The Section 8 field has been removed from the Res Rental property type. The communities of Reynoldsburg, Bexley, and Columbus recently implemented legislation that potential tenants cannot be disqualified based on their legal source of income. More communities are expected to implement a similar type of law.

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10/11/2021

You can now download the latest review of the MLS Policy Violation Manual.  The manual has been updated for changes effective September 1, 2020.

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09/30/2021

Policy 1.02.16 has been updated to include requirements for properties in Active status.  See full policy below.

1.02.16 – Active on MLS Date for Coming Soon or Active Status – Inaccurate Remarks/Description 

• For Coming Soon, the date showings begin must be accurate between property description, agent-to-agent remarks, and the Active on MLS date field. If the Active on MLS date is changed, all other fields must be updated to match.
• For Active, showings must be available unless “curb offers only” is indicated.
• For Back on Market, showings must begin within 72 hours unless “curb offers only” is indicated.

If the time limitations cannot be met, the listing must be taken off the market until ready for showings.

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08/27/2021

The label for the “Contingent Finance and Inspection” status label will change to simply “Contingent” on August 11. This is only a label change for this status. The functionality has not changed. This change was made since many contingencies may not include both Financing AND Inspection.

The Contingency Reason field still exists and should be used to clarify the specifics of the contingency (Finance OR Inspection). Contingent Escape (eg. Sale of Home) and Contingent Lien Release (eg. Short Sale) statuses also still
exist and should be used for these specific types of contingencies.

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08/10/2021

The MLS Listing Lifecycle and MLS Listing Status Guides have been updated as of May 2021 to include a section for Coming Soon status The Lifecycle Guide will lead readers through the stages of a listing, from conception to closing. The Status Guide details the basic usage of each listing status encountered in the MLS. These updated guides can be found on www.columbusrealtors.com under the MLS “Rules and Regulations” section.

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07/26/2021

The Den selection in MLS has been relabeled to Den/Home Office. This update is to better reflect the use of the space with the increasing popularity of home office spaces. The change is visible in all fields that contained a Den option. This includes the Add/Edit screen, Quick Search, and all reports where the Den field is displayed. 

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07/23/2021

A new searchable field known as the Sewer field has been added to FlexMLS. Using this, members can indicate on their listings whether the property has a Public Sewer, or a Private Sewer. This can also be used as search criteria for quick searches. Sewer is not enabled on searches by default and must be added to your search using the Add a field to this search option at the bottom of the currently added criteria.

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07/19/2021

Closed listings must be entered into the MLS within 96 hours from the actual closing and funding date.

HUD listings are to be updated within 96 hours of either:

1) Asset Manager’s notice of closing
2) the county auditor or Realist published sale information for the property.

Please ensure that your closed listings are entered before this deadline to avoid any warnings or fines.

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05/13/2021

Have you ever wanted to hide your photos in the MLS? Well, you can’t exactly hide them, but you can mark them as “private”. When a photo is marked as Private, only other agents can see them. Be sure to check out the video on this topic with the link below. Each video will provide a very short synopsis of a timely MLS policy or software function, so don’t miss them!

MLS Video Minute – 1 – Private Photos (vimeo.com)

• From the main MLS page, go to the “change listing” screen for the listing you want to edit.
• If you have photos on your listing, you should see the Photos option under the Media section as seen below.

• Inside are the photos of your listing (Note that the primary photo cannot be hidden). To select a photo, click the checkbox in the upper-right corner of each photo.
• Upon selecting one or more photos, the following options will appear at the top of the photo screen.

• Once you have all the photos you wish to hide selected, click “Mark Private” and the photo will immediately be private and unable to be seen by anyone outside of the MLS.
  • Alternatively, you can click “Mark Private while off-market”, which makes the photos private only when the status is Temp Off Market, Canceled, Expired, or Closed.
• Viola! Your photos are now hidden!

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05/05/2021

The Office Exclusive form allowed agents to keep a listing exclusive to their brokerage. The Brokerage Exclusive Waiver Form is the same form with a new name.  The form is still required when a listing will not be placed on the MLS on the Commencing Date on the Listing Agreement.

                A number of members thought that the old Office Exclusive form limited the listing to just the listing office, denying them the support of their sister offices. The name change of the Brokerage Exclusive Waiver Form clarifies that the listing can be shared with the entire brokerage, not just a satellite office.

                Most details of the form remain the same. The Brokerage Exclusive Waiver Form is still required to have an exclusive listing. It must be submitted to the Columbus MLS within 48 hours after the Commencing Date on the Listing Agreement. Exclusive listings cannot be advertised outside the brokerage, as doing so can result in a Clear Cooperation violation. Any exclusive listing marketed outside the brokerage must be entered as Active or Coming Soon in the MLS within 1 business day, or a significant fine for Clear Cooperation violations will be assessed.

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04/30/2021