RMLS™ recently announced a handful of upcoming changes to the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations. These changes, effective December 17th, include changes to the time limits allowed for new listing input and status changes, and other changes that clarify online marketing issues for listings in Coming Soon-No Showing (CSN) status.
The RMLSweb CSN status has generated a high volume of questions and feedback from subscribers and we anticipate these rules adjustments to garner more questions. Following are some of the most common questions we anticipate receiving in light of the upcoming rules changes.
I am the seller’s agent for a CSN listing which is published in RMLSweb. I have placed a sign on the property that includes the words “Coming Soon.” I received a call from a prospective buyer who saw the sign and would like to know more information about the listing. Can I share information about this CSN listing with the prospective buyer?
Yes, you may share information about this listing with that prospective buyer.
I am the seller’s agent for a CSN listing which has been published on RMLSweb. Can I send an email to my fellow agents with information about this CSN listing?
Yes, you may send an email to fellow agents assuming they are all active RMLS™ subscribers.
Can CSN listings be published on home search sites outside of RMLSweb, such as Realtor.com and Zillow?
No, they cannot. While a listing is in CSN status, it can only be published on RMLSweb.
I have a private Facebook group that includes other RMLS™ subscribers and my clients. Can I share my CSN listing with members of that group?
You may share your CSN listing with your private Facebook group as long as only your clients, current customers, and active RMLS™ subscribers are members of this group. If any member of the group is not your client, customer, or is an inactive RMLS™ subscriber, you may not share the CSN listing.
I am the seller’s agent for a CSN listing. I have not yet published the CSN listing on RMLSweb. Before I do so, I want to publish it as a Coming Soon listing on a public internet site first. Is that okay?
No, that is not permitted. The CSN listing must be published on RMLSweb and cannot be published on any public internet site.
I am the seller’s agent for a CSN listing. Can I post a vague statement on social media—without the listing address—that I have a CSN listing coming soon in a certain neighborhood, and to contact me for more information?
No, that is not allowed. Once published on RMLSweb, CSN listings can only be shared privately with a broker’s clients, current customers, and active RMLS™ subscribers, and must be published on RMLSweb.
My clients said they were ready for their listing to go live, then two days later they had an emergency and wanted the listing to go back to CSN. I logged in to RMLSweb but I’m not seeing CSN as an option anymore. What gives?
Your question is addressed by our prior set of CSN questions from August. What we’ve answered above only reflects those parts of the CSN rules that will be changing effective December 17th. Everything else about CSN listings—the 21 day limit for a listing to be in CSN status, the inability to change a listing back to CSN status once it’s active—were all addressed when the CSN status was introduced earlier this year.
That said, RMLS™ is happy to guide you through a specific situation or answer questions you may have about CSN listings or anything else. Contact the RMLS™ Rules staff at (503) 236-7657, they’re happy to educate subscribers who reach out!
Ive not studied this enough or it might be obvious to me but I am not seeing anything positive about this for anyone other than the listing agent, who has a big jump start on double ending the transaction. As a personal note, I have been fully against dual agency since 1980, even if it meant I could not take a whole commission !
What is the advantage of this category and to whom? Im leaving this here instead of calling in because others may have similar questions.
After 40 years as an Rmls subscriber I can say the rules around and the open areas for problems with CSN are not worth it.
I think the whole idea creates issues especially regarding social media (Realtors will not follow) and causes hostility among agents and their clients.
Get rid of coming soon . When a home is ready to list then put it on the market!
Is there an Opt-Out form so a seller and sellers agent can have the contract listing asap, then publish it active when the home is ready to go Live & Show to prospective buyers?
This can be accomplished using the listing contract. In the Exclusive Right to Sell section, select the “AN ACTIVE LISTING (ACT)” option and specify the future date that marketing is to begin. The listing contract would be obtained and no marketing would occur until the listing is published in the MLS on the date stated in the “Date Marketing to begin is____.” sentence.
Thank you very much Christina!