This post is part of MLS Insight, a series about governance issues at RMLS™.

The four standing committees that exist to ensure that RMLS™ has practitioner input into decisions, planning, and regulation are the Technology, Forms, Rules, and Hearings Committees. The RMLS™ Board of Directors can also create a task force to focus on a particular topic. Recent examples include the Lockbox System Task Force and the Office Exclusive Task Force, both disbanded as their job was completed. There is currently no active task force.

The Chairman of the RMLS™ Board selects the committee chairs, and the board confirms their appointment at the first meeting of the year. Our bylaws wisely require that all committee chairmen be on the RMLS™ Board of Directors, which results in direct input back and forth between the Board of Directors and the committees. The committee chair selects the committee members, who serve for one year.

The Technology Committee reviews software and services of potential use to RMLS™ subscribers and may recommend systemwide products to the board for approval. The most recent instances of products recommended by the Technology Committee are RatePlug and New Home Source. The Technology Committee also acts as a resource for evaluating improvements to the RMLSweb system. A new role of the committee this year is the Technology Forum, which are invitational presentations about technology offerings for the brokerage community. The 2014 Chairman of the Technology Committee is Dale Chumbley.

The Forms Committee reviews all suggestions about changes to RMLS™ Listing Input Sheets, working to make the listing data we collect both rich and relevant. The Forms Committee was on hiatus last year in order to allow our development department unbroken time to work on the browser and tablet compatibility project. A forms change requires changes to many parts of the system, including all reports, all searches, and Listing Load, so it is always a formidable task. The 2014 Chairman of the Forms Committee is Maureen Bonfiglio.

The Rules Committee has two main functions. It reviews all formal complaints which allege violations of the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations, and has the power to impose sanctions. There were six formal complaints filed in 2013, and the committee imposed fines totaling $650 in three of those cases. The Rules Committee also discusses potential changes to the Rules and Regulations and makes recommendations to the Board of Directors. The 2014 Chairman of the Rules and Regulations Committee is Rick Jenkins.

The Hearings Committee exists in case the recipient of a sanction by the Rules Committee requests a hearing. Hearings are conducted in substantial accordance with the procedures applicable to REALTOR® Professional Standards hearings. No hearings were requested in 2013. The 2014 Chairman of the Hearings Commitee is Mark Meek.

Next month we will cover the prioritization process for in-house development of the RMLSweb system decisions. If you have questions you would like to have answered about RMLS™ governance or operation, I encourage you to post a comment to this blog.

UPDATE (April 25): Office Exclusive Changes Finalized
RMLS™ has finalized changes to office exclusive policies, effective May 5, 2014.

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UPDATE (February 28): Office Exclusive Changes to be Delayed
A significant number of questions were raised when we outlined changes to the office exclusive form, rules, and contracts. RMLS™ will be delaying the release of these changes until we can work through these concerns and clarify details. If you have a comment, please email communications@rmls.com. We anticipate this process will be worked out by the end of March.

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There has recently been a lot of national buzz about pocket listings. The RMLS™ Board of Directors and Rules Committee received several inquiries over the past year about the practice, and how pocket listings affect our own real estate community. So at the November 2013 meeting of the Board of Directors, the Office Exclusive Task Force was appointed to evaluate the issue of office exclusives and pocket listings.

The Office Exclusive Task Force was comprised of five members of the RMLS™ Board of Directors: Mark Meek (Task Force Chairman), Rick Jenkins (Chairman of the Rules and Regulations Committee), Ed Petrossian, George Perkins, and Steve Lucas.  They looked at and discussed our current policies and rules regarding Office Exclusive listings and various interpretations among subscribers about List Date and Date Marketing to Begin.

Their recommendations were presented to the RMLS™ Board of Directors at their February 2014 meeting. The recommendations were approved and will take effect March 3, 2014. Three documents are affected:

• The Office Exclusive Addendum (Authorization to Exclude) form has been totally revamped. This form will be required when a seller elects to opt out of placing their property in RMLS™ along with a copy of the Listing Agreement. This new form informs the seller(s) of the risks of excluding their property from the multiple listing service (MLS).
• The RMLS™ Rules and Regulations were modified to define marketing and clarify the difference between the effective date of a listing, when all the necessary signatures have been obtained, and the Date Marketing to Begin which can be a later date. Also, a new sanction was added for marketing of a  property prior to publication in RMLS™.
• The Listing Contract language for Oregon and Washington was changed to be in harmony with the changes to the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations.

