![Help Me Turn ShowingTime Off! Help Me Get CE!: Ask Technical Terry]()
by RMLS Communication Department | May 18, 2018 | RMLSweb
Ask Technical Terry is a series RMLS™ aims to offer once a month. RMLS™ subscribers will drive the content—submit any question about RMLS™ to Technical Terry in the comments or by emailing communications@rmls.com. Don’t be shy—we won’t identify you by name.
Dear TT,
I can’t thank RMLS™ enough for putting great tools into RMLSweb for us to use. In the case of ShowingTime, however, it feels like a layer of tech that I don’t need. I realize it is a great tool and that many folks will use it but in my case, I’m just too old for this! Is it possible to disable ShowingTime on my listings? I’d rather the REALTOR® just call or text me.
Frustrated in Fanno Creek
Dear FFC:
Understood completely. Having come over on the Mayflower, I also struggle with some newfangled technology. Whatever happened to the quill pen and parchment paper?
But back to ShowingTime. Yes, you can certainly disable the tool on either an individual listing or for all your listings. Here’s how.
Individual Listing
When logged in to RMLSweb, head to Listing Load. Click on the ShowingTime icon.
Select your preference for that specific listing by choosing Yes or No.
Don’t forget to save your changes…
All Listings
If you’d like to turn off ShowingTime for all your listings, click the same Listing Load ShowingTime icon as above, then turn your attention to the line that says “Allow Agents to Request Appointments Online?” Set your preference, and don’t forget to save your changes!
That’s all there is to it! As you can see it’s quite easy to control your use of ShowingTime, either on a per listing basis or globally.
TT
Hello Technical Terry!
Help! I’ve been so busy this year helping clients that my license renewal snuck up on me and I need to get some elective CE credit pronto. What am I going to do?
Ida in Felida
Hello Ida in Felida!
Ah yes, the clamor of REALTORS® in need of CE to renew their licenses—what a beautiful sound! Don’t worry, RMLS™ has some resources to help.
Of course the RMLS™ Education Summit and Trade Fair is a major event that RMLS™ holds each year to offer lots of free CE to subscribers. The event has passed for this year, but we also bring our Broker Education Series (BES) events to subscribers across the region. In fact, there’s a BES event happening in Lincoln City on May 22nd!
Aside from RMLS™ events, we also help industry organizations promote their classes and opportunities. Two great places to check for upcoming CE opportunities is on the RMLSweb desktop page and the RMLScentral events calendar (which has 12 event listings in May alone!).
So Ida, when you’re in need of some CE, check out our resources! And if you want to share a class or event with other industry professionals, send the details along to us and we’ll take care of the rest.
Technical Terry in RMLS™land
![Help Me Turn ShowingTime Off! Help Me Get CE!: Ask Technical Terry]()
by RMLS Communication Department | Apr 26, 2018 | RMLSweb
ShowingTime is an efficient online scheduling tool allowing, but not requiring, RMLS™ subscribers to schedule a showing from right inside RMLSweb. Listing brokers using ShowingTime may set up showing schedules, automate communications with owners, while confirming, rescheduling, or denying showing appointments. Buyers’ brokers may use ShowingTime to schedule appointments, get driving directions. ShowingTime can even be used for showing feedback!
Here are just a few of the ways ShowingTime can help RMLS™ subscribers:
- Create showing schedules for listings
- Schedule showings for a listing
- Instant notifications via text, email, or phone when showings are requested/confirmed
- Online access to showing information from any device
- Showing Feedback
- Schedule multiple showings at once (via Showing Cart)
- Map a buyer’s tour
- Display driving directions
All of this is free to RMLSweb users, but power users may want to level up to the ShowingTime paid product for advanced capabilities.
JUMP-START YOUR SHOWINGTIME EXPERIENCE
ShowingTime is offering a limited run of webinars for RMLS™ subscribers. Get acquainted by joining one of the four webinars happening May 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.
Once the product goes live on May 2nd (along with the other RMLSweb projects debuting at the same time), head to RMLSweb. Navigate to the Toolkit menu and select ShowingTime (above).
Set up your user preferences on this page—they will help you use ShowingTime successfully. Scroll down this page to find a special button to download the ShowingTime app and access your account easily, without a lengthy login process.
SET UP SHOWINGTIME ON A LISTING
Once your preferences are set up, you may enable ShowingTime on any of your RMLSweb listings in Listing Load:
Once you’ve enabled ShowingTime on a listing, head back to the ShowingTime page (or use your app) to set up a showing calendar for the property, add your clients into the loop, set up automatic feedback requests, and more.
