Ask Technical Terry is a series RMLS™ aims to offer once a month. RMLS™ subscribers will drive the content—submit any question about RMLS™ to Technical Terry in the comments or by emailing communications@rmls.com. Don’t be shy—we won’t identify you by name.

Dear Technical Terry:

I’ve been keeping an eye on conversations about the solicitation of expired listings. It seems like technology has made that process much easier than in the old days, but in some cases at the expense of irritating home sellers. My opinion is that we should be allowed to solicit expired listings, as it has historically been a good source of business.

I’d like to ask you about the solicitation of withdrawn listings. Unfortunately I have a client that has had to take their home off the market due to some unforeseen circumstances, and we will go back to being active as soon as she is able. I placed the listing in withdrawn status as I still have an active contract on the home. The very next day, my client’s phone began ringing off the hook with offers to list the home, even though the home is not expired or cancelled, simply changed to withdrawn on RMLSweb. Is this allowed by the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations?

Irritated in Irrigon

Dear II:

It most certainly is not allowed in the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations! In fact, as a result of the work done by our expired listing task force, the RMLS™ Board of Directors recently approved a new sanction to the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations regarding the solicitation of listings under contract. Here’s what it says:

Recommendation to add a new sanction to Section 5.1 Sanctions of the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations:

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contract (ie: Active (ACT), Bumpable Buyer (BMP), Short Sale Pending (SSP), Pending (PEN), Pending Lease Option (POP), Withdrawn (WTH), or Coming Soon-No Showing (CSN)), a fine of up to Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500) in an amount to be determined by the RMLS™ Rules and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

As you can see, the RMLS™ board takes this activity seriously, as demonstrated by the introduction of a new sanction (effective October 1, 2019) that may now be applied for the solicitation of any listing that still has an active contract.

If you have questions about this or wish to report applicable activity, I encourage you and other RMLS™ subscribers to contact the RMLS™ Rules staff at (503) 236-7657 or (877) 256-2170.

Yours,
Ask Technical Terry

Dear ATT:

Over the weekend I was bombarded with emails from Homesnap! I received so many emails that I was afraid of missing some emails from clients that might be in the mix. Why is this happening, and more important, how can I make it stop?

Sincerely,
Feeling Spammed

Dear FS:

You’re not alone! RMLS™ has heard from other subscribers that they’ve been bothered by the amount of Homesnap emails they’ve received as well.

Homesnap is a product the RMLS™ Board of Directors is making available to RMLS™ subscribers by participating in the Broker Public Portal (BPP) program. BPP’s efforts are to create a broker-centric consumer portal to compete with other large portals such as Realtor.com and Zillow. BPP is currently providing Homesnap Pro as a tool for all participating MLS subscribers to use.

When we started hearing from RMLS™ subscribers about this issue we did alert Homesnap about the feedback we were receiving.

In the meantime though, if you’re Feeling Spammed, we invite you to click the “unsubscribe” button at the bottom of one of the unwanted emails. This will take you to a web page where you can adjust how frequently you hear from Homesnap, and about what.

Ask Technical Terry

Ask Technical Terry is a series RMLS™ aims to offer once a month. RMLS™ subscribers will drive the content—submit any question about RMLS™ to Technical Terry in the comments or by emailing communications@rmls.com. Don’t be shy—we won’t identify you by name.

Dear Ask Technical Terry,

It seems like not a day goes by I don’t read another story about a seller who is inundated with phone calls, being solicited after their listing expired or was cancelled. In many cases it’s not just the seller receiving calls but family members! I used to farm expired listings too—in fact it was a great source of listings at one time in my career. I was the one doing the calling and interacting though—now there are services that will call about hundreds of expired listings over and over, and they’re not polite to the seller. What can we do?

