notes from the home seller or seller’s agent prior to scheduling a showing.
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 1 case in March 2020 that resulted in $100.00 in fines.
- 5.1.l – Unauthorized use of lockbox system: A buyer’s agent did not follow showing instructions.
INFORMAL VIOLATIONS
In March 2020, RMLS™ Data Accuracy staff reviewed 34,158 listings in addition to the 483 notices sent through “Report Issue” button on RMLSweb. Of the items reviewed, 1,041 violation notices and 1,601 courtesy notices were sent out.
| Category | March |
| Missing Tax ID | 394 |
| Personal Promotion | 320 |
| Incorrect or Missing Information | 126 |
| Missing School | 61 |
| Missing Owner Name | 60 |
| No Showings | 59 |
| Incorrect Status | 45 |
| Missing or Incorrect 1st Photo | 44 |
| Duplicate Listing | 34 |
| Address Issues | 29 |
| Incorrect Property Type | 25 |
| HUD | 24 |
| Is Property a Condo | 23 |
| Conditions to Compensation | 12 |
| Inaccurate Lot Size | 12 |
| Listing Input in Incorrect MLS area | 11 |
| Partial Bathrooms 5+ | 9 |
| City Unknown | 6 |
| Duplicate Listing in Different Categories | 4 |
| Missing Condo Unit Number | 4 |
| Address Issues | 8 |
| Inaccurate Lot Size | 7 |
| HUD | 5 |
| Property Condition | 2 |
Following are the courtesy notifications sent to RMLS™ subscribers in March 2020:
| Category | March |
| Multiple Owner Names in First Field | 560 |
| Listing is Set to Expire | 465 |
| Listing Still Pending | 270 |
| New Listing Input Over 24 Hours | 72 |
| Listing Status Change over 24 Hours | 2 |
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.