Dear Technical Terry,

I’m so frustrated! While I realize that software that allows me to control showings of their listings should be beneficial, I have such a hard time with ShowingTime! It seems like it should be such a time saver, but I get confused as to how to set it up. It seems like you should be able to either turn it off for all listings or select specific listings to turn it off for. 

I’ve also heard that there might be another tool coming online at some point down the road for showing control – is that true and what can you tell me about it?

-Challenged in Camas

Hi CC,

I hear you! You CAN control the use of ShowingTime for your listings, either individually or collectively (meaning all of them). This question is common at the Help Desk so please don’t feel like you’re alone in your challenges. We have a great guide (document #1783) available on RMLSweb that covers how to turn off ShowingTime in either scenario mentioned above. 

If you find you still have questions after reviewing the doc, give our Help Desk a call at 503.872.8002 or toll free at 877.256.2169.

As far as future plans for showing software, you may have read this announcement a few months back:

MLS Aligned, a partnership of five forward-thinking Multiple Listing Services that includes RMLS, has announced the acquisition of Agent Inbox technology and intellectual property. MLS Aligned will build upon Agent Inbox in order to offer an integrated tool for messaging and scheduling showings to agents and brokers.

MLS Aligned believes that the Agent Inbox system “will bring tremendous benefits to consumers due to the platform’s speed and enhanced showing system capabilities.” MLS Aligned plans to integrate Agent Inbox capabilities into their respective MLS systems, including RMLSweb, to “provide for seamless agent-to-agent and agent-to-client communications.”

Kurt von Wasmuth, President and CEO of RMLS, said, “With Agent Inbox’s ability to seamlessly integrate into our existing MLS, the communication and showing features will provide an enticing enhancement to our current list of features.”

Read the Full Press Release

Here’s the MLS Aligned website if you’re interested in learning more: https://www.mlsaligned.com/ 

In closing I’d like to point out the very tangible benefits of belonging to RMLS that is in this group of five MLSs. The opportunity to share concepts, programming costs, and other economies of scale is a huge benefit, and one that RMLS is proud to participant with. 

Thanks for writing in CC, hope this info is helpful!

-TT

In Part 1 of this series, we covered how to report issues and inaccuracies to our Data Accuracy department. In Part 2, we discussed how issues are reviewed and processed. In this edition, we’ll cover how issues are resolved and how to check on the status of a specific matter. In Part 3, we covered how issues are resolved and how to check on the status of a specific matter.

For Part 4, we’re looking at how some of the recent statistics stack up to each other. In comparing 2019 to 2020 data, we’ve noticed some interesting trends.

• Missing Tax ID, Personal Promotion, and Incorrect/Missing Information were the top three issues in both 2019 and 2020.
• Total reported issues decreased 8.1% from 2019 to 2020 (15,574 down to 14,309). The sub-category of reported issues submitted via the ‘Report Issue’ button decreased 5.7% (5,387 down from 5,715).

Data Accuracy department staff run proactive audits to look at common potential data inaccuracies. It is interesting to compare these two years because you can see the way the pandemic has impacted different categories. 2020 had fewer listings and subsequently fewer issues than 2019. On the other hand, our Data Accuracy team handled a significant increase in the number of calls.

• In 2020, staff reviewed almost 332,000 listings that resulted in 36,800+ issues being resolved, a decrease from the 394,000+ listings reviewed and 37,600+ issues resolved in 2019.
• There was a 34.7% increase (3,451 in 2019 vs 4,650 in 2020) in the number of phone calls handled by the Data Accuracy team.

When we compare the first 5 months of 2021 to the same period in 2020, we see some interesting takeaways.

• Two of the top three issues are the same, Missing Tax ID and Incorrect/Missing Information, but other top three spot is currently Missing School. This may have to do with changes that various school districts are making regarding school names.
• In 2021 we are ahead on Reported Issues (2559 vs 2224) and Violations (6338 vs 4883) but are behind on Courtesy Notices (7169 vs 8686) and calls (1749 vs 1799).
• We are slightly behind the 2020 monthly average of 6847 new listings added per month with 6685 new listings added per month so far for 2021.