Spitting Nails in Springfield

Dear Spitting Nails in Springfield,

I hear you loud and clear! I’ve read these kinds of stories too and honestly there are times I’m really embarrassed for our industry. There’s not a whole lot that can be done on the RMLS™ side if the process is being conducted by real estate licensees, and they are truly calling only expired and cancelled listings. Where the problems come in is when the seller is on the Federal Do Not Call (DNC) list. In theory, the companies that offer expired/cancelled listing mining services vet the lists against the DNC but I’ve certainly heard of sellers on the DNC that have been solicited. Where RMLS™ can provide support is if the listing is neither expired nor cancelled, or has been relisted when the seller is being solicited. Any RMLS™ listing that is considered active should never be solicited, and this includes those in withdrawn status. RMLSweb offers a search called “Actual Expireds” under the Search menu that can be used to ensure the expired listing you’re about to call has not been relisted.

Let’s clarify what the Withdrawn status means on RMLSweb. Here’s a short overview from Document #1213, Listing Status Definitions, on RMLSweb:

Withdrawn (WTH): If the owner requests it, and has signed the proper paperwork, you can withdraw a listing in the RMLS™ database.

The RMLS™ board recently formed a task force to look into possible options for addressing subscriber/client frustration with the solicitation of off-market properties. Keep an eye out for my next blog post—I hope to have more information to share about potential options for you and your seller.

TT

Hello ATT!

This afternoon I received an email claiming that SentriLock wants us to use a different app. Is this legit?

Wary at Wallowa Lake

Hey WWL!

That email you received is legit! SentriLock is changing the name of SentriSmart™ to SentriKey™! They just recently made the big announcement and sent an email to their active users.

SentriKey™ features a new look and clearer prompts. Android users will find improved Bluetooth® connectivity.

If your device is set for automatic updates, check it out by opening the new icon on your phone. If you update manually, download the latest update.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a very important app update I need to attend to…

Ask Technical Terry

Ask Technical Terry is a series RMLS™ aims to offer once a month. RMLS™ subscribers will drive the content—submit any question about RMLS™ to Technical Terry in the comments or by emailing communications@rmls.com. Don’t be shy—we won’t identify you by name.

Dear TT,

RMLS™ has done a great job finding products that provide great benefit to its REALTOR® subscribers, but at times it seems like there are just too many options! It seems like we have new tools to learn on a daily basis. Just recently I went to a training session for a new product called Remine, and now I understand there is another product coming soon called Homesnap. Can you tell me why I would choose one over the other? What are the differences?

Overloaded in Orenco

Dear OO,

Understood completely! It’s not just you—it’s even a challenge for our support and training staff to keep abreast of the rapid pace of innovation around RMLS™ these days.

Here’s a brief overview of the products you mention above.

Homesnap Pro

Homesnap Pro combines agent-only MLS data on a web portal with a mobile app for use in the field.

• Provides real-time information to agents on the go, giving them the flexibility to research homes, interact with each other, and collaborate with clients from their mobile devices. Agents and consumers can use the same platform to seamlessly share real estate information and communicate directly.
• Additional features of Homesnap Pro include real-time access to agent-only MLS information, information about any home, messaging with clients and agents, customized email marketing, CMA generation from a mobile device, and information about other agents.

Remine

Remine provides some of the same capabilities as Homesnap, but it really excels more for data mining. This means Remine provides users the ability to “watch” homes, neighborhoods, and people to best understand market motivation. Users can use this data to scientifically allocate marketing efforts toward specific properties or people that indicate potential motivation.

Remine has three main components on its app: Discover, Track, and Engage.

• Discover: This is the map, where you can use layers to narrow down properties you want to target and set up farming areas to find opportunities.
• Track: This is the list of properties and people you’re tracking. You can upload contacts to track data that will help you prioritize who you should reach out to, and when to reach out. You can use this page to export spreadsheets to use for mailers, call lists, or email campaigns.
• Engage: This is your client dashboard, where you can keep track of your clients’ activities, invite new clients, and manage your leads.

Both Homesnap and Remine provide great benefits, but they have different strenghts. Homesnap provides great tools to engage clients, and Remine specializes in farming activities. Both products have amazing support portals available, containing plenty of how-tos in both written and video formats, there to help you decide which might work best for you.

The RMLS™ trainers are developing classes for both products, so keep your eyes on your local training calendar in the coming months!

TT

Hey Ask Technical Terry!

