RMLS™ is one of a handful of multiple listing services that does its own development work rather than purchasing a vended MLS system. At their annual leadership retreat each February, the RMLS™ Board of Directors sets priorities for the programming and development team for the coming year.

We recently held this annual retreat, and the clear mandate and number one priority for 2013 was decided: full browser and tablet compatibility for RMLSweb. This project will make our system fully compatible with current versions of Safari, Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer; and add compatibility for the iPad, Android, and Windows Surface tablets.

In the 2012 Subscriber Satisfaction Survey, 49% of our subscribers who responded were “very interested” in tablet and browser compatibility. This is not surprising, because tablets outsold notebook computers in the US in 2012, and are projected to outsell all PCs worldwide by 2016.

Here’s a quick rundown of upcoming real estate events and education for February in Oregon and Southwest Washington. If you have an event that’s not listed here, let us know in the comments!

February 7: Law and Rule Every broker is required to complete this course, which PMAR will be holding throughout the year. Topics include new licensing and continuing education requirements, new laws, new exemptions, and interactive case studies!
Location: Oregon Medical Association, SW Portland — $30

February 20: Basement and Crawlspace Waterproofing Learn about codes dealing with new construction, methods of waterproofing, proper drainage, existing basements, why they leak, how to repair, existing crawlspaces, water vapors, and more.
Location: Fidelity National Title, 700 NE Multnomah, Portland

February 27: Investing 101: Working with Small Multi-Family Housing Investors Panelists will walk attendees through working with investors purchasing four units or less. Topics include identifying and qualifying investors, appraisal challenges, and financing tips.
Location: Multnomah Athletic Club — $25 (continental breakfast included)

FREE RMLSweb Training

If you are an RMLS™ subscriber, we have many free educational opportunities at a location near you. View the current calendar for your area by clicking the link.

-Brookings
-Coos County
-Eastern Oregon
-Eugene
-Florence
 -Gresham
-Hood River
-Portland
-Roseburg
-Salem
-Vancouver

Don’t forget to check out our webinars for training outside these areas, and the Open House hours at the Portland office each Friday (10am-noon) when subscribers may consult with Technical Training staff for individualized attention.

You can also find ongoing education and training classes through a number of different associations in the Portland metro area and beyond. To search for classes in February, classes check out the current event listings at the following associations:

Portland Metropolitan Association of Realtors® (PMAR)
East Metro Association of Realtors® (EMAR)
Clark County Association of Realtors®(CCAR)

Each month, RMLS™ takes RMLSweb offline for a few hours in order to perform system maintenance and make improvements to the system. In January, RMLS™ will be implementing several small features designed to improve the site for subscribers.

Unauthorized Access

RMLS™ is embarking on a project this month designed to eliminate unauthorized access of RMLSweb. We will begin reviewing accounts which have a history of excessive duplicate logins and/or logins from multiple geographic locations (within a short timeframe) and work with those users to ensure the security of RMLSweb.

The program is designed to reduce potential security risks for both RMLS™ and our subscribers and also to improve user experience. We’d like every user to enjoy their RMLSweb sessions the way they were designed to work.

Rules Button
A new button will appear on RMLSweb‘s Agent Full and Data Only reports beginning January 31st that will enable subscribers to more easily submit concerns about a listing’s information to RMLS™ staff. Clicking the “Report an Issue” button below each listing on those reports will produce a pop-up window with a report subscribers can fill out and submit to the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations Department.

School Names
RMLSweb will update school names using proper case (Dundee vs. DUNDEE) and spell out most abbreviations (Falcon Heights vs. FALCON HTS). This will involve updating RMLSweb search fields and saved searches as well.

Increased Prospect Notifications
RMLSweb subscribers may currently receive notification of a prospect match up to three times a day. Starting January 31st, that frequency will be increased significantly, matching REALTORS® with prospective properties up to eight times throughout the day. As is currently the case, until the subscriber logs into RMLSweb to clear the matche(s), additional prospect notifications will not be sent.

SSP As Default on Search
Currently, RMLSweb defaults to including Short Sale Pending (SSP) in default search parameters. The RMLS™ Board of Directors has requested this default be removed. Beginning January 31st, only ACT and BMP will remain as default statuses, and subscribers will need to select SSP if they wish to search those listings.

We hope subscribers find these tweaks to RMLSweb useful. If you have any questions regarding these changes, email Help Desk at helpdesk@rmls.com or call us at (503) 872-8002, or outside the Portland area at (877) 256-2169.

Here’s a quick rundown of upcoming real estate events and education for January in Oregon and Southwest Washington. If you have an event that’s not listed here, let us know in the comments!