The Office Exclusive Addendum will now cover all the benefits of MLS publication so that the seller is fully informed. Some of the concepts include the wide distribution of property information to more than 10,500 other real estate brokers who subscribe to RMLS™, bringing together buyers and sellers in an efficient marketplace. RMLS™ subscribers are REALTORS® who abide by the NAR Code of Ethics. Cooperation among brokers from many brokerage firms, by including the listing in the MLS, increases a seller’s chances of identifying a qualified buyer and obtaining fair market value for the property. It also helps provide a rich database in which subscribers can identify comparable properties for CMA reports and valuable statistical information.

RMLS™ introduced the Report Issue button to report discrepancies on RMLSweb listings along with other system improvements last January. One year after its release we have received over 4,000 issue reports, and the button has helped us ensure accurate data. The Report Issue emails that we’ve received are filled with the necessary information in order to correct the data in less time, which saves time for everyone.

As you are looking at listings in the Agent Full and Data Only reports and encounter any data inaccuracies, you can notify us by clicking on the Report Issue button at the bottom of each listing in the right hand corner.

When you click on this button a pop-up screen will appear. Check off the type of issue you would like to report, adding additional comments that will assist us in evaluating the issue.

After you have completed the form, click on Submit to send the information to RMLS™. We will investigate the issue(s), contact the listing agent, and have the data corrected.

Here are the numbers of reports we’ve seen by month, and by type (February-December 2013):

As you can see, many inaccuracies have been corrected in less than a year and your continued use of the Report Issue button will help keep data accurate in RMLSweb. If you have any questions regarding data accuracy, please contact me (Vallerie Bush) or Wanda Kennedy at dataaccuracy@rmls.com or (503) 236-7657.

We sometimes get questions on how decisions get made at RMLS™ and how to get involved. If you are interested in knowing more about RMLS™ and how it operates, our new monthly column MLS Insight is for you. To get everyone on the same page, my first posts will explore the basics of RMLS™ ownership, governance, and history. Later we will also explore new ideas surfacing at the MLS industry level and let you know what the RMLS™ Board of Directors is talking about.

Who Owns RMLS™?
RMLS™ is incorporated in Oregon and is wholly owned by three REALTOR® associations: Portland Metro (PMAR), East Metro (EMAR), and Clark County (CCAR). The role of our shareholders is to appoint directors to serve on the RMLS™ Board of Directors and to approve any changes to the RMLS™ Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws.

Who Makes the Decisions?
The RMLS™ Board of Directors sets the high-level direction for RMLS™. For example, this includes approval of any new major vendors (like SentriLock), setting priorities for the development work on RMLSweb (which we do in house), approving any major policy changes and approving all changes to the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations. The RMLS™ Board of Directors also hire the President and CEO of the corporation, who has the responsibility for making the many day-to-day decisions that keep the company on course.

Who are the RMLS™ Board of Directors?
RMLS™ Directors are appointed for three-year terms. Nine come from PMAR, three from EMAR, and three from CCAR. In addition, two directors sit on the board representing the Service Advisory Committee (SAC), which provides a voice for all the REALTOR® associations that RMLS™ serves, but which are not shareholders in RMLS™.

Next month we will cover the RMLS™ standing committees that ensure that we have practitioner input into decisions, planning, and regulation. If you have questions you would like to have answered about RMLS™ governance or operation, I encourage you to post a comment to this blog.

RMLS™ recently produced the Green Features Guide, a collaboration with Social, Environmental, and Economic Consulting LLC (SEEC) of Rainier, Washington. The 40 page document is intended to educate brokers about green and/or energy-efficient features found in homes, where those features can be found on RMLS™ listing forms, tips, information resources, and more.

“The guide looks great, and I think it will be a helpful tool!”
– Teresa St. Martin, Certified EcoBroker

RMLS™ was one of the first multiple listing services to include listing fields for energy efficient homes, including energy certifications and other features. Each year the listing forms committee decides what new features to incorporate on RMLSweb, and green fields increase in number each year.