(Note that showing instructions don’t automatically transfer from RMLSweb to ShowingTime, so users will need to enter the information again.)
REQUEST A SHOWING
Buyers’ agents, when you find a property in RMLSweb that you’d like to show, simply click the ShowingTime icon wherever you see it—in list view (above), detail view, or on the Agent Full report.
Simply fill out the form and either schedule a single showing or add to your ShowingCart to request a batch of showings at a later time.
ShowingTime has more intricacies and features that RMLSweb users are sure to appreciate. Sign up for the webinars happening May 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, to learn more! These webinars will only be offered a few times by ShowingTime, so register today.
![Help Me Turn ShowingTime Off! Help Me Get CE!: Ask Technical Terry]()
by RMLS Communication Department | Apr 18, 2018 | RMLSweb, Tips & Tricks
Ask Technical Terry is a series RMLS™ aims to offer once a month. RMLS™ subscribers will drive the content—submit any question about RMLS™ to Technical Terry in the comments or by emailing communications@rmls.com. Don’t be shy—we won’t identify you by name.
Dear Technical Terry,
My-oh-MY is the market abuzz about the upcoming Coming Soon-No Showing status and the changes to Authorization to Exclude! I think I’ve also heard rumor of a forms change rollout and a new showing scheduler being added to RMLSweb. I’m really concerned that much of what I’m hearing is just rumor. Can you guide me to where I can get more info on these important changes?
Concerned Clarice in Clackamas
Hi CCC-
Why, yes I can! Your perspective that the market is “abuzz” about the upcoming changes is spot on.
RMLS™ communicates information in a variety of ways. We understand that some subscribers rely on the RMLSweb desktop page for information, others rely on the RMLS™ Weekly Report, sent on Monday mornings, and others still really like subscribing to our blog on RMLScentral for information.
For example: on the day I’m writing this, the RMLSweb desktop page has links to an array of useful information about the projects you mention:
We send out the RMLS™ Weekly Report at 6 AM every Monday morning. In it you will find much of the same information shown on the RMLSweb desktop. The email address we use to send RWR is the address you provide to us in the User Preferences section of RMLSweb, shown here:
(If you’re not receiving the email, it could be that your email account filters the email to your junk or spam folder. Check there!)
Last, but certainly not least, is the RMLScentral blog. You can find articles on the blog that cover the same topics and others, with the added benefit of visible subscriber feedback and questions. Access the blog from the RMLSweb desktop page by clicking on the appropriate link in the Links section, seen here:
I sure hope this information helps, Clarice. We realize that your days are very busy, and as such we try to provide information in a variety of channels/formats, hoping one or more will work well for you.
TT
Hey, Technical Terry!
Clarice is my team member and while she may have plenty of time in the office to subscribe to the RMLS™ blog and read news as soon as it’s released, I am in my car all the time. Showings, trips to the RMLS™ office, picking up closing gifts—it seems the hours I spend in traffic every day take me away from RMLS™ communications. Any suggestions there, smartypants?
Cody Clark, Clarice’s Coworker in Clackamas
Hey…CCCCC!
First things first: don’t read this (or anything else from RMLS™) while driving!
That said, I do indeed have the very thing for you: Real Talk with RMLS™, our podcast! We unveiled our first episode just about a year ago, and our audience has been growing steadily ever since. Episodes are offered regularly, and listeners can expect that big projects like the ones Clarice was interested in will be covered in an episode very soon.
Real Talk with RMLS™ is available on iTunes and Google Play. We hope you will pass some of your time sitting in traffic by learning about RMLS™ projects this way!
Technical Terry
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by RMLS Communication Department | Mar 8, 2018 | RMLSweb
RMLS™ is gearing up for its annual forms change on RMLSweb. Later this spring subscribers will notice terminology changes, major revisions to the Oregon and Washington listing contracts, and other notable changes on RMLSweb.
Forms changes happen regularly on RMLSweb. Each change has been approved by the RMLS™ Forms Committee based on the feedback provided through hundreds of subscriber comments. Recommendations were then reviewed and approved by the RMLS™ Board of Directors.
Implementation of these changes is quite a task, largely on the part of the RMLSweb development team. An overnight outage will take place in late April/early May to allow for this extra work.
Once the forms change is live, here are a few of the biggest pieces you’ll see.