January 24: Dos and Don’ts for Today’s Real Estate Licensees Join professionals for some continuing education in Florence on January 24, 2013. Stacey Harrison and Selina Barnes, Division Managers with the Oregon Real Estate Agency, will discuss complaints, investigations, and how REALTORS® can stay in compliance with Oregon’s laws and rules. Location: Florence Events Center, Florence, OR — $25

January 31: PMAR Masters Circle Educational Event Portland Metropolitan Association of REALTORS® offers a panel of top producers sharing their expertise to attendees. Breakfast will be served, and you do not need to be a Masters Circle member to attend! Location: Multnomah Athletic Club — $22

FREE RMLSweb Training

If you are an RMLS™ subscriber, we have many free educational opportunities at a location near you. View the current calendar for your area by clicking the link.

-Brookings
-Coos County
-Eastern Oregon
-Eugene
-Gresham
-Hood River
-Portland
-Roseburg
-Salem
-Vancouver

Don’t forget to check out our webinars for training outside these areas, and the Open House hours at the Portland office each Friday (10am-noon) when subscribers may consult with Help Desk staff for individualized attention.

You can also find ongoing education and training classes through a number of different associations in the Portland metro area and beyond. To search for classes in January, classes check out the current event listings at the following associations:

Portland Metropolitan Association of Realtors® (PMAR)
East Metro Association of Realtors® (EMAR)
Clark County Association of Realtors® (CCAR)

This week, we conclude our series featuring subscriber feedback gleaned from fall’s Subscriber Satisfaction Survey. (Check out our earlier posts: How Are We Doing?, How Do You Interface with RMLS™?, and How Do You Get Trained?)

RMLS™ strives to provide great value. In fact, our trainers find that many subscribers aren’t fully aware of the breadth of features available on RMLSweb. Lead trainer Gerry Chasse explains:

One principal broker I recently met put it succinctly: “most agent brokers log on to RMLSweb to learn the few functions they need to gather information for a client, never discovering the multitude of other useful tools this website provides.”

Our Subscriber Relations Representatives, Trainers, and Help Desk personnel repeatedly mention surprised reactions from subscribers, who exclaim “wow!” and “I didn’t know you could do that—is that something new?” when one or several of these tools provide a quick, informative, and efficient solution to a long-standing problem or question. Subscribers who continually examine the various parts of the website and educate themselves about the latest upgrades or changes are those who have the market advantage.

If you’d like to find out more about the capabilities of RMLSweb, check out offerings on the RMLS™ training calendar.

On to the survey…

How would you rate the overall value of the services you receive from RMLS™?

Overall, RMLS™ subscribers rated us a 3.9. Interestingly, the number of 3 and 5 ratings were tied at 738, and there was a strong amount of 4s (525).

Subscriber comments:
• “Without RMLS™ I could not do my job! Plain and simple.”
• “Nothing is perfect! And for the most part this is very good, in my opinion.”
• “I appreciate the Open House hours that you have. The one time that I signed up for a three hour class and I was to only one that showed up. I received personal one-on-one training and learned a great deal. She could have cancelled the class, but did not and that brought my attention to how grateful I am to have the RMLS. Keep up the good job!” [Ed. Note: Open House hours are at our Portland office each Friday from 10am-Noon.]
• “Thank you…I know pleasing all of us is not easy.”
• “My biggest complaint is RLMS not staying current with technology. There are lots of brokers using Apple products and smartphones with bluetooth. It’s time to address compatibility issues with Apple and switch to bluetooth lockboxes.”
• “I find the other websites to be more user friendly and have much higher profiles in search engines than RMLS. I’d like to see it be a marketing tool to advertise to clients as opposed to just an information exchange between agents with the funky rmls.com site for our clients.”
• “I practiced real estate in California and the dues you charge are a fraction of what it costs to be part of the MLS there.”
• “I appreciate the fact that RMLS™ keeps trying to improve. As I mentioned above, I
am personally looking for things which work well, not more things.”
• “I wish all the other mls organizations would consolidate with RMLS, which the
the best of the lot.”
• “The RMLS website has to be Mac friendly, period, it must work with Safari.”
• “PEACE 2 U.”

That’s it for this series. RMLS™ staff has been scrutinizing the results—subscriber feedback will be used by the RMLS™ Board of Directors to determine what projects we take on over the next year. Survey feedback impacts our work around the office every day. We sincerely hope you’ve enjoyed reading results from the 2012 Subscriber Satisfaction Survey!

This week, RMLS™ continues featuring subscriber feedback gleaned from our Subscriber Satisfaction Survey. (Check out our earlier posts: How Are We Doing? and How Do You Interface with RMLS™?)

If you discover something in RMLSweb that you’d like to learn more about, our trainers are ready to help. In addition to holding classes at RMLS™ offices around the region, our trainers regularly hold webinars, or we can come to you!

How did you receive training from RMLS™ in the past year?

