RMLS™ Rules Roundup for July 2019

by Heath Bennett | Aug 22, 2019 | Statistics

The RMLS™ Rules and Regulations Committee has requested that periodic reports are given to subscribers about the number and types of formal rules violations, along with information about informal violations and courtesy notifications by type. Read “If a RMLS™ Rule is Broken, What Happens?” for a deeper explanation.

Have you ever spotted something wrong in a property listing on RMLSweb? The Data Accuracy team is responsible for sorting things out whenever a RMLS™ subscriber contacts us—whether that is via the “Report Issue” button on a listing, by email, or contacting us directly by phone. In July 2019 our team handled 276 phone calls.

We track 32 specific issues in Listing Data Checker (LDC), the software that helps us spot and correct issues proactively. Six of these are courtesy notifications, but the other 24 are informal violations of the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations. In addition to our focus on education we also process formal violations throughout the year.

HOT TOPICS

Ever wonder what is included in the “Incorrect or Missing Information” category? The types of issues that are reported to us are broad and varied and often change from month to month. Some examples of things that we see are inquiries about agents that were involved in a sale, what type of frontage does the property have, is the neighborhood correct, and price inquiries. We also get a general questions that don’t result in a violation and these are not tracked as such.

We encourage everyone to use the “Report Issue” button that can be found at the bottom of listings in RMLSweb to let us know if you think there is an issue with the listing you are viewing.

FORMAL VIOLATIONS

The RMLS™ Rules and Regulations Committee reviews all formal complaints which allege a violation of the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations. The committee has the power to impose sanctions.

The committee did not receive any formal violations to review for the July or August meetings.

INFORMAL VIOLATIONS

In July 2019, RMLS™ Data Accuracy staff reviewed 22,466 listings in addition to the 462 notices sent through “Report Issue” button on RMLSweb. Of the items reviewed, 1,315 violation notices and 1,813 courtesy notices were sent out.

Following are the courtesy notifications sent to RMLS™ subscribers in July 2019:

When we notice an uptick in a specific type of violation (perhaps a rule recently changed or market conditions lead to an increase in a certain type of issue) we may also put a notification up on RMLSweb, educating subscribers before one of their listings gets flagged and we need to contact them.

RMLS™ Data Accuracy can be reached via email or by phone at (503) 236-7657 if you ever have questions about the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations, if you wonder whether a specific listing has inaccurate data, or if you want to chat with us more about the above information.

RMLS™ Rules Roundup for June 2019

by Heath Bennett | Jul 18, 2019 | Statistics

The RMLS™ Rules and Regulations Committee has requested that periodic reports are given to subscribers about the number and types of formal rules violations, along with information about informal violations and courtesy notifications by type. Read “If a RMLS™ Rule is Broken, What Happens?” for a deeper explanation.

Have you ever spotted something wrong in a property listing on RMLSweb? The Data Accuracy team is responsible for sorting things out whenever a RMLS™ subscriber contacts us—whether that is via the “Report Issue” button on a listing, by email, or contacting us directly by phone. In June 2019 our team handled 293 phone calls.

We track 32 specific issues in Listing Data Checker (LDC), the software that helps us spot and correct issues proactively. Six of these are courtesy notifications, but the other 24 are informal violations of the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations. In addition to our focus on education we also process formal violations throughout the year.

HOT TOPICS

We have recently been receiving many inquiries about listings in Bumpable Buyer (BMP) status. As a reminder, the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations define BMP as:

3.16 a. “Accepted Offer with Bumpable Buyerʺ. Accepted offers with bumpable buyers shall be only those listings with an accepted offer which provides:
1) that the buyer’s purchase is contingent upon the sale of the buyer’s property within a limited time;
2) the buyer’s property is in a category which can be listed in RMLS™; and
3) that if the seller receives another acceptable offer, the first buyer has a specified period to remove the contingency.
A property may not remain in “active” status if an offer has been accepted with the foregoing terms. “Accepted offer with bumpable buyer” sales will remain as searchable listings in “BMP” status in the RMLS™ System until the buyer is no longer bumpable and the appropriate status change is reported.

New property searches in RMLSweb automatically default to include BMP in the status field. When searching on internet sites, BMP listings may appear as “Contingent,” so it is important to explain to your buyers and sellers what this status means and how it may appear on internet sites. 

FORMAL VIOLATIONS

The RMLS™ Rules and Regulations Committee reviews all formal complaints which allege a violation of the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations. The committee has the power to impose sanctions.

The committee reviewed four formal violations at their June meeting. Two were for Unauthorized Use of a Lockbox, another was for Marketing of a Listing Prior to MLS Publication, and the last one was for Marketing of a Coming Soon-No Showing Listing. A total of $1,100.00 in fines were levied by the committee.

