![MLS Insight: Outlining the RMLS™ Service Area]()
by Gail Hare | Apr 30, 2014 | RMLS Primary Service Areas
This post is part of MLS Insight, a series about governance issues at RMLS™.
Every so often, RMLS™ gets a request for data or service from Central Oregon or Klamath Falls, for example. We’re not the primary multiple listing service (MLS) in all parts of Oregon—we are happy to list properties in those areas, but our data is not comprehensive enough to provide as an accurate resource for the area.
What areas then, does RMLS™ cover?
In our primary service areas, RMLS™ represents 17 Associations/Boards of REALTORS® and approximately 10,700 real estate professionals in over 2,300 offices.
We are the primary provider of multiple listing services in 20 of Oregon’s 36 counties (Baker, Clackamas, Columbia, Coos, Curry, Douglas, Gilliam, Grant, Hood River, Lane, Morrow, Multnomah, Sherman, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wasco, Wheeler, Washington, and Yamhill) and Clark, Klickitat, Pacific, and Skamania Counties in Washington.
In addition we provide supplementary MLS services in five more Oregon counties (Clatsop, Tillamook, Lincoln, Polk, and Marion). We are not the only MLS in those counties, but we have many subscribers and listings in those areas. In the remaining eleven Oregon counties, we provide tax data and have a small listing inventory.
RMLS™ was created when representatives from four Boards of REALTORS® in the Portland metro area decided to form a service that was an alternative to a broker-owned multiple listing service in business since the 1970s. The first RMLS™ listings went live in the spring of 1991.
From the original service area covering Clackamas, Multnomah, Washington, Yamhill, and Columbia Counties in Oregon, RMLS™ had successful expansion opportunities after adopting an internet-based system that could be responsive to a broad based subscriber group. The timeline below shows the inclusion of various REALTOR® associations in our service area.
We continue to discuss opportunities to serve more Oregon and Washington REALTORS®, wherever they may be located!
Next month we will talk about the RMLS™ Service Advisory Committee. If you have any questions you would like to have answered about RMLS™ governance or operation, I encourage you to post a comment to this blog.
![MLS Insight: Outlining the RMLS™ Service Area]()
by Gail Hare | Apr 30, 2014 | RMLS Primary Service Areas
This post is part of MLS Insight, a series about governance issues at RMLS™.
Every so often, RMLS™ gets a request for data or service from Central Oregon or Klamath Falls, for example. We’re not the primary multiple listing service (MLS) in all parts of Oregon—we are happy to list properties in those areas, but our data is not comprehensive enough to provide as an accurate resource for the area.
What areas then, does RMLS™ cover?
In our primary service areas, RMLS™ represents 17 Associations/Boards of REALTORS® and approximately 10,700 real estate professionals in over 2,300 offices.
We are the primary provider of multiple listing services in 20 of Oregon’s 36 counties (Baker, Clackamas, Columbia, Coos, Curry, Douglas, Gilliam, Grant, Hood River, Lane, Morrow, Multnomah, Sherman, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wasco, Wheeler, Washington, and Yamhill) and Clark, Klickitat, Pacific, and Skamania Counties in Washington.
In addition we provide supplementary MLS services in five more Oregon counties (Clatsop, Tillamook, Lincoln, Polk, and Marion). We are not the only MLS in those counties, but we have many subscribers and listings in those areas. In the remaining eleven Oregon counties, we provide tax data and have a small listing inventory.
RMLS™ was created when representatives from four Boards of REALTORS® in the Portland metro area decided to form a service that was an alternative to a broker-owned multiple listing service in business since the 1970s. The first RMLS™ listings went live in the spring of 1991.
From the original service area covering Clackamas, Multnomah, Washington, Yamhill, and Columbia Counties in Oregon, RMLS™ had successful expansion opportunities after adopting an internet-based system that could be responsive to a broad based subscriber group. The timeline below shows the inclusion of various REALTOR® associations in our service area.
We continue to discuss opportunities to serve more Oregon and Washington REALTORS®, wherever they may be located!
Next month we will talk about the RMLS™ Service Advisory Committee. If you have any questions you would like to have answered about RMLS™ governance or operation, I encourage you to post a comment to this blog.
![MLS Insight: Outlining the RMLS™ Service Area]()
by Gail Hare | Feb 28, 2014 | RMLS News
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.
![MLS Insight: Outlining the RMLS™ Service Area]()
by Gail Hare | Feb 28, 2014 | RMLS News
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.
![MLS Insight: Outlining the RMLS™ Service Area]()
by Gail Hare | Jan 24, 2014 | RMLS News
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.
