RMLS™ Rules Roundup for March 2020

RMLS™ Rules Roundup for March 2020

Gavel

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 2020 our team handled 326 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

Please remember to check state and local policies regarding showings, since several new policies, rules and regulations, and business best practices have been rolled out in recent weeks.

Please also check the listing for special accommodation requests or notes from the home seller or seller’s agent prior to scheduling a showing.

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 1 case in March 2020 that resulted in $100.00 in fines.

  • 5.1.l – Unauthorized use of lockbox system: A buyer’s agent did not follow showing instructions.

INFORMAL VIOLATIONS

In March 2020, RMLS™ Data Accuracy staff reviewed 34,158 listings in addition to the 483 notices sent through “Report Issue” button on RMLSweb. Of the items reviewed, 1,041 violation notices and 1,601 courtesy notices were sent out.

CategoryMarch
Missing Tax ID394
Personal Promotion320
Incorrect or Missing Information126
Missing School61
Missing Owner Name 60
No Showings59
Incorrect Status45
Missing or Incorrect 1st Photo44
Duplicate Listing34
Address Issues29
Incorrect Property Type 25
HUD24
Is Property a Condo 23
Conditions to Compensation12
Inaccurate Lot Size12
Listing Input in Incorrect MLS area11
Partial Bathrooms 5+9
City Unknown6
Duplicate Listing in Different Categories 4
Missing Condo Unit Number 4
Address Issues 8
Inaccurate Lot Size 7
HUD 5
Property Condition 2

Following are the courtesy notifications sent to RMLS™ subscribers in March 2020:

CategoryMarch
Multiple Owner Names in First Field560
Listing is Set to Expire465
Listing Still Pending 270
New Listing Input Over 24 Hours 72
Listing Status Change over 24 Hours2

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 2020

RMLS™ Rules Roundup for January 2020

Gavel

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 January 2020 our team handled 214 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

A new year brings with it a new sequence for MLS numbers. Listings published in 2020 begin with ’20######’, where listings published in 2019 began with ’19######’. While it is not against the RMLS™ rules to refresh a listing, there are a few points to keep in mind. Refreshing a listing should be done at the request of the seller(s). If the seller(s) elects to refresh their listing in the MLS, the old listing should be changed to canceled (CAN) status not withdrawn (WTH). The Data Accuracy Department has received reports where the original listing was changed to withdrawn (WTH) status instead of canceled, and forgotten until the listing expires at some future date. This causes not only confusion for RMLS™ subscribers, it can be confusing to the property owner who may or may not have been the original seller(s) who receive inquiries on the status of their property.

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 review any formal violations in January 2020.

INFORMAL VIOLATIONS

In January 2020, RMLS™ Data Accuracy staff reviewed 22,529 listings in addition to the 493 notices sent through “Report Issue” button on RMLSweb. Of the items reviewed, 1,221 violation notices and 1,953 courtesy notices were sent out.

CategoryJanuary
Missing Tax ID471
Incorrect or Missing Information129
Duplicate Listing119
Missing Owner Name94
Personal Promotion85
Missing School58
Incorrect Status50
Year Built Description 46
Is Property a Condo 37
No Showings22
Missing or Incorrect 1st Photo 18
Duplicate Listing in Different Categories 17
Conditions to Compensation15
Duplicate Listing in Different Categories13
Incorrect Property Type15
Missing Condo Unit Number 8
Inaccurate Lot Size 8
Listing Input in Incorrect MLS area 7
Address Issues7
Partial Bathrooms 5+ 4
HUD2
City Unknown1
Is Listing a Short Sale1

Following are the courtesy notifications sent to RMLS™ subscribers in January 2020:

CategoryJanuary
Listing is Set to Expire1,015
Multiple Owner Names in First Field 405
Listing Still Pending 377
New Listing Input Over 24 Hours 156

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 2020

RMLS™ Rules Roundup for December 2019

Gavel

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 December 2019 our team handled 195 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

As winter moves into spring and the volume of new listings starts to increase remember that personal promotion on video and virtual tours are a violation of the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations. Any video or virtual tour that is linked on your listing must be devoid of any identifying personal and brokerage information. This means that the tour(s) themselves cannot have any identifying personal promotion information. If you have a video or virtual tour that is branded with personal promotion, you can post it on your own personal website.