Terminology Change
Have you ever had a conversation about the selling agent where one person was referring to the seller’s agent and the other person was referring to the buyer’s agent? We certainly have. To help reduce confusion, we will be changing how we refer to listing agent/office, co-listing agent/office, and selling agent/office. They will now be referred as seller’s agent/office, co-seller’s agent/office, and buyer’s agent/office.
Townhouse/Planned Community Requirement Change
For residential listings where property type is attached, townhouse, or planned community AND HOA is no, the Townhouse/Planned Community Supplement will still be available but the required fields will now be unrequired.
Listing Contract Addendum Changes
The Listing Contract Addendum (Long) will be split into two new addenda: a Withdrawal Addendum and a Cancellation/Termination Addendum. The Listing Contract Addendum (Short) will be renamed to Listing Contract Addendum. The comparable data section will be removed and headers will be added to better separate the three types of changes: expiration date change, list price change, and miscellaneous change.
Status Change to POP/PEN – Field Changes
The buyer’s agent/office will only be identified when a listing changes to SLD/SNL status. When a listing changes to PEN/POP status, the unrequired buyer’s agent/office fields will no longer be available.
Oregon and Washington Listing Contact Changes
The Oregon and Washington Listing Contracts are undergoing major revisions this year. Sections have been rearranged into a more logical order to facilitate discussions between seller(s) and selling agents. Row numbers were added, the text size was increased, and more space was added to the signature section of each contract. In addition to these layout changes, many sections received language changes as noted in the summary document (see link below). Required Detectors is a section that has been added, and the “list price” portion of the Brokerage Fee section has been broken out into its own section as well.
Changes to the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations
Language will be added to Section 3.21 of the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations to state that the seller’s broker may provide a code to a specific user with the owner’s permission.
3.21 RMLS™ Lockbox System. RMLS™ shall provide a lockbox system to active Subscribers legally eligible for RMLS™ access for the purpose of legitimate real estate business subject to their execution of a user agreement. This agreement shall provide that lockbox access devices may not be used under any circumstances by anyone other than the lockbox system user. The only exception is where the Listing Broker provides a code to a specific user with owner permission. The lockbox system shall be provided by a recognized lockbox vendor and it shall comply with current NAR® security requirements.
Office Email Required for Real Estate Offices in Washington
Real estate offices in Washington will be required to provide an office email. This email address will appear in the office roster search and will be viewable on agent reports.
Looking for More Detail?
Dig into this spring’s forms changes with the following:
• View a complete summary of forms changes scheduled for this spring.
• Preview revised input, and supplement listing forms. (Green highlights indicate new items, blue indicate items that have moved location, and yellow highlights indicate items which have been changed.)
• Preview updated Oregon and Washington listing contracts.
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by RMLS Communication Department | Mar 1, 2018 | RMLS News, RMLSweb
At the annual RMLS™ leadership retreat last month, 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 2017, Showing Time and the new Coming Soon-No Showing status are also in the works.
Listing Load Enhancements
This project will add ability for authorized users to initiate editing of a listing from Agent Full/Data Only reports and to add/start a new listing from Tax Search, Tax Full, and CMA (subject property/features) page, providing a more streamlined workflow for the agent.
When adding a new listing, the agent will be able to upload PDF documents directly from the input screen, similar to Photo Manager. Agents will also be able to test video/virtual tour links to ensure that they work correctly before saving the listing.
Ever publish a listing and forget to save a copy of the listing contract? Well this project will eliminate that issue by allowing users to print a copy of the listing contract, even after the listing has been published.
RMLS™ will also look for ways to enhance the Tax ID auto-population function to include additional data found from other sources such as comparable listings, map layers, Realtors Property Resource (RPR®) and other data sources.
Search and Prospecting/Auto-Email Enhancements
This project will add the ability to create/save a prospect search from Advanced Search and other saved searches within RMLSweb. In addition, the ability to filter prospect matches based upon price changes falling within a certain range (mimicking the Hotsheet’s price change option) will be added to eliminate notifications of listings that have a daily price change.
We know it’s important to know when a profile is set to expire, so an alert to the subscriber will be sent via email. Advanced search will also see enhancements. Subscribers will be able to search by any public ID or broker code, and when searching by status, days back function, an “apply all” function will be available to make it easier to set the dates for all statuses.