Homesnap seems like it’s going to be great for my workflow and working with my clients! My assistant told me that RMLS.com will be going away because of Homesnap—is this true?

Snappin’ for Homesnap

Hey Snappin’!

It is true: RMLS.com will redirect to Homesnap’s Broker Public Portal once RMLS™ rolls out the project on May 7th! We recently published a video about the change:

It’ll be a big change, but one that we think will better serve our REALTOR® subscribers and their clients. We can’t wait to hear what you think once Homesnap is live!

Ask Technical Terry

Ask Technical Terry is a series RMLS™ aims to offer once a month. RMLS™ subscribers will drive the content—submit any question about RMLS™ to Technical Terry in the comments or by emailing communications@rmls.com. Don’t be shy—we won’t identify you by name.

Dear TT,

First—thank you, and thanks to RMLS™—for keeping subscribers updated with the latest in lockbox technology. In doing so though, it puts stress on us REALTORS® to make sure we have the latest phone, computer, or tablet, and sometimes that gets confusing. Take the new SentriLock Bluetooth lockboxes—while I’m sure they’re a nice piece of technology, I’ve had a few issues getting mine to open. Do you have any general troubleshooting advice you can give? Keep in mind I’m generally in front of clients when the lockbox won’t open! Darn that Murphy’s Law!

Confused in Coquille

Dear CC,

You’re spot on—the new SentriLock lockboxes are a better piece of technology overall, but they also require the user to familiarize themselves with basic Bluetooth troubleshooting tactics to avoid embarrassment in front of clients like what you’ve experienced. Here’s my advice:

• Make sure your cell phone is running the minimum operating system for SentriLock Bluetooth support. On Android devices, this means operating 6.0.1 or higher. On Apple devices, this means iOS 8 or higher.
• Ensure your cell phone is running the latest version of SentriSmart™: the current version for both Android and iOS is 3.7.2. You can check your version by opening the app, selecting “Settings,” then scrolling down to “Version.”
• Check that Bluetooth is turned on in the phone you’re using! This may sound simple, but the RMLS™ Help Desk has had calls from more than one subscriber whose Bluetooth radio was not turned on in their cell phone. Most phones provide access to a settings menu to control various aspects of your cell phone. You should find the on/off switch for Bluetooth in this area of your phone.
• Make sure the Bluetooth radio is on in the lockbox! Remember that you need to press the ENT button on the face of the lockbox (shown below) in order to switch the lockbox’s Bluetooth radio on.

• Turn off the Bluetooth radio on your phone for five seconds, then turn it back on again.
• Close other apps that may be running on your phone. Depending on the type of phone (Android or iPhone) the process for closing running apps will vary.
• Reboot your cell phone. When was the last time you restarted your cell phone? Much like a computer, rebooting the phone can make a world of difference.
• Make sure the lockbox you’re attempting to open via Bluetooth is indeed a Bluetooth lockbox! The older NXT lockbox (shown below) looks the same as a Bluetooth lockbox with one exception: Bluetooth lockboxes have a white front, not a blue front. [We really do want to see all the older NXT lockboxes out of the marketplace—if you happen to encounter one, let us know and we’ll contact the subscriber to get it swapped out.]

In the big picture, you may need a bit more understanding about how Bluetooth works with your specific cell phone, including some routine maintenance tasks (closing apps and rebooting the phone on occasion) to make your usage of the new Bluetooth lockboxes more successful.

CC, I hope this was helpful! Don’t forget, you can always contact SentriLock at (513) 618-5800 or the RMLS™ Help Desk at (503) 872-8002 [toll free (877) 256-2139] for assistance.

Technical Terry

Dear Technical Terry,

One of my listings is a solid hour from my office—two hours round trip. Yesterday I made the trip in order to put a lockbox on the listing. Then this morning I received an email from SentriLock about updating the lockbox firmware! Do I really need to drive all the way back to do that before anyone can access the listing?

Yours in Real Estate,
Fern in Forest Grove

Dear Fern:

How frustrating it would be to get that email right after making a long trip! Rest assured, you don’t have to return to this listing before it can be shown.