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 three formal violations in December for a total of $1,750.00 in fines.

  • 5.1.l – Unauthorized use of lockbox system: A buyer’s agent did not follow showing instructions.
  • 5.1.l – Unauthorized use of lockbox system: A buyer’s agent gave a lockbox access code to their buyer.
  • 5.1.l – Unauthorized use of lockbox system: A buyer’s agent did not follow showing instructions.

INFORMAL VIOLATIONS

In December 2019, RMLS™ Data Accuracy staff reviewed 24,823 listings in addition to the 384 notices sent through “Report Issue” button on RMLSweb. Of the items reviewed, 810 violation notices and 1,459 courtesy notices were sent out.

CategoryDecember
Missing Tax ID316
Personal Promotion92
Incorrect or Missing Information86
Missing Owner Name46
Missing School43
No Showings29
Duplicate Listing26
Year Built Description 25
Conditions to Compensation24
Missing or Incorrect 1st Photo18
Duplicate Listing in Different Categories13
Is Property a Condo12
Inaccurate Lot Size 5
City Unknown5
Partial Bathrooms 5+3
Missing Condo Unit Number2
Listing Input in Incorrect MLS area2

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

CategoryDecember
Listing is Set to Expire695
Listing Still Pending 410
Multiple Owner Names in First Field240
New Listing Input Over 24 Hours 114

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 2020

RMLS™ Rules Roundup for November 2019

Gavel

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 November 2019 our team handled 205 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

This fall we have heard some concerns regarding buyers agents potentially giving out SentriLock codes when they are unable to be present at a showing. As a reminder this is a violation and it is never okay for a buyers agent to give a lockbox code to anyone for any reason. If you are unable to be present with your buyer please arrange for someone else to show the property or reschedule the showing.

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 review any formal violations in November as they did not meet.

INFORMAL VIOLATIONS

In November 2019, RMLS™ Data Accuracy staff reviewed 27,010 listings in addition to the 405 notices sent through “Report Issue” button on RMLSweb. Of the items reviewed, 1,029 violation notices and 1,774 courtesy notices were sent out.

CategoryNovember
Missing Tax ID416
Personal Promotion127
Incorrect or Missing Information82
Year Built Description 77
Duplicate Listing 63
Missing School 57
Missing Owner Name56
No Showings 35
Missing Condo Unit Number26
Is Property a Condo 19
Missing or Incorrect 1st Photo 17
Listing Input in Incorrect MLS area15
Conditions to Compensation12
Duplicate Listing in Different Categories 9
Inaccurate Lot Size7
HUD 3
City Unknown2
Duplicate Listing Different Agent1
Is Listing a Short Sale1

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

CategoryNovember
Listing is Set to Expire1,066
Listing Still Pending 336
Multiple Owner Names in First Field282
New Listing Input Over 24 Hours 90

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 2020

RMLS™ Rules Roundup for October 2019

Gavel

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 October 2019 our team handled 205 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

October saw an increase of accidental status changes on listings. In some cases, the Seller’s Agent accidentally changed the status to Bumpable Buyer (BMP) shortly after publishing the listing in RMLSweb. Each status change results in a history record being created, and when a status change occurs accidentally, this can potentially cause confusion for other subscribers. If you navigate to the status change module in Listing Load by accident and do not wish to change the status of your listing, simply press the “Cancel” button.

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 review any formal violations in October as they did not meet.

INFORMAL VIOLATIONS

In October 2019, RMLS™ Data Accuracy staff reviewed 17,579 listings in addition to the 406 notices sent through “Report Issue” button on RMLSweb. Of the items reviewed, 1,098 violation notices and 1,282 courtesy notices were sent out.

CategoryOctober
Missing Tax ID405
Personal Promotion106
Incorrect or Missing Information105
Missing Owner Name86
Missing Condo Unit Number84
Missing School74
Year Built Description65
No Showings38
Missing or Incorrect 1st Photo 37
Listing Input in Incorrect MLS area29
Duplicate Listing19
Conditions to Compensation18
Is Property a Condo15
Inaccurate Lot Size6
Duplicate Listing in Different Categories6
City Unknown3
HUD2

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

CategoryOctober
Listing is Set to Expire457
Multiple Owner Names in First Field365
Listing Still Pending353
New Listing Input Over 24 Hours 107

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.