Watch List
This project will add a notes field to each saved watch list item, making it easier to remember why it is being watched. In addition, when a listing is added to the watch list, the tax parcel record will also be included automatically so notifications can be sent if the property is relisted with a different MLS number.
CMA Enhancements
This project will enable the user to adjust the font and font size of the report and include the option to print the 32-Up Photo report. In addition, a notes field will be added to the adjustment section of the CMA for each comparable listing, allowing the user to detail why the adjustment was made. A column will be added to the Recommended Price page of the CMA which will reflect adjustments made.
![Help Me Turn ShowingTime Off! Help Me Get CE!: Ask Technical Terry]()
by RMLS Communication Department | Feb 15, 2018 | Events, RMLS News, RMLSweb
Ask Technical Terry is a series RMLS™ aims to offer once a month. RMLS™ subscribers will drive the content—submit any question about RMLS™ to Technical Terry in the comments or by emailing communications@rmls.com. Don’t be shy—we won’t identify you by name.
Dear Technical Terry,
Around the water cooler the other day, my coworkers were abuzz about some form of showing appointment system they think is coming to RMLSweb. Is this true or just a rumor? What can you tell me about it?
Nosy in Newberg
Dear Nosy,
The rumor is true! The RMLS™ Technology Committee advised—and the RMLS™ Board of Directors agreed—that ShowingTime should be integrated into RMLSweb. We anticipate the debut of this new product to coincide with the annual forms change—roughly late April or early May.
RMLS™ subscribers will have access to a free, basic version of ShowingTime through RMLSweb. Here are some of the features:
• Listing agents can configure an online appointment calendar for each listing that will display blocks of time when the listing is available to be shown.
• Three settings can be used for a listing. Appointment Required requires an explicit accept/decline from the listing agent or seller for the showing appointment to be finalized. Courtesy Call automatically accepts a scheduling appointment, sending a notification to the listing agent/office staff who then notify the seller of the showing. Go and Show is immediately accepted, also sending a notification to the listing agent but without any seller notification required.
• Basic notifications are sent via email, one-way text messaging, and through alerts on the ShowingTime mobile app.
• ShowingCart allows a showing agent to create a tour of listings using an interactive feature on the site. The agent can then submit all the appointment requests in one group once the order is finalized. The agent can even get driving directions for their client tour!
• Basic showing feedback is solicited.
• Listing activity reports are available.
ShowingTime has tech support available via phone, email, and chat seven days a week. They’ll be offering webinar training to RMLS™ subscribers before ShowingTime goes live on RMLSweb, with a dedicated training site available after the launch with short video tutorials.
ShowingTime will offer a premium subscription version for RMLS™ subscribers to purchase individually. The premium version will have even more tools including options for more detailed showing feedback and brokerage branding.
Sounds exciting, doesn’t it, Nosy? Have a look at ShowingTime online so the next time your coworkers are gathered around the water cooler, you’ll be able to teach them a thing or two!
Technical Terry
Dear TT,
I’m so excited to come to this year’s RMLS™ trade fair in Portland! One of my favorite parts of the event is cruising around the trade fair hall entering drawings. I know there’s a trade fair exhibitor list, but will information be posted in advance about the prizes available at the event?
Q. D. McGraw
Dear Q.D.,
I’m so excited to hear you love our annual event so much! I’ve got some bad news for you though—we do not generally release information about prizes in the on-site drawings in advance of the event. There are several reasons for this, including that we often don’t get information about some prizes until a day or two in advance!
Speaking of the prize drawings though, it’s worth noting that the system for entering drawings will change this year. In the past, trade fair attendees could take a map to designated vendors for a stamp and every stamp would earn the attendee one entry into the drawing. If you visited four of the six designated vendors to get a stamp, you could return to the RMLS™ booth and give us four business cards to enter into the raffle bin.
This year, attendees will need to visit every designated vendor on the map to earn one entry. This entry will be valid for all the prize drawings that happen at the RMLS™ info booth. In the above example then, you’d need to visit six vendors to submit one card for the drawings.
Why are we making this change? We want to cut down on wasting the business cards you’ve paid for, for starters. We also wanted to make the prize drawings more streamlined for our staff at the RMLS™ booth as well. Everyone will have an equal chance to win each prize, and by design the prizes will be distributed more evenly among attendees.
We’ve got some higher-value prizes lined up for this year’s drawings, Q.D., so definitely make time in your day to visit the trade fair vendors! And those of you who could care less about drawings, register for classes or our keynote session sooner than later or you could miss out!
T. Terry
