RMLS Rules Roundup for April 2021
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 an 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 an RMLS subscriber contacts us — whether that is via the “Report Issue” button on a listing, through email, or directly by phone.
We track 34 specific issues in Listing Data Checker (LDC), the software that helps us spot and correct issues proactively. Eight of these are courtesy notifications, but the other 26 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
Recently we’ve received quite a few notifications regarding incorrect or missing schools. You may have noticed that some of the school names you are used to seeing are now missing from RMLSweb. Recently several school districts have gone through a renaming process, with some schools changing names multiple times.
If you don’t see a school that you think should be on the list and want to know whether the school is missing or has a new name, here’s what to do: First, double check the area for your listing. It can be easy to be looking in the wrong area if the listing is near a county line or area boundary.
Next, check the local school district’s website for updated information. If you’re still not sure, you can always contact our Data Accuracy department at 503.395.1916 and we will help you determine what the new name of the school is.
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 April 2021.
INFORMAL VIOLATIONS
In April 2021, the RMLS Data Accuracy staff reviewed 31,851 listings in addition to the 574 notices sent through the “Report Issue” button on RMLSweb. Of the items reviewed, 1,327 violation notices and 1,564 courtesy notices were sent out. In addition our team handled 378 phone calls.
| Category | April |
| Missing Tax ID | 423 |
| Missing School | 157 |
| Incorrect or Missing Information | 127 |
| No Showings | 94 |
| Duplicate Listing | 92 |
| Personal Promotion | 86 |
| Missing Owner Name | 55 |
| Property Condition | 50 |
| Incorrect Status | 41 |
| Is Property a Condo | 38 |
| Incorrect First Photo | 36 |
| Incorrect Property Type | 33 |
| Inaccurate Lot Size | 23 |
| Conditions to Compensation | 13 |
| Listing Input in Incorrect MLS area | 12 |
| Missing Condo Unit Number | 12 |
| Partial Bathrooms 5+ | 11 |
| City Unknown | 7 |
| HUD | 5 |
| Missing SQFT by Level | 4 |
| Address Issues | 4 |
| Duplicate Listing in Different Categories | 3 |
| Is Listing a Short Sale | 1 |
The following are the courtesy notifications sent to RMLS subscribers in April 2021:
| Category | April |
| Listing Still Pending | 632 |
| Listing is Set to Expire | 447 |
| Multiple Owner Names in First Field | 272 |
| Listing Status Changed from PEN to SLD > 24 hours | 104 |
| New Listing Input Over 24 Hours | 81 |
| Listing Still in OMS, Public Records Indicate SLD | 28 |
When we notice an uptick in a specific type of violation (perhaps a rule recently changed or market conditions leading 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 have questions about RMLS Rules and Regulations or the data accuracy of specific listings, or simply want to chat with us more about the above information.