Interest in green building continues to rise, and brokers should find the guide helpful for quickly finding information to add depth to their listings.  The Green Features Field Guide was adapted to the RMLS™ Residential Data Input Form by SEEC and is now available for brokers to use as a tool in assisting clients listing their homes, or searching for homes with green features.

Download the RMLS™ Green Features Guide today!

Press Release: “Largest REALTOR® MLS in the Pacific Northwest Deepens Its Commitment to Green Fields”

“RMLS™ has been looking for ways to clearly communicate to our subscribers all the ways available in RMLSweb to describe sustainability features, so this cooperation with SEEC was timely and much appreciated!”
– Gail Hare, Executive Vice President of RMLS™

Improvements to the RMLSweb menu bar are set to go live the morning of Thursday, October 31st, as part of this year’s browser compatibility project.  These improvements are specifically targeted to improve usability for more web browsers, tablet computers, smartphones, and other mobile devices, but other users may be delighted at the changes as well…

What’s Rolling Out?

We’ll be making design changes to the menu bar (above)—it will be larger, sport a lighter color, and be responsive to the user’s screen size.

Drop-down menus will be easier to navigate, graying out menu bar headers with no link (left) and clearly nesting sub-menus.

Clicking the RMLS™ logo on the left corner above the menu bar will return the user to the desktop page.

Users needing to change their RMLSweb user preferences will be pleased by a new shortcut. Simply click on the user’s name in the upper right corner, and a shortcut will drop down below. (User preferences are currently accessed under the Toolkit option in the menu bar.)

Finally, chatting with RMLS™ will be easier than ever! The chat button will be moved out of the right sidebar (which many RMLSweb users keep minimized) and placed at the top of the page for easier access. Chat was rolled out in February and has been immensely popular.

These improvements will be rolled out during the monthly maintenance outage, scheduled this month for October 30th from 10pm until October 31st at 2am. RMLS™ will continue rolling out browser compatibility improvements through this year, so watch the blog for more in the coming months!

The RMLS™ conversion to SentriLock is just weeks away!

We’re proud to say that as of September 25, we’ve had 6,207 subscribers register for one of our many conversion events—that’s nearly 60% of RMLS™ subscribers! All subscribers should have received at least one email from SentriLock by now, inviting them to register for an event. If you haven’t received yours, call SentriLock directly at (877) 433-6998 for assistance.

Wondering what to expect when you arrive at your selected conversion event? Here’s a walkthrough of how SentriLock and RMLS™ will be running each conversion event.

CHECK IN (10-15 minutes)

SentriLock recommends arriving 15-20 minutes before your appointment.

When you arrive at the conversion event, head to the check in area. This is where you will drop off your existing Supra iBoxes and key. SentriLock staff will scan them in to verify ownership, so make sure before arrival that all your lockboxes are registered to you! If your dues haven’t been paid, you will be directed toward another table to take care of that before your training session begins.

If you have many boxes in your car and would like help bringing them in, SentriLock and RMLS™ staff will be available with hand trucks to assist—just come inside and ask a staff member about help with unloading.

If you are registered to attend the Oregon Convention Center conversion event, you can pull off the road on Holladay Street (the side of the building with MAX tracks)—SentriLock and RMLS™ will have staff stationed outside for bulk loading assistance.

TRAINING (45-60 minutes)

After you have given your Supra iBoxes and key to the staff at check in, your training session will begin. Attendees will use the SentriLock equipment during the training, be guided through the SentriLock website, and be given the opportunity to ask questions about the new system. At the end of the class you will know how to open boxes, open shackles, assign boxes to listings, use your smartphone to open a key compartment, and other integral aspects of the SentriLock system.

While you’re being trained by the experts, SentriLock staff will be preparing your new lockboxes for you.

CHECK OUT (10 minutes)

Once training is over, you will go to the new SentriLock box pickup area where your new equipment will be waiting for you. This will include a SentriCard®, SentriLock lockbox(es), RAD, and SentriCard® reader.

If you need help carrying boxes to your car, staff will again be available to help.

FINAL THOUGHTS

A standard conversion appointment should take no longer than 90 minutes from start to finish. SentriLock and RMLS™ both want subscribers to have a good experience, and we’ve streamlined the process as much as possible for efficiency.