• 5.1L Unauthorized Use of a Lockbox: Buyer’s agent provided a lockbox code to a 3rd party.
• 5.1L Unauthorized Use of a Lockbox: Buyer’s agent provided a lockbox code to a 3rd party.
• 5.1S Marketing of Listing Prior to RMLS Publication: A listing was marketed for a week prior to publication in RMLSweb.
• 5.1U Marketing of Coming Soon-No Showing Listing: A CSN listing was sent to an internet site viewable by the general public.

INFORMAL VIOLATIONS

In June 2019, RMLS™ Data Accuracy staff reviewed 22,959 listings in addition to the 503 notices sent through “Report Issue” button on RMLSweb. Of the items reviewed, 1,220 violation notices and 2,158 courtesy notices were sent out.

Following are the courtesy notifications sent to RMLS™ subscribers in June 2019:

When we notice an uptick in a specific type of violation (perhaps a rule recently changed or market conditions lead to an increase in a certain type of issue) we may also put a notification up on RMLSweb, educating subscribers before one of their listings gets flagged and we need to contact them.

RMLS™ Data Accuracy can be reached via email or by phone at (503) 236-7657 if you ever have questions about the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations, if you wonder whether a specific listing has inaccurate data, or if you want to chat with us more about the above information.

RMLS™ Rules Roundup for May 2019

by Heath Bennett | Jun 20, 2019 | Statistics

The RMLS™ Rules and Regulations Committee has requested that periodic reports are given to subscribers about the number and types of formal rules violations, along with information about informal violations and courtesy notifications by type. Read “If a RMLS™ Rule is Broken, What Happens?” for a deeper explanation.

Have you ever spotted something wrong in a property listing on RMLSweb? The Data Accuracy team is responsible for sorting things out whenever a RMLS™ subscriber contacts us—whether that is via the “Report Issue” button on a listing, by email, or contacting us directly by phone. In May 2019 our team handled 293 phone calls.

We track 32 specific issues in Listing Data Checker (LDC), the software that helps us spot and correct issues proactively. Six of these are courtesy notifications, but the other 24 are informal violations of the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations. In addition to our focus on education we also process formal violations throughout the year.

HOT TOPICS

Over the past few years unauthorized use of a lockbox has been a frequently seen formal violation. As a reminder—the potential penalties for this violation can include fines and possible suspension or expulsion from RMLS™. It is important to remember that you should not enter listings that are not active nor without following the showing instructions. You should also not generate codes and give them out to anyone if you are acting as a buyers’ agent. The sellers’ agent may generate a one day code, typically for use by someone doing work on behalf of their seller and always with the seller’s permission.

FORMAL VIOLATIONS

The RMLS™ Rules and Regulations Committee reviews all formal complaints which allege a violation of the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations. The committee has the power to impose sanctions.

In May 2019, four formal rules violation were filed. These will be reviewed at the June 2019 Rules Committee meeting. The committee reviewed three formal violations at their May meeting. Two were for unauthorized use of a lockbox and the third was for not changing a listing to PEN status for over 144 hours. A total of $1,700.00 in fines were levied by the committee.

• 5.1L Unauthorized Use of a Lockbox: Buyer’s agent entered a property that was in PEN status.
• 5.1L Unauthorized Use of a Lockbox: Buyer’s agent was provided an access code by another agent who was not present in order to enter a property.
• 5.1C Listing PEN Status Change greater than 144 hours: A listing with an accepted offer was not changed to PEN for more than 144 hours.

INFORMAL VIOLATIONS

In May 2019, RMLS™ Data Accuracy staff reviewed 28,829 listings in addition to the 606 notices sent through “Report Issue” button on RMLSweb. Of the items reviewed, 1,419 violation notices and 2,337 courtesy notices were sent out.

Following are the courtesy notifications sent to RMLS™ subscribers in May 2019:

When we notice an uptick in a specific type of violation (perhaps a rule recently changed or market conditions lead to an increase in a certain type of issue) we may also put a notification up on RMLSweb, educating subscribers before one of their listings gets flagged and we need to contact them.

RMLS™ Data Accuracy can be reached via email or by phone at (503) 236-7657 if you ever have questions about the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations, if you wonder whether a specific listing has inaccurate data, or if you want to chat with us more about the above information.

RMLS™ Rules Roundup for April 2019

by Heath Bennett | May 9, 2019 | Statistics

The RMLS™ Rules and Regulations Committee has requested that periodic reports are given to subscribers about the number and types of formal rules violations, along with information about informal violations and courtesy notifications by type. Read “If a RMLS™ Rule is Broken, What Happens?” for a deeper explanation.