Here’s the story: the Bluetooth lockboxes we received for the upgrade events last fall have the newest firmware that was available at that time. SentriLock did issue a new firmware version at the end of December, but it’s not a required update. In fact, none of the firmware updates that SentriLock has released are required! The lockboxes will still function without updates! These updates just fix issues with battery life and working with Bluetooth radios on newer phones. They are good to apply, but are not required for the lockbox to function.

If you do want to update the firmware on your Bluetooth lockboxes, there are two ways to do it. If you have easy access to the lockbox—say it’s sitting on your desk—I’d advise using SentriSmart™ as the lockbox owner or as an agent with ownership privileges (aka team members) and select the “update firmware” option under Lockbox Tools.

The second way to do it is through a passive update. Passive firmware updates happen when the box receives small pieces of the update every time a broker opens that box to show a listing. The incremental update could take 15 or more container accesses, since agents may walk away from the door while showing the property. When the update is initiated and stops prior to completion, the next agent to access the lockbox using the app will start the firmware update from where the prior connection left off. (Think of this as the torrent version of updating your lockbox.) Once again, updating this firmware manually is not required.

As you can see, firmware is nothing to fret about!

Yours at RMLS™,
Ask Technical Terry

Ask Technical Terry is a series RMLS™ aims to offer once a month. RMLS™ subscribers will drive the content—submit any question about RMLS™ to Technical Terry in the comments or by emailing communications@rmls.com. Don’t be shy—we won’t identify you by name.

Dear Technical Terry:

I am loving the new Bluetooth lockboxes! The conversion ran smooth as silk and I’ve had no issues whatsoever with accessing the new boxes. I do, however, have some concern about the new “single key” policy that allows me to use ONLY SentriSmart™ OR my SentriCard® each day. What is the rationale for that policy?

Concerned in Coquille

Hello CC:

I’m glad to hear your SentriLock conversion experience went smoothly—they really are a fantastic company to work with!

About single key: the RMLS™ board had become very concerned about the amount of SentriLock key access violations being reported and discussed on social media. These reports are not unique to our market, so SentriLock had been working on the single key concept to tighten up lockbox access misuse for some time. One of the key events that lead to the board deciding to move to single key was the report of a RMLS™ subscriber updating their SentriCard® then giving it to their assistant to use while the subscriber used SentriSmart™ for the day. Clearly a violation of the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations!

Here’s what you need to know about the single key process:

• Once SentriSmart™ is opened on your cell phone, that becomes your key for the day.
• SentriSmart™ provides you with a complete set of lockbox management tools, so it is the preferred method for accessing the SentriLock system.
• If SentriSmart™ is your preferred method for using SentriLock, do not keep your SentriCard® in the desktop reader or RAD. The SentriCard may update overnight, leaving you unable to use SentriSmart™ the remainder of that day.
• Keeping your SentriCard® in your wallet or bag is highly recommended—it can become your key for the day either if SentriSmart™ or your phone stop working.
• If SentriSmart™ or your phone stop working after the app has been opened for the day, you can still get an update code from SentriLock for your SentriCard® and use it for the rest of the day. Just contact SentriLock using the phone number on the back of your SentriCard®.
• Keep in mind that if you update your SentriCard® after 4:00 PM Pacific, it will be your designated key for the following day as well.

The bottom line is that the single key concept was implemented to provide additional security and tighten up the potential for misuse of the SentriLock system by unauthorized users. All you really need to remember is to open the app on your phone prior to going out to show properties for the day AND keep your SentriCard® on hand just in case as a backup.

Technical Terry

Dear Technical Terry,

Oh NO! This weekend I was KonMari-ing my garage, and I found four more NXT lockboxes! (Let me tell you, these things do not spark joy.) Can I still turn them in for Bluetooth lockboxes? What are my options here?

Decluttering in Damascus

Dear DD:

Great question, and just in time! Once you thank those lockboxes for their service to your real estate business, head to your local RMLS™ office with them. We can still upgrade NXT lockboxes to the newer Bluetooth model—at no cost to you—before Friday, February 1st. Hurry in, you don’t have much time left!