A major issue that can delay you during the conversion appointment is if you arrive with Supra iBoxes registered in someone else’s name. If you bring in Supra iBoxes that are registered to another active RMLS™ subscriber, they will be set aside and once proper ownership is verified, we will get the proper owner a replacement SentriLock lockbox. This may not happen until well after the conversion, so it is critical to make sure all the boxes you bring are registered to you.

It is possible to keep your Supra key after your conversion appointment in order to ease the placement and removal of any additional Supra iBoxes you may have. You will need to come to a later conversion event and turn in your Supra key once you exchange the last of your Supra iBoxes.

RMLS™ strives to provide property and tax data in one location for all counties where our subscribers do business. Currently RMLS™ maintains over 2.3 million property records encompassing 43 counties in Oregon and Washington.

Each county has its own assessor and its own system for maintaining property and tax records. Many systems are one of a kind—one county system still uses 3×5 cards! Although some counties provide a website where individual tax properties can be researched, many counties do not provide such convenient access.

RMLS™ obtains data from the county itself or from another tax provider and then processes it into a standard RMLS™ format. The data is quality checked to the best extent possible. Updated property and tax data is then deployed to RMLSweb each week on Tuesday evening.

Depending on availability and other factors, sales are updated either weekly, quarterly, or biannually. Some counties do not provide sale data at all. It is important to remember that regardless of the update schedule, RMLS™ data will always lag a little compared to data from the county itself. This is especially true of tax amounts due to the volume of processing required.

Along with a defined primary set of property data (tax ID, acres, site address, market values, sales data, etc.) each county also has a unique set of ancillary data (heating, foundation, parking, etc.). Each data item also has a “fill factor” unique to each county. For example, in Baker County 98% of properties have a zoning value, in Jackson it is 83%, in Tillamook it is 72%, and in Benton it is 0%. RMLS™ analyzes these data items and factors and then displays the most relevant data on the tax report. Every county’s tax report is therefore slightly different.

The property and tax data also contains errors and omissions. Humans, computers, and governments are involved in the process and mistakes do occur. Whenever a subscriber encounters such a situation, they should contact us (you can reach me at kim.h@rmls.com) and provide sufficient details (county, tax ID, description of error) so that research can be done and the proper correction made. Most cases are resolved with the next update from the county. In the meantime, subscribers are advised to put a comment about any tax issues into the listing’s private remarks field.

RMLS™ will be converting to the SentriLock lockbox system this fall, and naturally our subscribers have had many questions about different aspects of the process. We’ve done our best to provide equipment demonstrations (both in person and online), answer questions about system capabilities, and more.

The coming of fall means SentriLock conversion events will soon be happening around the region. RMLS™ subscribers will receive an important email about these conversion events in September. (Add notice@sentrilock.com to your email address book to ensure the email isn’t sent to a spam folder!)

Following is a list of questions and answers that should address the concerns of most subscribers as we move into the conversion process. If you have a question not addressed here, leave a comment or contact us directly. RMLS™ wants to make the conversion as smooth as possible for our subscribers.

THE BASICS

Q: When are the conversion events happening? How will I know what to do?

A: SentriLock will be sending out emails to all RMLS^™ subscribers in September. This email will provide you with a personal link to go to a registration page and make your conversion appointment. You will be able to make multiple visits to the conversion events and keep your Supra key until your last visit.

Conversion events for the Portland metro area will take place in late October, while the rest of our service areas will convert in early November.

Q: Why can’t I just come down to my local RMLS^™ office and exchange lockboxes rather than going to a conversion event?

A: We are unable to accommodate the volume of subscribers and lockboxes necessary to convert everyone’s equipment at the RMLS^™ offices. The conversion events have been designed to handle a large volume of agents and lockboxes and to get you through as quickly as possible. Conversion events will also provide you with system training directly from SentriLock’s training team. Please be aware that we will not be exchanging equipment at any RMLS^™ office until after the local conversion event, and if you exchange your equipment at an office the wait may be substantially longer than what you would experience at the conversion events.

BOX OWNERSHIP

Q: I looked up my list of Supra iBoxes on Supra’s website—can I trust this list? It shows that I have boxes that are not on the list I received from you by email or that RMLS^™ staff says don’t belong to me. Why is this?

A: Unfortunately, Supra’s website will show boxes in your inventory that aren’t registered to you. It will show any boxes that you have ever opened the shackle on, so this cannot be trusted as a list of boxes you own. You should have received an email from RMLS^™ showing all the boxes that are currently registered in your name. If not, please contact your local RMLS^™ office for assistance.