Ultimately it will be interesting to see at the end of this year how 2021 compares to 2020. Our Data Accuracy team continually examines statistical trends to improve issue resolution and improve accuracy.

In Part 1 of this series, we covered how to report issues and inaccuracies to our Data Accuracy department. In Part 2, we discussed how issues are reviewed and processed. In this edition, we’ll cover how issues are resolved and how to check on the status of a specific matter.

Step 3: Status & Resolution

Our subscribers are able to check the progress of the issue at any time through the RMLSweb dashboard.

Under ‘Back Office,’ look at the options below ‘Listing Issue.’ ‘Reported by Me’ provides status information on listings you reported, the current status of the report, and any available notes.

‘My Violations’ displays resolved violations for your listings, while ‘My Open Violations’ displays violations with your listings that are currently open. Both screens list the violation notes that have been reported. Principal Brokers can view this information for their agents as well.

The ‘My Notifications’ section tracks notices about your listing violations. You can see when the notifications were sent and to whom they were sent. If you click the link under ‘Sent Date’ you can read the notice that was sent.

Any issues that were discovered by our data checking software or staff will also appear in ‘My Notifications.’ The data is available for 18 months from the date the issue was closed. This does not mean that you cannot report an issue on a listing older than 18 months.

One factor that could affect whether an issue can be reported is if the Seller’s Agent or firm are no longer RMLS subscribers. In that event you would receive an error and to report the issue you would need to use one of the previously mentioned alternative methods.

Should you ever have a question about an issue that you submit or about a notice that you received on one of your own listings please reach out to us and we will be happy to answer any questions.

In Part 1 of this series, we covered how to report issues and inaccuracies to our Data Accuracy department. In this edition, we’ll cover how matters are reviewed and processed.

Step 2: Review

Our Data Accuracy team will begin processing these submissions in the order they are received. Sometimes we receive several notifications about the same issue at different points in the resolution cycle – these are grouped together and handled collectively.  

After reviewing the particular issue, we reach out to the Seller’s Agent and sometimes their Principal Broker to determine if the listing data is accurate. For example, a listing that says ‘waterfront’ may in fact only be ‘water view.’ If the data needs to be changed, we request that the Seller’s Agent either make the change or give us permission to make the change for them. Once the change has been made, we mark the reported issue as corrected in our tracking system.

Issues in the system will show as Active (review ongoing), Corrected (information adjusted), Reviewed and Already Corrected (report sent after information already corrected), Not a Violation (no adjustment required), Duplicate (this issue is already in the process of being reviewed), or Agent Asked (agent-submitted question instead of reporting an issue).   

In Part 3 of this series, we’ll cover how issues are resolved and how to check on the status of a specific matter.

Without accurate data it would be very difficult to perform real estate transactions with any confidence. RMLS has a number of tools to identify inaccuracies in the data but our subscribers are the most important by far. Subscribers are experts in their fields and in their neighborhoods and communities. RMLS relies on them to spot data issues that a machine would surely miss.

Here’s how the process of reporting an issue with listing data works.

Step 1: Reporting

It all begins with alerting RMLS to the issue. There are a few ways to report an issue, including emailing dataaccuracy@rmls.com or calling us at 503.395.1916, but the easiest is the ‘Report Issue’ button that is on the bottom right of each listing in RMLSweb, or by going to RMLSweb and choosing ‘Help’ from the navigation menu. Under the ‘Help’ sub-section, choose ‘Questions/Comments/Feedback’ and select ‘Data Accuracy/Rules and Regulations’ for the message subject.

When you find an issue in a listing the first step is to press the ‘Report Issue’ button. A new screen will open. On this screen you can enter a detailed account of the issue in the ‘Note Text’ section – please be as descriptive as possible.