Technical Terry

Ask Technical Terry is a series RMLS™ aims to offer once a month. RMLS™ subscribers will drive the content—submit any question about RMLS™ to Technical Terry in the comments or by emailing communications@rmls.com. Don’t be shy—we won’t identify you by name.

Dear TT:

I’m curious why RMLS™ is changing its lockboxes. I have had great success with the current lockbox and can’t imagine the newer version has enough new features that it’s worth the hassle of a conversion. Can you convince me it’s worth all the trouble?

Frustrated in Fairview

Dear FF:

I totally understand the short-term disruption presented by changing out your lockboxes. While the lockbox companies are quite skilled in organizing their events to minimize disruption it is still a hassle for you, and for that I apologize.

The RMLS™ Board of Directors thought long and hard when the opportunity to upgrade became an option with the release of the SentriLock Bluetooth lockboxes. The decision is difficult in general terms because most of the board members actively sell real estate—just like you. They fully realize the disruption conversion events create. That taken into account, they agreed that the benefits of the Bluetooth lockbox were significant enough to embark on the conversion.

Here are just a few of the benefits the new Bluetooth lockbox provides to subscribers:

SentriSmart™ will have more capabilities! Here are the benefits RMLS™ is excited to bring subscribers:

• Open the key compartment directly from the app. Currently, users must enter a mobile access code AND have cellular coverage—no cell coverage is required with the new Bluetooth lockbox!
• Release the lockbox shackle using the app.
• Take ownership of a lockbox through SentriSmart™.
• Dual-licensed REALTORS® can change their lockbox region for use in Oregon or Washington right from within SentriSmart™!
• Virtually all lockbox settings that currently require a time-consuming process of updating your SentriCard® and using it to transfer changes to the lockbox will be able to be taken care of through the SentriSmart™ app.

SentriConnect is a new app available with the RMLS™ upgrade to Bluetooth lockboxes. SentriConnect controls lockbox access by non-SentriLock users at a  much higher level than previously:

• Listing agents may temporarily grant lockbox access for contractors, appraisers, out-of-area REALTORS®, or locked-out homeowners.
• Greater flexibility to define the time window for this access.
• Immediate notifications of access code use—since the access is provided via an app the notifications are much faster.

That’s just a fraction of the benefits the RMLS™ Board of Directors saw when they determined the upgrade to Bluetooth was worth the short-term disruption. If the above improvements aren’t enough to convince you, consider that you’ll be swapping out an older piece of technology with a brand new lockbox…for free.

One more thing—have you ever had to check out the “power paddle” from your local RMLS™ office, in an attempt to restore power to a dead lockbox? This process was not super easy and didn’t always work. SentriLock Bluetooth lockboxes feature a port on the outside of the lockbox that can receive a jump from a battery jumper pack (available for $15 at any RMLS™ office). The jump will open the lockbox, then the batteries inside can be used to switch out with the dead ones inside! Then just replace the batteries in the jumper pack and you’ll be ready to go whenever you have a dead lockbox again.

TT

Hello Technical Terry:

It certainly came as a surprise when I navigated to RMLSweb in August and found the login screen and desktop page with a completely different look. At a recent office meeting I heard that RMLS™ is working on giving Listing Load a treatment next. What can you tell me about that?

Curious in Clatskanie

Hello Curious:

It’s true! RMLS™ does have a refreshed version of Listing Load in the works. Don’t get too antsy though—RMLS™ is taking the time to get plenty of input from different stakeholders and users to make sure details can be worked out before it goes live. We did a similar process in advance of the login screen/desktop page refresh, but we’ve got an additional resource this time around.

What additional resource is that? It’s our new RMLS™ Product Manager Beth Raimer! Beth has been studying subscriber comments, talking with RMLS™ subscribers, and holding focus groups around the RMLS™ region. If you’d like to participate in one of Beth’s focus groups in the upcoming weeks, contact her via email. Multiple listing services are all about cooperation between participating REALTORS®, so your input will be most welcome as we seek to make the RMLSweb of the future the best it can be for our very diverse subscribership.