Q: What if someone else brings a box registered to me to the conversion?

A: We will hold the Supra iBox at the conversion. As soon as possible after the conversion event, we will verify ownership and provide a replacement SentriLock lockbox to the registered owner.

Q: I have Supra iBoxes that I purchased from another ACTIVE agent, but I don’t have a receipt or any record of this. What do I do?

A: You should try to get the signature of the registered owner to transfer the Supra iBoxes to your name prior to the conversion. If you arrive at the conversion event with iBoxes registered to another agent, RMLS^™ staff will hold the iBoxes. As soon as possible following the conversion event, we will contact the registered owner for clarification of ownership. If we receive confirmation of the sale or transfer of ownership, we will provide a replacement SentriLock lockbox as soon as possible.

Q: I have Supra iBoxes that are registered to a subscriber who has moved or left the business. Can they be transferred to me?

A: If the former subscriber has been inactive for longer than 18 months we can transfer the iBox registration to your name. If it has been less than 18 months, we will attempt to contact the registered owner and obtain a written receipt or lockbox transfer form. If we are unable to reach the registered owner, we will provide you a replacement SentriLock box after the conversion events are complete.

We recommend contacting RMLS^™ prior to the conversion to resolve questions about box ownership. If you bring boxes that are not registered to you to the conversion, we may hold them for later research and provide replacement boxes after the conversion event.

Q: If I bring in a Supra iBox and the registered owner is deceased, what happens?

A: If the lockbox owner has been inactive with RMLS^™ for more than 18 months or if their passing has been noted on their subscriber account, we can give you a SentriLock lockbox at the conversion. If not, we will hold the lockbox until we can get clarification, and we will get a SentriLock lockbox to you as soon as possible after the conversion. We urge you to contact us prior to the conversion instead of coming to the conversion with boxes that aren’t registered to you, as this will delay your ability to get a SentriLock lockbox.

Q. I have Supra iBoxes that I have lent out, and I don’t remember who I gave them to. What should I do?

A: RMLS^™ staff can check to see if the Supra iBox has been accessed in the last six months, or if it has a listing ID associated with it. We can then give you the name of the agent that either opened the shackle, or was the broker for the listing. If we can’t determine who has the box in this way and the loaned box shows up at the conversion, we will hold the Supra iBox and work out ownership as soon as possible following the conversion event in order to provide a replacement box.

SCHEDULING CONVERSION APPOINTMENTS

Q: I am going to be out of town during the conversion event, what should I do? 

A: If possible, bring in your Supra equipment into your local RMLS^™ office prior to the conversion, and we will hold your SentriLock equipment for you until your return. You will then need to come into that RMLS^™ office and sign the new paperwork for your SentriCard®, and pick up your new SentriLock equipment.

If you have boxes hanging on listings that are being taken care of by a team member, you can provide a written and signed letter of authorization for us to allow that person to exchange your boxes. If your team member is exchanging your lockboxes for you and will need to place the boxes on your listings they should speak to an RMLS^™ representative while at the conversion event to ensure that your accounts are linked as a team before they leave.

Even if an authorized representative attends the conversion to exchange your lockboxes, they will not be allowed to exchange your key. You will need to do that at an RMLS^™ office when you return. If at all possible, please return your Supra key to us prior to your trip.

Q: I live outside of the RMLS™ primary service area, do I have to drive to one of these conversion events? 

A: If you are outside of our primary service areas we will allow you to convert via mail, but we will need a new signed authorized user agreement and you will be responsible for shipping costs. We will need to receive your old Supra equipment before we can ship out your SentriLock equipment. We will ship equipment as soon as possible following the conversion event.

Q: I work in multiple regions, so my lockboxes are scattered around the state. Do I need to go get them all and bring them to my conversion appointment?

A: You may make multiple visits to the conversion events and keep your Supra key until your final visit. This allows you the opportunity to make a conversion appointment at one location and exchange the lockboxes you are using in that region, then follow up with a visit to a different location to exchange the boxes in that region, as many times as necessary.

If you are planning to make multiple conversion visits, you will need to make an appointment for your first visit only, and attend the training session during that appointment. Appointments are not needed for subsequent exchanges, just bring in your SentriCard® and Supra key as well as the iBoxes you are exchanging. If you use a Supra ActiveKey you will turn it in at your last conversion visit.