Nearly one-third of survey respondents (31.5%) received RMLS™ training at their office. Training via phone came in closely at second (29.1%). Online tutorials came in third (26.9%).  Just under a quarter of respondents (20.5%) have taken a class at an RMLS™ office.

How many times did you receive training from these methods in the last year?

The majority (49.8%) of respondents said they had accessed RMLS™ training once or twice in the past year. “None” came in second place (26.7%). And believe it or not, 33 people said they’ve used RMLS™ training 11 or more times in the past year!

Overall, were you satisfied with the training you recieved?

Our subscribers rated RMLS™ training a 3.7, just under halfway between “satisfied” and “delighted.”

What other types of training or topics would you like to see RMLS™ offer?

Naturally, answers to this question varied wildly. While RMLS™ may not offer a specific class each month, subscribers should keep an eye on the RMLSweb desktop and this blog. RMLS™ frequently posts training opportunities on the desktop, such as our upcoming Cloud CMA demonstration on December 7th. We also feature interesting classes on the RMLS™ blog once a month.

Subscriber comments:
• “Time-saving features of any kind!”
• “Statistical analysis of MLS data.”
• “Statistics for appraisers, architectural styles, proper listing of living areas, and how to better inform your buyer (and appraisers) for agents and brokers.”
• “Possibly more marketing-type classes to draw in new customers.”
• “Just basic training on things we use all the time and could use more efficiently if we had more training. Like Docusign, Listing Load, Zip Forms, etc.”
• “Continuing education training.” [Ed. note: check the RMLSweb desktop page! We post opportunities frequently.]
• “We had a few classes by the RMLS™ instructor at our office that were very helpful. They reviewed how the website works. I always picked up something new from each of those classes.”
• “I would like to see more in Eugene. I haven’t seen anything yet that makes me want to drive to Portland.”

Our series will wrap up next time with our subscribers’ overall experience with RMLS™.

Starting December 6th, listing agents will be required to upload at least one photo in Listing Load before a new listing can be published on RMLSweb.

Agents working with sellers who wish to omit photographs from their listings will need to indicate that preference on Listing Load. In an in-progress listing, click “Edit” in the Photo field. The Photo Manager will open, then click on “Seller Requires Photo Omission.”

Agents who publish a listing using the “Seller Requires Photo Omission” option will be required to then provide a Photograph Omission Form or equivalent to RMLS™ within 72 hours after the listing is published. If the RMLS™ Rules Department does not receive the form, they will follow up with the listing agent via email. Listings where the seller has omitted a photo will show a “Photo Omitted by Seller” image.

If a listing is published with a photo omission but the seller changes their mind, an agent can still upload photo(s). Navigate to Photo Manager, then click “Cancel Photo Omitted by Seller and Replace Image with First Photo,” as shown below.

As part of this change, RMLS™ will also be phasing out its service of uploading photos emailed to photos@rmls.com.

Photography is crucial in selling properties, and RMLS™ recognizes the need for this data in the publishing process. RMLSweb listings appear on many other websites (including RMLS.com, REALTOR.com, and IDX sites). This change ensures both the photo(s) and data will be available for websites when new listings are published.

View the amended sections of the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations for more information. If you have any questions regarding these changes, contact Help Desk at helpdesk@rmls.com or by phone at (503) 872-8002, or toll free at (877) 256-2169.

This week, RMLS™ continues featuring feedback gleaned from our Subscriber Satisfaction Survey. (If you’ve not read the first post on the subject, check out How Are We Doing? Subscriber Satisfaction Survey Results.)

Staff members find survey feedback invaluable. At a meeting earlier this week, one of our VPs noted how this survey directly impacts which projects get prioritized as RMLS™ plans for the coming year. We like to share results with subscribers as well, so here are some questions pertaining to how our subscribers access RMLS™ services.

Where do you normally get RMLS™ information?

Almost all (91.6%) of RMLS™ users obtain information through the RMLSweb desktop page. Besides the desktop page, the next largest source of information was the RMLS™ Weekly Report, which is sent via email each Monday. However, only about half of survey respondents (48.1%) claimed to get information this way. The RMLS Help Desk rounds out the top three at 24.9%.

While RMLS™ maintains a presence on Facebook and Twitter, a very small number of people get RMLS™ information that way—likely because that presence is fairly minimal. In the next year, RMLS™ plans to examine that presence in order to improve

Subscriber comments included:
• “I know I can always call and count in you for help!”
• “I think agents…do what is easy—we don’t spend time educating ourselves on new stuff until we have to…but RMLS™ is really trying and that makes me want to try too!”
• “I would like to attend a RMLS training class.” [Ed. note: Check out the RMLS™ Training Calendars, or email training@rmls.com to arrange for our trainers to come to you!]
• “When I am in RMLS, I am in there to work and don’t have a lot of time to read updates.”
• “All agents regardless of title need to read the information that you provide to us.”