Once finished, press the ‘Submit’ button and the issue will be routed to our Data Accuracy team for review and resolution. You will receive a popup notification confirming the submission.

In Part 2 of this series, we’ll discuss how issues are reviewed and processed.

MLS Aligned, a partnership of five forward-thinking Multiple Listing Services that includes RMLS, has announced the acquisition of Agent Inbox technology and intellectual property. MLS Aligned will build upon Agent Inbox in order to offer an integrated tool for messaging and scheduling showings to agents and brokers.

MLS Aligned believes that the Agent Inbox system “will bring tremendous benefits to consumers due to the platform’s speed and enhanced showing system capabilities.” MLS Aligned plans to integrate Agent Inbox capabilities into their respective MLS systems, including RMLSweb, to “provide for seamless agent-to-agent and agent-to-client communications.”

Kurt von Wasmuth, President and CEO of RMLS, said, “With Agent Inbox’s ability to seamlessly integrate into our existing MLS, the communication and showing features will provide an enticing enhancement to our current list of features.”

Read the full press release here.

Hi TT,

In this crazy market we are experiencing I’ve had opportunity to use the Coming Soon-No Showing (CSN) concept in Listing Load. While I understand the concept, and agree it has value in the right circumstance, I found the workflow to be tough to understand when adding the listing. 

In fact, I made a mistake the first time I tried to use CSN and the listing went Active right away! It took a bit of work and conversation with RMLS support staff to clean up the mess I made and get the listing re-added correctly. 

Are there any support materials I should have referenced before attempting to add a CSN that might have prevented my mistake? The Help Desk person I spoke with said it happens quite frequently.
Curious in Cottage Grove

Hi CC,

I hear you regarding adding a CSN listing. The mistake some subscribers make is not realizing the “Date Marketing to Begin” should be the date you want the listing to flip from CSN to Active, NOT the date you are publishing the CSN listing.

As the CSN status has been around for almost 3 years, much of the initial information about the status and how it all came about can be found on the RMLS Central blog – here is a post explaining the status and process for adding a new CSN listing. 

In light of the ongoing (though diminishing) challenges with getting the Date Marketing to Begin correct when adding a CSN listing, we created a brand new, short video that covers how to add a CSN listing and get the DMB value correct.

I sure hope this helps, CC. Going forward you can always call the Help Desk at 877.256.2169 or use the Chat feature in RMLSweb to discuss the process with RMLS staff while you’re adding the CSN listing.

TT

Dear TT,
I was chatting with a long-term Realtor in my office recently about farming (you know, how to wrangle up clients to list with you in an area you specialize in – not how to grow corn! They gave me the history of how they performed their farming strategies prior to Remine, and then told me how Remine has saved them a ton of marketing dollars. 

I couldn’t quite grasp what they were telling me, and honestly, I didn’t want to take up any more of their time explaining the concept to me. Can you help? What is it about Remine that is so great when it comes to farming?
Questioning in Quail Valley

Hi QQ,
The veteran Realtor in your office shared a really valuable perspective with you. Remine allows you to farm in a way not possible before the days of “big data” and “artificial Intelligence” became commonplace. Remine has access to a TON of consumer data, including mortgage information, that is used to analyze the potential to sell based on known historical tendencies. This is based on many variables that you can custom select when running searches in Remine. The product doesn’t simply identify homeowners more likely to sell but can offer a turn-key solution in generating marketing materials and sending them on your behalf to homeowners that meet your criteria.

Examples of filters you can use to target your marketing/farming dollars include:

• Property Value
• Ownership Time
• Equity
• Mortgage rate %
• Sell Score
• Mortgage age
• Absentee owner

Keep in mind that we offer Remine classes every month and the classes qualify for OR continuing education credit!  We also offer one-on-one sessions where you can schedule personal training time with an RMLS Trainer. To register for this type of assistance, simply go to the Training Registration module in RMLSweb, navigate to the one-on-one option and pick the day and time that works for you. Time slots are in one-hour increments, and you can book as many time slots as you want. This gives you a chance to really explore with the help of a Trainer.

