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 1st, 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 18th. Account credits will be applied to your December 1st 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 18th will include information on how to request a check.
Last updated: August 30, 2013
i lost my Supra lock box. what sould i do?
Hi Sam,
Please contact the front desk at frontdesk@rmls.com. They can help you find out if another agent has your lockbox by looking at who has opened the shackle and when.
Thanks,
John Ayers
VP of Subscriber Services
RMLS
Why are we making this change? The Supra system seems great. What’s the point?
Probably not the best move. IPhone information systems can be hacked. I don’t see the point in changing either. Supra is a local company based in Salem. Sentrilock is an Ohio company.
Though they hare located in Salem Supra isn’t a local company. Hasn’t been since the 90’s. They are currently owned by United Technologies who’s main business is Aerospace. Supra is a small division of a small subsidiary and was purchased from General Electric a little while ago.
Watch this presentation to the Yamhill County Association Kurt and John did. I think you will like what you hear. http://yamhillcountyrealtors.org/2013/09/05/rmls-president-kurt-von-wasmuth-discusses-sentrilock-with-ycar/
When. We all need to be able to plan ahead. It is most important!
Dave Meador, Broker
Later today (Monday, September 9th) you should be receiving an email with a link to register for your preferred conversion event. That email will list available locations and times. If you haven’t received the email by tomorrow morning, call SentriLock at (877) 433-6998.
Also note that the link in the email is tied to you as a subscriber, so if you know someone that didn’t receive theirs, have them call SentriLock at the number above rather than forwarding the email!
Hi Dave,
The conversion will be happening at various dates starting the 21st of October, and continuing through early-November.
You will receive an email from Sentrilock (notice@sentrilock.com) later today, Monday September 9th, that will let you set up your appointment for the conversion, and pick a location that best works for you.
Thanks,
John
I was an agent out of state prior to being licensed in Oregon. I have a Supra lockbox tucked away at home. Am I eligible for anything with this?
Hi Jennifer,
If you purchased the Supra iBox from RMLS, then it is eligible for the exchange. If you purchased it from another MLS, it won’t show up when they attempt to scan it, and won’t be eligible.
Thanks,
John
Just curious, with some of the agents and their boxes changed over and some not, how are we going to show homes with only one or the other access keys?
Hi Steve,
We understand there will be difficulty in ease of showings during the conversion. It is best to call the listing agent for any properties you would like to show, and find out if they have converted yet or not. If they have Sentrilock box on the property, and you haven’t yet converted, they will be able to give you a one hour code that you can type directly into the box to show the property.
John
What about the other way around.. what if we convert to Sentrilock but need to show a house that has the old blue supra lock? How will we get in? This could cause issues for a few months!
Hi Shiela,
This is why it is so important for all of us to encourage all RMLS subscribers to attend their conversion events and get their lockboxes swapped. There really isn’t a great solution for this situation.
If you find an old Supra box on a house, you can call RMLS, and we will work with the listing agent to get a Sentrilock box on the property as soon as possible.
We hope to have very few of these instances, and RMLS staff will manage them the best we can.
I have the same question as Sheila if we convert to Sentrilock and need to show a home where there is still an old Supra lockbox…. how will we get in? Could cause some issues for sure.
Did Steve Yates get his answer, I have the same question?
How much will the Sentrilock boxes be to purchase at a future date?
That is a great question. The future prices of SentriLock lockboxes will be $89 for a new box, and $60 for a used box (pending availability of used SentriLock lockboxes). RMLS™ will being buying back used SentriLock lockboxes starting January 2014.
What about appraiser users? I don’t have any lock boxes to exchange. I will obviously need a new key at some point. What do you recommend for appraisers? It seems like a waste of time to attend a conversion event just to exchange a key…
Hi Chris,
Thank you for the question. It is very important that appraisers go to a conversion appointment, because the main part of the conversion is training on the new system. You will attend a 30 minute training class at your conversion appointment which will teach you all the ways to access a box, and the details of how the key and RAD work.
Thanks,
John
I currently have 2 of the new lockboxes that are in use for the Lincoln county area, I am a member there and we have been using these lockboxes for years now. I now live here in the Portland area and am
member of RMLS as well. Can I keep these lockboxes and just convert them to this RMLS instead of Lincoln county since I won’t be needing them there.
Thank you Gil
Hi Gil,
I believe that will work just fine. RMLS™ staff doesn’t know all the programming details of the SentriLock site just yet, but you may want to take the boxes to Lincoln County MLS, and have them deprogrammed, so we can add them to our system. I will find out more from SentriLock how this works. This may be something you will have to do at an RMLS™ office after we have converted.
Thanks,
John
Hi John. Can you please answer Sheila’s question from last week, I am wondering the same thing .. ‘What about the other way around.. what if we convert to Sentrilock but need to show a house that has the old blue supra lock? How will we get in? This could cause issues for a few months!’
Hi Meagan,
This is why it is so important for all of us to encourage all RMLS subscribers to attend their conversion events and get their lockboxes swapped. There really isn’t a great solution for this situation.
If you find an old Supra box on a house, you can call RMLS, and we will work with the listing agent to get a Sentrilock box on the property as soon as possible.
We hope to have very few of these instances, and RMLS staff will manage them the best we can.