Which RMLS™ office are you most likely to contact for assistance?

Our corporate office in Portland is used by 68.3% of our survey respondents, with the Vancouver, WA, office coming in next at 11.8%. Eugene rounded out the top three at 7.3%. The data suggests our Brookings and Florence offices offer the most personalized experience, as they both serve about 1% of our respondents.

How satisfied are you with the service at your primary RMLS office in the past year?

Exactly a 4.0, RMLS™ our subscribers are precisely halfway between “satisfied” and “delighted.”

Subscriber comments:
• “The staff is well versed in all areas, and answers your emails and returns calls promptly.”
• “Need a west side office. It is unreasonable for us Hillsboro people to be required to go to the airport. How would the east side people feel if you moved to Hillsboro?”
• “I can get everything I need from the Roseburg office.”
• “It would be beneifical to have a Mac on hand for your techs.”
• “Great staff, I love coming into your office.”

Next time, we’ll talk about how subscribers use RMLS™ training services.

RMLS™ subscribers were recently invited to reflect on our services through this year’s Subscriber Satisfaction Survey. Staff members have been reading through every comment submitted since the survey closed. We’d like to share the results with subscribers as well, so over the next few weeks we’ll be highlighting some questions from the survey.

Asking a diverse set of REALTORS® who use our site regularly was bound to yield a flood of feedback. While there were generally favorable comments on some topics and some negative feedback about others, it was also interesting to see directly opposing comments on the same specific topic!

Overall, how easy do you find RMLSweb to use?

RMLSweb scored a cumulative 3.8 on this one, almost square in the middle of “Pretty Easy” and “Very Easy.”

Subscriber comments included:
• “Some of the recent changes have made it more user-friendly, so it’s not as cumbersome as before.”
• “I am not techy, and RMLSweb is one of the easist websites that I have used. If I have questions, tech support is there for me. If I want help, there are classes. If I want personal help, there is the Friday morning one-on-one opportunity.”
• “Abbreviations are very difficult, perhaps a pop-up definition per term?” 
• “It is amazing how much RMLS™ has improved in the past 32 years!” [Ed. Note: RMLS™ began offering service in 1991, 21 years ago.]

How did the following RMLS™ projects (released since our last survey) affect your business?

Enabling photo upload for in-progress listings was the winner, but not by much. Adding a “Short Sale Pending” status to RMLSweb listings was nearly as helpful to respondents. Rounding out the top three, the implementation of Bing Maps on the site was favorably received by most subscribers.

Subscriber comments included:
• “I think any time you can have tools to be able to show your clients to help them understand the market is a huge tool in our business.”
• “Photos for in-progress listings was the best of all!”
• “Bing Maps are a big improvement.”
• “Bing Maps are worse than previous, generally.”
• “Listing Load could be a lot simpler.”
• “The share button, and listing load with click stats are the best changes I’ve seen in a while. Keep up the great work.”

Next time, we’ll reveal how subscribers generally interface with RMLS™.

RMLS™ will be rolling out several improvements to RMLSweb over the next week! Our developers have been working hard to improve the site for our subscribers—here are our latest tweaks.

Listing View Counts

As of next week, subscribers will be able to send their sellers a copy of their listing view count directly from RMLSweb. Currently, the system offers options to print the results or view them in PDF format. When clicking on “View Counts Report,” look for the new email option at the top right of the screen.

Another change: view counts for each listing will soon be available for the previous 60 days. The current view count range is 30 days.

Phone Number Modification

Starting later next week, RMLSweb will allow agents to set a primary phone number directly into RMLSweb, saving time and eliminating several steps for users. This phone number field will auto-populate into listings as the agent’s phone number.

To use this new feature, navigate to your user preferences (“Toolkit” in the menu bar, then “User Preferences” in the drop-down menu). A field now appears to enter the phone number that will appear in the agent roster online. Previously, users were required to navigate to our Internet Member Services (IMS) online payment system to change this information.

Green Certification and Home Energy Performance Rating Listings

As of this week, properties listed with a green certification or home energy performance rating will be required to upload a copy of the appropriate scoring documentation into Listing Load.

If green certification information is entered in the “Residence” tab or an energy score is entered into the “Amenities” supplement, the listing agent will be required to upload PDF documentation supporting the numbers, along with the date the property was evaluated.

If the property is listed without the required documentation, the listing agent will receive an email reminding them of the requirement. If the document(s) are still missing several days later, the agent will receive a second email and the RMLS™ Rules Department will follow up.

Green certification and home energy performance documentation will be retained with the listing indefinitely, unlike other PDFs which are deleted several months after the property is off the market.

If you have any questions regarding these changes, email Help Desk at helpdesk@rmls.com or call us at (503) 872-8002, or outside the Portland area at (877) 256-2169.