Ask Technical Terry is a series RMLS™ aims to offer once a month. RMLS™ subscribers will drive the content—submit any question about RMLS™ to Technical Terry in the comments or by emailing communications@rmls.com. Don’t be shy—we won’t identify you by name.

Dear Ask Technical Terry:

I’m confused! I’m a dual licensed REALTOR® and since the RMLSweb facelift how I log in has changed. Can you please explain in layman’s terms how the process works? What is the best way to access my two unique accounts on RMLSweb?

Login-challenged Loretta

Hi Loretta:

Of course! The RMLS™ Help Desk has told me that our recent changes to RMLSweb have created some uncertainty among subscribers so let me demystify the new process.

There are three basic scenarios that come in to play when logging in to RMLSweb.

Once you are logged in to RMLSweb with either of your options, you can change to the other login (state) by clicking on the Help menu and choosing “Switch License,” as seen below.

If you need to set or change either password for RMLSweb just log in to the account in question, then go to User Preferences/My Account Information to edit.

Dear ATT:

Over the past few weeks I’ve been getting emails from RMLS™ about some survey. It seems like I’ve gotten one for the last few years since I joined RMLS™. Why do you keep sending me these?

Demotivated Dana

Dear DD:

Indeed! RMLS™ conducts one big survey per year of all RMLS™ subscribers—the RMLS™ Subscriber Satisfaction Survey—usually in September. We aim to hear from 20% of you, which is a pretty big response rate—but that’s because the survey is pretty important to RMLS™.

You may have read about how the enhancements process works. It is a process, and the Subscriber Satisfaction Survey is a large part of that. We are asking our members to give us feedback about specific projects that RMLS™ may be undertaking in the next calendar year, but we also use the opportunity to get feedback about nearly every aspect of RMLS™.

Every single comment collected in the survey is read by a RMLS™ staff member. The data is also used in aggregate by the RMLS™ Board of Directors to steer the ship, so to speak. Even so, if you’re reluctant to take the survey anymore because RMLS™ just won’t add “Clown Car Parking” to the Advanced Search options (even though you’ve suggested it 27 times!), keep in mind that you may be the only person requesting that particular change.

Why do we keep sending you emails about taking the survey, then? We really do want to hear from you! Our response rate has also been a little low so far and we’re aiming for that 20% before we close things up for the year.

ATT

PS: If that doesn’t convince you, perhaps this will!

Ask Technical Terry is a series RMLS™ aims to offer once a month. RMLS™ subscribers will drive the content—submit any question about RMLS™ to Technical Terry in the comments or by emailing communications@rmls.com. Don’t be shy—we won’t identify you by name.

Dear Ask Technical Terry:

What a shock—I logged in to RMLSweb this morning, and the website has completely changed! Where’s Listing Load? Where did everything go? I can’t find anything!

Al K. Seltzer

Dear Al:

Yikes! I’m sorry to hear that the update to the login screen, RMLSweb desktop, and navigation bar has stirred you up. We haven’t completely changed the site yet, just those three components. We understand why it made a big splash with our subscribers though.

Be assured that little to no content got dropped when RMLSweb rolled out the new desktop page. We did make the desktop page less text-heavy, added graphics, and relied on layout to do some of the heavy lifting. There are some links and other components that moved, but they’re still there.

Listing Load, for example, is accessible via a button on the very top of the RMLSweb desktop page, along with our prospecting module, CMA, map search, and advanced search. These are the most commonly used components of RMLSweb so we put them front and center.

If you’re having a tough time finding your favorite part of RMLSweb, contact the RMLS™ Help Desk. They’d be happy to guide you to the new home of the feature you find indispensable!

Technical T. Terry

Hello Ask Technical Terry:

Wow, RMLSweb looks so different! I think I’m starting to adjusted to some of the changes, but there’s one I haven’t quite figured out yet. How do you log out?

Ammon from White Salmon

Dear Ammon:

Thanks for writing in—lots of things changed when we debuted the new look on RMLSweb, didn’t it? It’s easy to understand why it might be difficult to find where the option to log out lives when the entire interface is new to your eyes. Now when you’re done with RMLSweb, look under the Help menu in the navigation bar—the link to log off is on the lower left.