Have you ever spotted something wrong in a property listing on RMLSweb? The Data Accuracy team is responsible for sorting things out whenever a RMLS™ subscriber contacts us—whether that is via the “Report Issue” button on a listing, by email, or contacting us directly by phone. In April 2019 our team handled 275 phone calls.

We track 30 specific issues in Listing Data Checker (LDC), the software that helps us spot and correct issues proactively. Six of these are courtesy notifications, but the other 24 are informal violations of the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations. In addition to our focus on education we also process formal violations throughout the year.

HOT TOPICS

In April we received several inquiries regarding recent marketing of Coming Soon-No Showing (CSN) listings. In December of 2018 a change was made to Rule 3.28 to clarify what types of marketing are allowed on CSN listings. A Broker may share CSN listings with their clients, current customers, and other active RMLS™ subscribers. They may not share them publicly.

FORMAL VIOLATIONS

The RMLS™ Rules and Regulations Committee reviews all formal complaints which allege a violation of the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations. The committee has the power to impose sanctions.

In April 2019, two formal rules violation were filed for a total of three [one was received in late March 2019] that were referred to the Rules Committee during their May 2019 meeting.

INFORMAL VIOLATIONS

In April 2019, RMLS™ Data Accuracy staff reviewed 21,778 listings in addition to the 622 notices sent through Report Issue button on RMLSweb. Of the items reviewed, 1,474 violation notices and 1,943 courtesy notices were sent out.

Following are the courtesy notifications sent to RMLS™ subscribers in April 2019:

When we notice an uptick in a specific type of violation (perhaps a rule recently changed or market conditions lead to an increase in a certain type of issue) we may also put a notification up on RMLSweb, educating subscribers before one of their listings gets flagged and we need to contact them.

RMLS™ Data Accuracy can be reached via email or by phone at (503) 236-7657 if you ever have questions about the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations, if you wonder whether a specific listing has inaccurate data, or if you want to chat with us more about the above information.

RMLS™ Rules Roundup for March 2019

by Heath Bennett | Apr 12, 2019 | Statistics

The RMLS™ Rules and Regulations Committee has requested that periodic reports are given to subscribers about the number and types of formal rules violations, along with information about informal violations and courtesy notifications by type. Read “If a RMLS™ Rule is Broken, What Happens?” for a deeper explanation.

Have you ever spotted something wrong in a property listing on RMLSweb? The Data Accuracy team is responsible for sorting things out whenever a RMLS™ subscriber contacts us—whether that is via the “Report Issue” button on a listing, by email, or contacting us directly by phone. In March 2019 our team handled 293 phone calls.

We track 30 specific issues in Listing Data Checker (LDC), the software that helps us spot and correct issues proactively. Six of these are courtesy notifications, but the other 24 are informal violations of the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations. In addition to our focus on education we also process formal violations throughout the year.

HOT TOPICS

RMLS™ started sending out courtesy notices spring 2018 when Data Accuracy staff began using LDC. These notices are not violations, but rather courtesy notices informing subscribers to something regarding their listing. One of the newest courtesy notices is one that lets the seller’s agent know that their listing is set to expire within 10 days. We know that life can be busy and that reminders are helpful. In March 2019, 1,014 courtesy notices were sent out.

FORMAL VIOLATIONS

The RMLS™ Rules and Regulations Committee reviews all formal complaints which allege a violation of the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations. The committee has the power to impose sanctions.

In March 2019, one formal rules violation was filed, with a total of , with a grand total of $500 fine levied. Following is a list of the specific violation:

• 5.1L Unauthorized Use of a Lockbox: Buyer’s agent provided buyers a one day code to access a listing, allowing the buyers and home inspector access to property without permission or representation. Seller notified Seller’s Agent that the buyers and home inspector were inside the listing without their agent present.

INFORMAL VIOLATIONS

In March 2019, RMLS™ Data Accuracy staff reviewed 20,254 listings in addition to the 548 notices sent through Report Issue button on RMLSweb. Of the items reviewed, 1,428 violation notices and 2,524 courtesy notices were sent out.

Following are the courtesy notifications sent to RMLS™ subscribers in March 2019:

When we notice an uptick in a specific type of violation (perhaps a rule recently changed or market conditions lead to an increase in a certain type of issue) we may also put a notification up on RMLSweb, educating subscribers before one of their listings gets flagged and we need to contact them.

RMLS™ Data Accuracy can be reached via email or by phone at (503) 236-7657 if you ever have questions about the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations, if you wonder whether a specific listing has inaccurate data, or if you want to chat with us more about the above information.