I haven’t received confirmation or an email from sentrilock and as I remember the remaining dates/times they offered me I was not able to make. Please post the remaining schedule
Call SentriLock at (877) 433-6998 if you need to check your appointment time. Unfortunately, RMLS™ staff isn’t equipped to help with appointment issues.
John Ayers, Maybe you can answer some questions or point me in the right direction. I have talked with a lot of my fellow Realtors and we all feel that SentriLock seems like a big step backwards from Supra. With SentriLock we have a smart card that has to be plugged in here & there, a RAD, a computer connection & a lockbox straight out of the 20th century. With Supra most agents had a fob that connected to their smart phone. (That’s it!) Nothing to charge, update, plug in, or connect to a computer. My questions are: 1.) What committee made the decision to go with SentriLock? 2.) Do any of the people on that committee actual use lockboxes? 3.) What are the reasons given to switch to a more cumbersome, seemingly outdated system? 4.) How many complaints have you got & where do you suggest people log their complaints? Thanks! – Mike
Hi Mike,
Thank you for your comment. The RMLS Board of Directors is who decided to move to the SentriLock system, after over a year of research. A task force of some of the directors actually visited both companies, as well as help a focus group to determine the benefits of each. When it was all said and done, SentriLock offered more ways to get a lockbox open, as well as just more options for our subscribers over Supra.
Some of the reasons for the decision were that there are four different ways to get a SentriLock lockbox open. If you have ever been stuck in front of a lockbox with your clients, you know that is one of the the worst positions a Realtor can be in. The batteries in the boxes are user replaceable, so that we aren’t forced as an organization to switch boxes every X number of years. These batteries are also free, just let us know when you need some. Another point in the decision process was that SentriLock owns all of the technology used with their system, meaning they aren’t tied to third party technology like bluetooth that will be replaced someday. With the SentriLock system, RMLS decides when we want to switch systems, and we aren’t forced to switch due to dying lockbox batteries, or a replacement of technology like IR, or Bluetooth.
As for multiple devices to carry, you can actually just carry your smartphone, without even needing a FOB device. If you weren’t already aware, one of the methods to open a lockbox is the SentriSmart app, which is available for both iPhone and Android phones in their respective app stores for free. The app will generate a code for you that will let you into any RMLS lockbox. All you need is cell service when generating the code. The app will work whether your card is updated or not. You can continue to leave the SentriCard in your RAD, and only use it to program your lockboxes if that is how you wish to work.
I hope as you learn more about the system it becomes easier to use for you. Please let me know if you would like to get some training set up for your office.
Thanks,
John
SentriLock is a benefit for the RMLS not the realtor. They have more control of your ability to access listings. They can easily deny access. I agree the updating can be somewhat tedious.
Hi John,
I’ve sent an e-mail question to Sentri-Lock over a month ago with no response, and am hoping perhaps you can find an answer.
My question sent to Sentri-Lock is: how much RF (radio frequency) is generated by these lock-boxes? We store our team’s non-deployed boxes in a single location and want to make sure we aren’t needlessly being blasted by RF.
Also, it has been our experience that a card sitting in a RAD for more than a day will be expired until the card is physically removed then re-inserted into the RAD, and will then get validated (if within cell range at that time – parts of Vancouver city limits the RAD won’t connect while the cell phone will!). Is our experience typical or, do we have a faulty RAD?
Thank you.
Hi John,
The RAD is designed to save battery life as much as possible. It actually has a motion detector in it, and by just moving the RAD gently, it should attempt to update the card. You shouldn’t have to pull the card out each time and re-insert to get it to update.
If gently moving the RAD in the morning doesn’t cause it to connect and update, call SentriLock support (number on the back of your SentriCard) and if they find the RAD faulty, they will give you an RMA to get a replacement from your local RMLS office.
As for RF emissions, below is the response from SentriLock. Basically, the lockboxes are only ever emitting RF when the buttons are being pushed, and it is searching for a nearby RAD. resting lockboxes aren’t emitting RF, as the radio usage would drain the battery in the boxes quite quickly.
From SentriLock Engineering:
All of SentriLock’s wireless products have been tested by an independent laboratory and certified by the FCC.
The REALTOR Lockbox NXT Wireless has a low-power 2.4GHz radio that only emits radio frequency (RF) energy briefly when communicating with SentriLock’s Remote Access Device (RAD), which is manually activated by a user entering their PIN on the keypad without a SentriCard inserted in the lockbox. When the lockbox is inactive, no RF energy is emitted.
SentriLock’s RAD has the same low-power 2.4GHz radio that likewise only emits RF energy when responding to a manually-activated lockbox. The RAD also contains a 2G cellular GSM radio that has been additionally certified by the PTCRB. This second radio is only turned on when necessary, and left inactive the majority of the time. Most cellular activity is initiated in response to some kind of user interaction, such as inserting an expired card or checking for new firmware. However, the RAD will emit RF energy whenever connecting for an automatic card renewal as well, which normally occurs overnight after a day of use or when the user first interacts with the device after a period of inactivity. If it is desired to disable all RF emissions for a RAD no longer in use, simply do not leave a card in the device, and the automatic connections will not take place.
The SentriCard, unlike HID cards and NFC technology, actually contains no RF capabilities and requires a physical electrical connection to the chip on the card to read or write any information.
Thanks,
John
Thank you, John. I appreciate the extended explanation. Having worked in the telephone industry I like to know the RF I might be generating with devices in my control, and minimize it as best I can. The PC update device will be the best for me.