EXCHANGE LOGISTICS

Q: What exactly will I need to bring to my conversion appointment?

A: You will want to bring your ActiveKey, if you have one, as well as the Supra iBoxes registered in your name. We do not need your key charger or pouch, user guides, or other accessory materials.

If you are an eKey user, the Bluetooth adapter you currently use is yours to keep, and may be given or sold to another agent in an MLS still using the Supra system with no deprogramming necessary.

Q: I own lockboxes, but don’t have a key assigned to me.  What do I do?

A: We will give you replacement SentriLock boxes for your Supra iBoxes at the conversion event, but the boxes cannot be registered to you and you will have no way of opening the shackle if you don’t get a SentriCard®. If you are eligible for an MLS key and want to get a SentriCard®, we will be happy to accommodate you at the conversion. If not, you may want to sell your Supra boxes to another agent prior to the conversion. You could also sell the SentriLock boxes to another agent after the conversion if you wish, or to RMLS^™ after January 1, 2014.

Q: I have some Supra iBoxes on houses and some in my trunk. I want to bring the boxes in my trunk in to convert them to SentriLock, but keep my Supra key to remove the boxes currently hanging on houses, and then bring in my Supra key along with the remaining boxes to complete the exchange. Is this possible?

A: Yes, this is possible. You can make multiple visits to the conversion events and keep your Supra key until your last visit, so you have it with you in order to release the shackles on the boxes you still have on listings.

If you are planning to make multiple conversion visits, you will need to make an appointment for your first visit only, and attend the training session during that appointment. Appointments are not needed for subsequent exchanges—just bring in your SentriCard® and Supra key as well as the iBoxes you are exchanging. If you use a Supra ActiveKey you will turn it in at your last conversion visit.

Q: Can my spouse or my assistant do the conversion for me?

A: With a written and signed authorization letter, your spouse or assistant can attend the conversion event and convert your lockboxes, but they cannot exchange your key. If you cannot attend the conversion event, please try to bring in your Supra equipment into your local RMLS^™ office prior to the conversion and we will hold your SentriLock equipment for you until you return. You will then need to come into that same RMLS^™ office to sign the new paperwork for your SentriCard® and pick up your new SentriLock equipment.

Q: Our boxes are all registered to our office, who can do the conversion? 

A: The principal broker can exchange office-registered iBoxes. We will also allow an office agent or staff member with a signed letter of authorization from the principal broker to exchange lockboxes only, but not keys. Only the registered keyholder can convert their own key.

Q: I am in an office that keeps all the lockboxes in the principal broker’s name, our staff takes care of the inventory. Can the staff show up without the principal broker to exchange lockboxes at the conversion event?

A: If the principal broker provides a signed letter of authorization, then we will allow a subscriber or staff member from that office to exchange iBoxes registered to the office or principal broker. This applies solely to lockboxes, only the registered keyholder can convert their Supra key to a SentriCard®.

Q: How long after the conversion can I bring in a Supra iBox for a replacement SentriLock box?

A: If you cannot attend the conversion event, please contact your local RMLS^™ office and work out a time to come in and convert your key and boxes after your local conversion event. Please try and make every effort to attend a conversion event, as it will hamper any showings of your listings if you still have Supra equipment when all other subscribers have SentriLock equipment. Any appointments made will happen after the local conversion event, and will delay your ability to show properties and have your properties shown. The last day to exchange lockboxes is January 10, 2014.

Q: What happens if once I convert and have a SentriCard® I realize I have another Supra iBox on a house somewhere? How do I go get that box off and get it converted to SentriLock box?

A: If your principal broker hasn’t yet converted their key, you can ask to borrow it. You could also ask another subscriber you know who hasn’t converted yet to go with you to remove the box. Please do not borrow or use another agent’s Supra key, as this is a major violation of the RMLS^™ keyholder agreement. If neither of those options work, please call RMLS^™ staff, and we can facilitate the removal of the lockbox, and get you the replacement SentriLock box. This may have to wait until after your local conversion event due to the limited availability of RMLS^™ staff.

Q: What if I absolutely cannot make it to any of the conversion events?

