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by RMLS Communication Department | Mar 24, 2016 | RMLS News, rmls.com, RMLSweb
MLS Insight is a series about how things work at RMLS™.
At their annual leadership retreat, the RMLS™ Board of Directors reviewed a list of potential projects and prioritized those they believe will have the best benefit for RMLS™ subscribers. Following is a brief description of the three projects that will get the attention of our software development team this year along with a fourth that will be scheduled if possible. The forms changes approved in 2015 are also in the works.
Watch List: This project will create a new feature on RMLSweb enabling subscribers to add individual listings to a “shopping cart” and receive push notifications when the status or a price change occurs. Potential scope includes ability to tag tax parcel records for notification when a listing is published.
Mobile Innovation Project: This project will utilize information available in a mobile device – photos, GPS, etc. – to create a property profile for use in creating CMAs, running reverse prospecting searches, and starting an in-progress listing in RMLSweb.
Frequency of Auto-Emails: This project will re-engineer auto-emails to reliably run the entire process within an hour. As part of this project, subscribers should be able to refine the frequency at which auto-emails are sent to individual clients.
Facebook Integration: This project will allow subscribers to easily post their own listings to Facebook, and will also fix formatting problems for mobile devices when RMLS.com listings are shared to Facebook.
If you have questions on any RMLS™-related topic that you would like to have answered, I encourage you to post a comment.
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by RMLS Communication Department | Feb 23, 2016 | RMLS News, RMLSweb
MLS Insight is a series about how things work at RMLS™.
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) was signed into law in 1998 with the intent to bring US copyright laws into the digital age. MLS listings normally contain several items subject to copyright, most prominently the photos and remarks. When a listing is loaded into RMLSweb, the understanding is that the listing content is authorized or legitimate, and there is no copyright issue.
This understanding is stipulated in the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations under Section 10.3 – Authority to Publish: By the act of submitting any property listing content to RMLS™, the Participant represents that the Participant has been authorized and also thereby does grant authority for the MLS to include the property listing content in its copyrighted MLS compilation and also in any statistical report on comparables.
In addition to the responsibility of the listing broker to ensure that there is no copyright infringement in the listing content they provide, RMLS™ also has responsibilities as a publisher under the DMCA. In order to limit liability for copyright infringement we may unknowingly include on our site, we have followed the safe harbor provisions of the DMCA since 2009. These provisions include appointing a copyright agent and making it easy for someone who spots a copyright infringement to contact us. RMLSweb and RMLS.com have a link on every listing to report any claims of copyright infringement, and there are specific steps we follow to meet the requirements of the safe harbor when we are notified of a problem.
That covers the responsibility of the listing broker and RMLS™.
Does it end there? NO!! It does not.
Each website posting listing data is individually responsible for copyright infringement that might appear on that site. That means that every IDX website needs to protect itself under the DMCA safe harbor provisions.
The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) became concerned about potential liability for brokers, and in their model rules for 2016 they have required the addition of a section about copyright and the DMCA. The RMLS™ Board of Directors adopted this language and it has now been added to Section 10.3 of the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations. This is an important advisory recommendation from NAR. If you have a website that displays listing content, make sure you ask your website provider about their compliance with the DMCA. Here is the new RMLS™ Rules and Regulations language in full.
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) is a federal copyright law that enhances the penalties for copyright infringement occurring on the Internet. The law provides exemptions or “safe harbors” from copyright infringement liability for online service providers (OSP) that satisfy certain criteria. Courts construe the definition of “online service provider” broadly, which would likely include MLSs as well as participants and subscribers hosting an IDX display.
One safe harbor limits the liability of an OSP that hosts a system, network or website on which Internet users may post user-generated content. If an OSP complies with the provisions of this DMCA safe harbor, it cannot be liable for copyright infringement if a user posts infringing material on its website. This protects an OSP from incurring significant sums in copyright infringement damages, as statutory damages are as high as $150,000 per work. For this reason, it is highly recommended that MLSs, participants and subscribers comply with the DMCA safe harbor provisions discussed herein.
To qualify for this safe harbor, the OSP must:
- Designate on its website and register with the Copyright Office an agent to receive takedown requests. The agent could be the MLS, participant, subscriber, or other individual or entity.
- Develop and post a DMCA-compliant website policy that addresses repeat offenders.
- Comply with the DMCA takedown procedure. If a copyright owner submits a takedown notice to the OSP, which alleges infringement of its copyright at a certain location, then the OSP must promptly remove allegedly infringing material. The alleged infringer may submit a counter-notice that the OSP must share with the copyright owner. If the copyright owner fails to initiate a copyright lawsuit within ten (10) days, then the OSP may restore the removed material.
- Have no actual knowledge of any complained-of infringing activity.
- Not be aware of facts or circumstances from which complained-of infringing activity is apparent.
- Not receive a financial benefit attributable to complained-of infringing activity when the OSP is capable of controlling such activity.
Full compliance with these DMCA safe harbor criteria will mitigate an OSP’s copyright infringement liability. For more information see 17 USC §512.
NAR has additional information on its website, including a recent video on photo copyright. In the case of copyright infringement, the old adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” surely applies.
If you have questions on any RMLS™-related topic that you would like to have answered, I encourage you to post a comment.
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by Kurt von Wasmuth | Feb 18, 2016 | RMLS News
Dear Friends,
This year RMLS™ is celebrating its 25th anniversary!
In 1991, Regional Multiple Listing Service (RMLS™) was created out of five Portland-area REALTOR® associations. Over the last 25 years our subscribers have gone from scanning listings in bulky listing books to being able to find dozens of options for clients with the touch of a button. Along the way, RMLS™ has been there providing the technology and ensuring the accuracy of data. We’ve expanded our service area greatly in that time, and the type of services we’re able to provide across the region.