Ask Technical Terry from the Internet

Greetings, ATT:

I was in the process of writing The Great American Novel—focused on real estate, of course—on my RMLSweb notepad. Where’d it go?

N. Onymus

Greetings, N.:

The Scratch Notes feature of RMLSweb, which used to be on the right sidebar, now lives under the Help menu in the navigation bar.

In your case, however, I read your novel and thought it was the finest piece of literature I had ever read, so I’m currently working on shopping it around to New York publishers to get you the best advance. You’re welcome!

A.

Ask Technical Terry is a series RMLS™ aims to offer once a month. RMLS™ subscribers will drive the content—submit any question about RMLS™ to Technical Terry in the comments or by emailing communications@rmls.com. Don’t be shy—we won’t identify you by name.

Dear Technical Terry:

I was recently working to pull some comparables in RMLSweb and I noticed there were several properties that were coded as the wrong property type.

I specialize in listing condominiums, and the condo I was working on is completely detached from the other units on the property. What I encountered while looking for price comparables was pretty slim. I found several more properties that had been entered as Detached Single Family units, but which were clearly still condos.

Are REALTORS® identifying condos this way because they think they’ll find a wider market in those looking for a single family home? Do they just not realize that detached condos exist? Incorrect identification complicates my job, and I know it creates more work for the appraiser and the Data Accuracy staff at RMLS™. What gives?

Minnie Kondo

Dear AA:

Understood! I’m confident that the misidentification of properties in RMLSweb is not done intentionally, and we do our best to quickly resolve any data inaccuracies that appear in live listing data.

RMLSweb does have a document, Residential Property Types, that users may refer to in order to discern which property type to use on RMLSweb. That said, properties in the scenario you describe should be entered as Property Type=Condo and Condo Unit Location=Detached.

I reached out to the City of Portland for some assistance on the finer points of property type information, and they referred to their list of residential structure types that start on Page 27 of their planning and zoning definitions. These descriptions are generic, and while they were produced by the City of Portland they can be used as a reference. Naturally you should contact your local government for clarification for your city.

I provide these examples in the hope they will help our REALTOR® subscribers in identifying the property type correctly. If confusion persists, I’d highly recommend contacting our Data Accuracy staff via email or by phoning (503) 236-7657 or (877) 256-2169. They are intimately familiar with RMLSweb and various parties using the data, so they’ll steer you in the right direction.

Technical Terry

Hey TT:

After a cool decade working in Hot-lanta, I moved to Portland last month and joined RMLS™. I’ve been hearing rumblings about the market has been cooling a little, and I want to find out more. I’ve really appreciated getting Market Action sent to me each month but is there somewhere where I can find historical data?

Sincerely Yours,

Penelope Peachtree

Hey PP:

Welcome to Oregon! I think you’ll find we’re pretty cool here too, although it certainly has been hot so far this July! At any rate, RMLS™ is somewhat unique in the amount of statistics it publishes—it’s a point of pride for the organization.

In addition to publishing 15 editions of Market Action each month, we also compile much of the published data in our statistical summaries documents, easily available on RMLSweb. Access the statistical summaries documents by hovering over the Statistics tab on the main navigation bar, then click on Statistical Summaries to pull up a list of links divided by sub-regions of the RMLS™ service area.

The statistical summaries documents aren’t the only place you can find statistics on RMLSweb, but it’s certainly enough to get you started. If you want to dive deeper into this topic, I highly recommend signing up for our statistics class. Contact RMLS™ Training at (503) 236-7657 or (877) 256-2169 to learn more or sign up for our next class!

Happy to Help,

Technical Terry

Ask Technical Terry is a series RMLS™ aims to offer once a month. RMLS™ subscribers will drive the content—submit any question about RMLS™ to Technical Terry in the comments or by emailing communications@rmls.com. Don’t be shy—we won’t identify you by name.

Dear TT:

We recently had a RMLS™ trainer out to our office to discuss the new CSN status. During the presentation they mentioned the importance of the Date Marketing to Begin field. I asked about this new field only to find out that it’s been in the listing contract for years! While the trainer did a wonderful job of explaining the new status I’m still a little fuzzy about that field. When would I use that, and why?

