The RMLS™ Data Accuracy team has noticed an upswing in reports about personal promotion on RMLSweb—particularly on video tours—the past several weeks.
What the Rules Say
Here’s what the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations say about personal promotion on RMLSweb: 3.24 Personal Promotion and Contact Information in Public Remarks and on Photos Prohibited Listings submitted to RMLS™ may be used to provide information pertinent to the listed properly only and may not be used to provide broker, seller, or lessor contact information, or to advertise a subscriber’s services to the public by way of direct or indirect advertising or “branding” of the listing data (through linking or otherwise), including photograph(s). This rule does not prohibit the accidental inclusion of yard signs in photographs. “Virtual tours” and “video tours” may not include “branding” or personal advertising in the body of the tour. RMLS™ may remove personal promotion from public remarks or photo(s) with personal promotion.
In other words, only a description of the property is permitted in public remarks, and only imagery of the property is permitted in photos or videos.
Examples of Personal Promotion in a Listing:
Examples of Acceptable Listing:
According to the RMLS™ Board of Directors “personal promotion” on your RMLSweb listing includes (but is not limited to) the name of the listing broker/agent, any contact phone numbers, website links (if that website provides any information other than a description of the property), and 1-800 numbers with recorded messages that “capture” information from the caller. Virtual and video tours must be unbranded and contain only images of the property.
We don’t want to remove your hard work from RMLSweb, but our job ensures listing data quality on RMLSweb and beyond, as well as fairness to all our subscribers. Contact the RMLS™ Data Accuracy Department at (503) 236-7657 if you want to discuss your listings with us.
The RMLS™ Data Accuracy team has noticed an upswing in reports about personal promotion on RMLSweb—particularly on video tours—the past several weeks.
What the Rules Say
Here’s what the RMLS™ Rules and Regulations say about personal promotion on RMLSweb: 3.24 Personal Promotion and Contact Information in Public Remarks and on Photos Prohibited Listings submitted to RMLS™ may be used to provide information pertinent to the listed properly only and may not be used to provide broker, seller, or lessor contact information, or to advertise a subscriber’s services to the public by way of direct or indirect advertising or “branding” of the listing data (through linking or otherwise), including photograph(s). This rule does not prohibit the accidental inclusion of yard signs in photographs. “Virtual tours” and “video tours” may not include “branding” or personal advertising in the body of the tour. RMLS™ may remove personal promotion from public remarks or photo(s) with personal promotion.
In other words, only a description of the property is permitted in public remarks, and only imagery of the property is permitted in photos or videos.
Examples of Personal Promotion in a Listing:
Examples of Acceptable Listing:
According to the RMLS™ Board of Directors “personal promotion” on your RMLSweb listing includes (but is not limited to) the name of the listing broker/agent, any contact phone numbers, website links (if that website provides any information other than a description of the property), and 1-800 numbers with recorded messages that “capture” information from the caller. Virtual and video tours must be unbranded and contain only images of the property.
We don’t want to remove your hard work from RMLSweb, but our job ensures listing data quality on RMLSweb and beyond, as well as fairness to all our subscribers. Contact the RMLS™ Data Accuracy Department at (503) 236-7657 if you want to discuss your listings with us.
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.
We tracked 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 26 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
Property Condition (previously known as Year Built Description) saw a spike in violations last month. As a reminder, the Property Condition needs to be changed to “New” on a new construction property before it is updated to sold (SLD) status. Making sure that the Property Condition is up to date throughout the construction and selling process will help to ensure that the listing data is accurate. Further, it will make the post close process as smooth as it can be.
TIP: Prior to scheduling a showing, it’s important to double check the listing for any special showing accommodation requests or notes from the seller(s) and/or Seller’s Agent. Be safe out there!
The committee did not meet in August 2020 as there were no cases to review.
INFORMAL VIOLATIONS
In August 2020, RMLS™ Data Accuracy staff reviewed 31,594 listings in addition to the 476 notices sent through “Report Issue” button on RMLSweb. Of the items reviewed, 1,241 violation notices and 2,196 courtesy notices were sent out. In addition our team handled 419 phone calls.
Category
August
Missing Tax ID
390
Incorrect or Missing Information
159
Personal Promotion
131
Missing School
77
Missing Owner Name
71
No Showings
70
Property Condition
66
Duplicate Listing
44
Incorrect Status
44
Incorrect First Photo
44
Conditions to Compensation
26
Is Property a Condo
26
Incorrect Property Type
24
Listing Input in Incorrect MLS area
15
Duplicate Listing in Different Categories
14
Inaccurate Lot Size
12
Partial Bathrooms 5+
9
Address Issues
6
City Unknown
5
Missing Condo Unit Number
3
HUD
3
Remarks Incorrectly Indicate Short Sale
1
Missing SQFT by Level
1
The following are the courtesy notifications sent to RMLS™ subscribers in August 2020:
Category
August
Listing is Set to Expire
983
Multiple Owner Names in First Field
585
Listing Still Pending
496
New Listing Input Over 24 Hours
127
Listing Status Change over 24 Hours
5
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 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.