You’ll see RMLS™ observing this milestone across Oregon and Southwest Washington throughout 2016. We’ll be reaching out to partners at local associations and celebrating at RMLS™ events around the state such as the RMLS™ Education Summit and Trade Fair happening in Portland next month. You might even see a surprise or two pop up on RMLSweb.
RMLS™ flourishes through the partnerships of our shareholder organizations, local organizations, and the RMLS™ Board of Directors. Their support provides direction for the organization. Of course, RMLS™ would not exist without its REALTOR® subscribers! RMLS™ subscribers provide invaluable knowledge in their daily business that spurs innovation on RMLSweb.
Here’s to another 25 years! We hope you’ll help RMLS™ celebrate in 2016.
Sincerely,
Kurt von Wasmuth
President/CEO
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by RMLS Communication Department | Feb 18, 2016 | RMLS News
Dear Friends,
This year RMLS™ is celebrating its 25th anniversary!
In 1991, Regional Multiple Listing Service (RMLS™) was created out of five Portland-area REALTOR® associations. Over the last 25 years our subscribers have gone from scanning listings in bulky listing books to being able to find dozens of options for clients with the touch of a button. Along the way, RMLS™ has been there providing the technology and ensuring the accuracy of data. We’ve expanded our service area greatly in that time, and the type of services we’re able to provide across the region.
You’ll see RMLS™ observing this milestone across Oregon and Southwest Washington throughout 2016. We’ll be reaching out to partners at local associations and celebrating at RMLS™ events around the state such as the RMLS™ Education Summit and Trade Fair happening in Portland next month. You might even see a surprise or two pop up on RMLSweb.
RMLS™ flourishes through the partnerships of our shareholder organizations, local organizations, and the RMLS™ Board of Directors. Their support provides direction for the organization. Of course, RMLS™ would not exist without its REALTOR® subscribers! RMLS™ subscribers provide invaluable knowledge in their daily business that spurs innovation on RMLSweb.
Here’s to another 25 years! We hope you’ll help RMLS™ celebrate in 2016.
Sincerely,
Kurt von Wasmuth
President/CEO
by RMLS Communication Department | Dec 23, 2015 | RMLS News, RMLSweb, Statistics
MLS Insight is a series about how things work at RMLS™.
Before we plunge headlong into the new year, let’s take one last look back at 2015.
It was a year of growth and change, energized by real estate market conditions. Closed sales recorded through November approached or exceeded 120% of closed sales in the previous year in almost every area served by RMLS™. This translates into a 20% increase in dollar volume of transactions. 2014 posted approximately $15 billion in sales, and 2015 will see over $18 billion in volume for all properties sold through RMLS™.
The improvement in real estate prospects has not gone unnoticed by job seekers. RMLS™ started the year with 10,676 subscribers and is projected to end 2015 with over 12,200 subscribers, an increase of 14%.
Some highlights of 2015 for RMLS™:
- Eight new RMLS™ classes were added to the list over the course of the year, including RPR Basics, SentriLock Essentials, Android Essentials, iOS Essentials, Utilizing RMLSweb Statistics, RMLS™ Rules and Regulations, RMLS™ Rules and Regulations Jeopardy, and Mobile Apps for REALTORS®. (To register for any of these classes, please contact training@rmls.com or call the Help Desk at 503-872-8002 or 877-256-2169 toll free.)
- RMLS™ was invited and became a Home Energy Info Accelerator Partner in May, when that US Department of Energy program was established.
- A listing forms change in July featured a new supplement for green/energy information.
- We became the fifth MLS in the nation to be certified with RESO (Real Estate Standards Organization) Data Dictionary version 1.3 in August. (We went on to surpass that level in December and were certified compliant at 1.4 Silver.)
- A new photo loader was introduced on RMLSweb in October which allows up to 32 images per listing and features high-resolution imagery and built-in basic editing tools.
- A new Beaverton training venue was inaugurated in November.
- A new mapping interface for RMLSweb was released in December.
- The Financial Tools on RMLSweb were modified to work with multiple browsers in February and the outdated default values within the tools were updated in December.
We want to take this opportunity to say a special thank all of our subscribers. We appreciate the opportunity to serve you and look forward to sharing our 25th anniversary celebration with you in 2016.
If you have questions on any RMLS™-related topic that you would like to have answered, I encourage you to post a comment.
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by Heather Andrews | Dec 3, 2015 | Events, RMLS News
Real estate professionals: you are invited to save the date for the 2016 RMLS™ Education Summit and Trade Fair! This year’s trade fair will be taking place on Friday, March 18, 2015, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in the heart of the Lloyd District of Portland, OR.
It’s Our Silver Anniversary!
RMLS™ will be celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2016, and this is the largest event RMLS™ organizes each year. RMLS™ is proud of the services it has been able to offer regional real estate professionals since 1991, and the trade fair will offer plenty of opportunity to celebrate.
About the Location
RMLS™ has moved the event location in recent years in order to find a space with a perfect fit. The DoubleTree offers a new location in the heart of the Lloyd District, plentiful parking, easy access by transit, and also enables RMLS™ to offer more amenities to attendees and exhibitors.
Join Us!
RMLS™ members and non-members are welcome to attend the event, and class registration will be open by early February. Monitor RMLStradefair.com, RMLS™ on Facebook, or RMLS™ on Twitter for the latest updates.
Whether you’ll be attending classes, reaching out to REALTORS®, or window shopping around the trade fair floor, RMLS™ looks forward to seeing you at our annual trade fair this spring!
Thanks, Sponsors!
Special thanks to our sponsors for making this event possible…
Diamond
Silver