If you cannot attend a conversion event, please contact your local RMLS^™ office and arrange a time to come in and convert your key and boxes after your local conversion event. Please try and make every effort to attend a conversion event, as it will hamper any showings of your listings if you still have Supra equipment when all other Subscribers have SentriLock equipment. Any appointments made will happen after the local conversion event, and will delay your ability to show properties, and have your properties shown. The last day to exchange lockboxes is January 10, 2014.

Q: I don’t want to deal with the conversion in October. Can’t I just come to an office and do the exchange now?

A: No, we currently don’t have any SentriLock equipment in the RMLS^™ offices, and will not until after the conversion events. You should make every effort possible to attend a conversion event. You will be able to set your own appointment at the time that works best for you.  You will also receive a full training on how the new system works at the event, in order to best support the needs of your clients. If you are absolutely unable to attend a conversion event, please contact your local RMLS^™ office to work out another arrangement. Please note: you will have to wait until after the scheduled conversion events to exchange your equipment if you need to make special arrangements.

Q: I have a new listing and have never bought a lockbox before. Do I have to buy a Supra iBox? Why can’t I just come in and buy the new SentriLock box to use right now on my listing? 

A: Currently we do not have SentriLock equipment in the RMLS^™ offices, and will not until after the conversion events. If you have a listing that needs a lockbox now, you could try to borrow a Supra box from another RMLS^™ subscriber. If that is not an option you will need to come in and purchase a Supra iBox, and then attend the conversion to convert it to a SentriLock box. Starting September 1^st, the Supra iBoxes we sell will cost $89 in advance of the SentriLock rollout.

EXCHANGE ELIGIBILITY

Q: I have old lockboxes dating back to many years ago – three or four different versions of lockboxes. What can I do with these old boxes I acquired over the years I’ve been in real estate?

A: We will only be exchanging Supra iBoxes (blue boxes) at the conversion events. We cannot accept any of the older styles, and have not for seven years, since we have been using the Supra iBox system.

Q: I had to use bolt cutters to remove a dead lockbox from a listing. Can I turn in my broken Supra iBox for a SentriLock lockbox at the conversion?

A:  You should bring in the broken Supra iBox to your local RMLS^™ office for warranty replacement prior to the conversion. Only working Supra iBoxes will be accepted at the conversion. Any broken Supra equipment is currently under warranty, and a free replacement will be provided to you.

Q: I have a Supra iBox I would like to exchange but it is missing the shackle or key drawer. Will you accept it at the conversion?

A: Only working Supra iBoxes with all of their parts intact will be accepted at the conversion. However, you can purchase a replacement shackle or key drawer from RMLS^™ for $10 each. Please contact your local office if you need to purchase replacement parts prior to the conversion.

Q: I used to subscribe to RMLS^™ but my account is no longer active. I have some iBoxes in the garage—can I bring them in to exchange for SentriLock boxes?

A: The one-for-one lockbox exchange is an RMLS^™ subscriber benefit and lockboxes will only be exchanged for subscribers who are active at the time of the conversion. We can deprogram Supra iBoxes at RMLS^™ offices until December 10, 2013 if you wish to transfer your boxes into another MLS system or put them up for sale.

FINANCIAL CONCERNS

Q: I have my key issued by WVMLS/NWMLS/SOMLS/COMLS etc. and now I have to pay RMLS^™ for key service. What are you going to do for me?

A: For subscribers who currently use a Supra key issued by another MLS to access RMLS^™ lockboxes and may choose to use two key systems going forward, RMLS^™ will give you a free trial period of November and December 2013 to try out the SentriLock system and see if you wish to use it going forward. If you do not cancel the service you will be billed $33 for SentriLock service on your first quarter 2014 RMLS^™ bill.

Q: How soon after the exchange can I sell back a SentriLock lockbox and what will you pay?

A:  We will begin accepting buybacks of SentriLock lockboxes after January 1, 2014. RMLS^™ pays $40/box.

Q: What about the refund for my Supra key deposit?

A: If you have a key deposit remaining on your account a credit in the amount of your deposit will be applied to your account. You will receive confirmation of this credit via email during the week of November 18^th. Account credits will be applied to your December 1^st subscriber dues invoice for the first quarter of 2014.

Q: What if I want a check for my deposit refund?

A: The email we send the week of November 18^th will include information on how to request a check.

Last updated: August 30, 2013