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.
We tracked 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 26 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 been looking at ways to help improve the database of listings and one thing that we noticed is that there are quite a few listings that were not updated from pending (PEN) status to sold (SLD) status within the required time frame. As a reminder, all status changes must be made within 24 hours, excepting weekends and postal holidays, of the actual change in status. We are working on a mechanism to send out courtesy reminders to people who have gone beyond this time frame.
This month we want to continue to remind everyone that prior to scheduling a showing, it’s important to double check the listing for any special showing accommodation requests or notes from the seller(s) and/or Seller’s Agent. Be safe out there!
The committee did not meet in July 2020 as there were no cases to review.
INFORMAL VIOLATIONS
In July 2020, RMLS™ Data Accuracy staff reviewed 34,253 listings in addition to the 493 notices sent through “Report Issue” button on RMLSweb. Of the items reviewed, 1,375 violation notices and 1,940 courtesy notices were sent out. In addition our team handled 457 phone calls.
Category
July
Missing Tax ID
474
Incorrect or Missing Information
157
Personal Promotion
116
Missing School
100
Missing Owner Name
82
Duplicate Listing
67
No Showings
60
Incorrect First Photo
50
Incorrect Status
44
Conditions to Compensation
41
Is Property a Condo
39
Incorrect Property Type
28
Missing Condo Unit Number
24
Listing Input in Incorrect MLS area
20
Inaccurate Lot Size
18
Partial Bathrooms 5+
15
Address Issues
14
Duplicate Listing in Different Categories
11
Property Condition
9
City Unknown
4
HUD
2
The following are the courtesy notifications sent to RMLS™ subscribers in July 2020:
Category
July
Listing is Set to Expire
795
Multiple Owner Names in First Field
677
Listing Still Pending
286
New Listing Input Over 24 Hours
129
Listing Status Change over 24 Hours
17
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 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.
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 2020, our team handled 498 phone calls.
We tracked 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 26 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
Photographs are an important aspect of listing content in the MLS. All listings submitted to RMLS™ are required to have one photograph of the exterior building view, or land if a bare land listing. If multiple photos are submitted the first one must always be an exterior building view. In the case of new construction a floor plan or exterior elevation may be submitted until the building is completed at which point a photo of the exterior building view should be submitted.
The one exception is when your seller(s) have requested that no photos be published with their listing. In this case a signed Photograph Omission Form or equivalent document must be submitted to RMLSweb (Back Office -> Submit Excluded Listing -> Select Category=Photo Omission) within 24 hours of publishing the listing.
Photographs may not contain any added text or graphics, or any alterations that misrepresent the property. Any photograph that contains virtual staging must be disclosed using the “Virtually Staged” watermark. Residential new construction listings that use a photograph of a similar home must disclose it on the photograph with the “Sample Image” watermark.
This month we want to continue to remind everyone that prior to scheduling a showing, it’s important to double check the listing for any special showing accommodation requests or notes from the seller(s) and/or Seller’s Agent. Be safe out there!
The committee did not meet in June 2020 as there were no cases to review.
INFORMAL VIOLATIONS
In June 2020, RMLS™ Data Accuracy staff reviewed 34,077 listings in addition to the 540 notices sent through “Report Issue” button on RMLSweb. Of the items reviewed, 1,367 violation notices and 1,580 courtesy notices were sent out.
Category
June
Missing Tax ID
499
Personal Promotion
225
Incorrect or Missing Information
15
Missing Owner Name
81
Missing School
79
Duplicate Listing
62
Incorrect Status
48
No Showings
43
Incorrect First Photo
41
Is Property a Condo
29
Incorrect Property Type
20
Inaccurate Lot Size
16
Partial Bathrooms 5+
14
Listing Input in Incorrect MLS area
12
Conditions to Compensation
11
Address Issues
9
Duplicate Listing in Different Categories
6
HUD
4
Missing Condo Unit Number
4
City Unknown
3
Property Condition
2
The following are the courtesy notifications sent to RMLS™ subscribers in June 2020:
Category
June
Multiple Owner Names in First Field
633
Listing is Set to Expire
520
Listing Still Pending
303
New Listing Input Over 24 Hours
115
Listing Status Change over 24 Hours
9
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 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.