Hope this helps Q!

TT

Dear TT

I am a fairly new subscriber to RMLS, and I’m interested in figuring out how to use all the additional tools RMLS offers us subscribers. It’s a pretty big difference compared to the last MLS I was a member of – they provided the base MLS system and that was it. Any additional tools were up to us Realtors to obtain and figure out how to use.

So, I’m excited about all the ‘extras’ RMLS has available, but there are almost too many additional tools to choose from. Can you help me better understand which toolset does what and which ones to pick for specific activities?

Curious in Cottage Grove

Hi CCG,

That’s a really great question. We put a lot of emphasis on providing tools for our subscribers to pick from and leverage to perform those daily tasks that can seem overwhelming – everyone is looking for ways to become more efficient and successful, right?

We do offer a class that covers all the various 3rd party products available to you called RMLS 3rd Party Tools, which is a great starting point. Recently we began offering another class – Comparing Your CMA Options – that takes a look at four viable options for creating market analysis reports for your clients. Nothing beats spending a little time exploring the options available to you though – you can view all the various 3rd party product options in RMLSweb.

After beginning with our RMLS 3rd Party Tools class to get a good overview of all the various products, I’d recommend identifying what your top goals are. Perhaps you want to streamline your farming process, or upgrade how you communicate with clients. Determine your top priorities, then give each tool which provides what you’re looking for a good test drive. Once you’ve identified some good tool matches, you can fast track your education and comfort with the tool by making use of our training options.

For example, if CMA creation is one of your challenges/objectives, I would sign up for our Comparing Your CMA Options webinar. This new CMA class compares RMLSweb, Homesnap, RPR and Remine, and the various approaches each uses to create a CMA. The class provides good detail about how to create the CMA report by searching for appropriate comparative properties, as well as the various output reports each product offers.

We offer stand-alone classes for many of our 3^rd party products that goes into more detail about additional beneficial aspects of each product. You can also set up one-on-one sessions with our staff to answer specific questions about product use and integration for your business. To view our current schedule of available webinars, go to the Training Calendar on RMLSweb. You can also use Training/Support Resources to access all our support and training links, as well as video tutorials.

I hope this helps you identify a starting point in better understanding how to explore the variety of educational options we offer for the 3rd Party tools at your disposal.

TT

Here we go again! RMLS celebrates another year working hard for thousands of subscribers across Oregon and Southwest Washington by presenting an annual collection of numbers. These numbers show just how much RMLS has supported real estate activity over the course of 2020. We hope you enjoyed journeying along with us.

Compare the numbers below with the same from prior years and see how we’ve grown!

RMLSweb
Number of times subscribers logged in to RMLSweb: 1,920,055
Photos uploaded to listings: 1,939,599
Number of new prospect profiles created: 75,157
All residential properties listed for sale: 71,940
All residential properties sold: 61,350
Median sold price of homes listed: $397,000
Total dollar volume of homes sold: $27,089,173,000
Reports viewed: 11,929,621

RMLS Subscribers
RMLS subscribers as of December 2020: 14,894
New RMLS subscribers (compared to December 2019): +370
Increase in subscribers, above: +2.5%
Subscribers who attended training: 9,326 via 892 individual classes
Number of calls to the RMLS Help Desk: 19,846 calls

Number of Bug Reports: 8,821
Number of Help Desk chats: 5642
Number of incidents reported using the “Report Issue” button: 5387
CE hours distributed by RMLS™ at no cost to subscribers: 664

Social Media
RMLS followers on Facebook (as of December 31): 5,832
RMLS followers on Twitter (as of December 31): 2,826

RMLS regularly compiles plenty of other numbers as well! In addition to publishing Market Action each month, we have statistical summaries available on RMLSweb with information dating back several years.

We love numbers here at RMLS, and hope you find this data as fun and interesting as we do.