Confused in Carver

Dear CC:

Honestly, you’re not the only RMLS™ subscriber surprised by the Date Marketing to Begin field. And I’m happy to review:

There are primarily two scenarios where this field can play a role…

In the first scenario, you are meeting with sellers who agree to use you to list their home but they need some repairs (or just some time) before they’re ready for the property to go live on RMLSweb. You, on the other hand, really want to get your listing contract signed that day to ensure you’ve got the sellers under contract.

In this scenario you would have the sellers sign the listing agreement but choose a date in the future (Date Marketing to Begin) when the repairs (or whatever) will be done and the home will be ready to market. You would publish the listing on RMLSweb on that date.

Here’s an example of this scenario highlighted in the listing contract:

In the second scenario, you are meeting with sellers who agree to use you to list their home but the sellers want to create some buzz about the home prior to it being active on RMLSweb. You again want to get that listing contract signed the same day.

In this case, using the new Coming Soon-No Showing (CSN) status may work well. Choosing CSN will give the sellers up to 21 days of exposure in RMLSweb prior to their listing converting to active (ACT). In this scenario you would have the sellers sign the listing agreement but choose a date in the future (Date Marketing to Begin) within 21 days in the Coming Soon-No Showing section of the listing contract.

You would publish the listing as CSN, which is accessible only to RMLS™ subscribers until RMLSweb converts the listing to ACT on the date specified on Date Marketing to Begin.

Here’s an example of this second scenario highlighted in the listing contract:

Of course you also have the option of excluding the listing from RMLSweb for the life of the listing contract plus 30 days by choosing the “Excluded from MLS” option in the listing contract:

Still got questions? We also recently made a short video about Date Marketing to Begin.

Hopefully walking through Date Marketing to Begin was helpful! Don’t forget, we are always happy to provide additional assistance as you need it. Simply contact the RMLS™ Help Desk at (503) 872-8002 or (877) 256-2169 and we can answer your questions until it’s crystal clear!

TT

Hello Technical Terry!

Ever since an incident I had a few years ago I’ve been more conscious about my safety in the field, and that’s why I’m curious about the new agent safety features of SentriSmart™. Can you tell me more about them?

Cautious in Coburg

Hello Cautious!

I’m really glad to hear that you take your safety seriously. Surely you’re aware of the high-profile case of Beverly Carter, but even on the local level RMLS™ regularly receives reports from agents receiving harassing phone calls or contact from “potential clients” that just don’t check out.

One tool that SentriLock has given to its users is on the SentriSmart™ app. The agent safety feature allows REALTORS® to alert selected contacts in the case of an unexpected or potentially dangerous situation when showing a listing.

When the feature is enabled, the agent safety feature will launch when SentriSmart™ is used to open a lockbox. The feature will automatically alert designated contacts when you do not confirm that you are safe.

Download the latest version of SentriSmart™ then enable the agent safety feature by selecting the Settings tab. Scroll down to Agent Safety, select, then enter your PIN to configure your agent safety settings. Next to Safety Notification Contacts, touch the plus sign and select yes to allow the app to have access to your contacts. Choose at least one contact from the list as your emergency contact, then select Enable Automated Safety Check. (SentriLock has a series of videos demonstrating how to set the feature up on a variety of devices.)

Once you’ve opened a lockbox, SentriSmart™ will ask if you want to use the agent safety feature. If you press the start button, note that you will need to keep checking the app every 90-120 seconds to confirm you are still safe.

If you don’t periodically confirm your safety, your emergency contacts will receive a message from SentriSmart™ and you’ll start receiving a flurry of phone calls and/or text messages from those contacts. (I mention this as RMLS™ has heard reports from users who learned this lesson the hard way.)

The agent safety feature also integrates with the facial recognition/Touch ID features that are part of the new SentriSmart™ update. If you haven’t updated the app for a while, be sure and do so! And if you haven’t started using SentriSmart™, it’s available through both the Apple App Store and Google Play, and well worth checking out.

Technical Terry