{"id":12642,"date":"2020-05-01T16:34:47","date_gmt":"2020-05-01T23:34:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rmlscentral.com\/?p=12642"},"modified":"2020-05-04T14:36:03","modified_gmt":"2020-05-04T21:36:03","slug":"clearly-confused-8-1-ask-technical-terry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rmlscentral.com\/v1\/2020\/05\/01\/clearly-confused-8-1-ask-technical-terry\/","title":{"rendered":"Clearly Confused 8.1: Ask Technical Terry"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Dear TT,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my tenure as a Realtor, I thought cooperation had always been one of the fundamental tenets of MLS \u2014 any MLS, not just RMLS™. I\u2019ve tried to read up on the plethora of info that RMLS™ has been providing regarding this Clear Cooperation MLS 8.0 change, but I\u2019m still not 100% sure I understand exactly what the change means. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve heard the terms \u201cpocket listing\u201d, \u201coff-MLS listing\u201d and \u201coffice exclusive listing\u201d \u2014 what the heck is the difference? I suspect it won\u2019t really affect or alter my business practices, but I\u2019m assuming it may other practitioners depending on how this changes the landscape. Can you help?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014Intrigued in Iona<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dear Intrigued,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course I can! Or, I should say, I will do my best to help you and others confused as we adjust to the new rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As you stated above, one of the core tenets of MLS is cooperation. That, along with a guarantee of compensation, make up what I consider to be two cornerstones in the foundation of MLS. As the industry has evolved over time, there have been many business models employed, some with greater success than others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regardless of their differences, all of the models relied on those two fundamental tenets (cooperation and compensation) via the MLS system. However, throughout the history of MLS, even with the demonstrable benefit to both seller and buyer of sharing listing information within the MLS co-op, there have been real-world reasons to withhold listings from the co-op. Most of those examples were based on seller security\/privacy in some way \u2014 which is perfectly legitimate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem that arose over time, facilitated in particular by web-based real estate marketing, is the reality that some \u201cpocket listings\u201d (or \u201coff MLS listings\u201d as they\u2019ve been more recently described) were not actually being excluded for privacy reasons. They were excluded out of a desire to capture more of the money available in a transaction \u2014 this is clearly not within the framework of MLS rules regarding cooperation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So along comes Clear Cooperation MLS 8.0, the new policy approved earlier this year by NAR and being implemented by RMLS™ on April 30, 2020. Intending to add clarity to what can and cannot be done by MLS subscribers with exclusions, this is a national change for any MLS aligned with NAR. In some ways, Clear Cooperation MLS 8.0 makes it better for sellers wanting their property excluded from the MLS co-op, in that they no longer experience a 30-day penalty to have their property added to the MLS co-op if it does not sell \u201coff MLS\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That was a very real deterrent historically that has been changed with this new policy. So, you can still take a \u201cpocket\u201d or \u201coff MLS\u201d listing but the criteria for keeping it out of the co-op has become much clearer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You mentioned that you have read and watched a lot of info about this change, so this may not be news to you. However, here is a look at key attributes of the new policy:<\/p>\n\n\n\n