Flexmls training webinars offer live, online training on a variety of topics.  Below are the latest offerings through October.  Click the link beside the date and time for the webinar you wish to attend.  You will be taken to a registration page for that webinar.

Note:  All basic functions of the Flexmls system will be identical to those used in the Columbus MLS but the exact field names may be different.  Attendees will be from across the country and the specific MLS used for the demonstrations will likely be from other cities, not Columbus.

Click a link below to register:

8/29 – 3pm – 60 min.
Flexmls Customizations

9/5 – 12pm – 30 min.
Flexmls Pro for Android & Mobile Web

9/26 – 12pm – 30 min.
Flexmls General Preferences

10/11 – 11am – 60 min.
Creating Map Overlays & Statistics

10/30 – 2pm – 30 min.
Managing Collections in Flexmls Pro

Back To Top

08/23/2018

VIDEO OF NEW PORTAL:  Click here to see a video preview of the new portal.

VIDEO OF ENABLING NEW PORTAL AND SETTINGS:  Click here to see a video of the New Portal Settings screen and how to enable the new portal.

Would you like to download or print a copy of this New Portal announcement? Click here to view the PDF.

A new, updated Portal interface for clients will be made available in flexmls in September.  The new Portal (aka P2, if you want to be “trendy”) is more visual and easier for clients to navigate.  It will have larger, more prominent photos.

Old Portal:
      

New Portal:
 

Update – Agent Settings for the new Portal:

The Portal Preferences page looks very different when the new Portal is enabled.  There are some changes as well.  Some settings are removed.   The basic layout of the settings is a new, collapsed view.  Each section of the settings can be expanded by clicking the section you want to modify.

Three New Preferences:

1. Intro – Short promo video for the new portal
2. My Listings – This will display the Agent’s active listings on the Portal Log In page.
3. Other – Allows the user to return to Classic Portals

Renamed Preferences: 

1. Portal Basics– (previously called Portal) Allows you to set change the portal name/url. Allows you to turn off the portal (it is enabled by default when using the new portal)
2. Intro Email– (previously called Invite) Lets you change the default portal invitation email.
3. News Feed– (this is called Exclude these listings statuses from appearing in the news feed unless the status is included in the search in the Classic Portal) – Instead of Excluding specific statuses from the news feed, the setting will include the selected statuses and allow them to stay in the news feed.
4. Listing Content Option– Similar to previous options on the detail tab. Allows agents to default to displaying Open House, Documents, and Tax Info.
5. Emailed Listing Links– previously called Listing Links from email show. This determins where subscription email links open (News Feed, only listings in the specific email, or the saved search that generated the subscription email).

Removed Preferences:

Some preferences have been removed. These include Start Position, Detail, Business Card and several others.  Since these are incorporated into the default design of the new Portal, there is no customization.  These items will always be displayed in their new, “P2”/New Portal layout.

Changes in Contact Management:

The View News Feed option allows the agent to work on behalf of the client. The agent can see the portal, mark favorites, hide, and recommend listings.

NOTE: Even if the new portal is enabled, the agent will see the Classic Portal layout when they work on behalf of the client.

Simplified settings when mailing Public Listings:

The manual email screen is simplified when emailing public versions of a listing.  Some of the Classic Portal settings don’t apply to the new layout.

When a manual email of the public version of the listing is sent, the recipient views the listing in the new portal format (even if they are not using the Portal itself). This ensures that all listings from Flexmls follow the same format/design–keeping the client’s user-experience the same for all listing updates (subscription emails, manually emailed listings, and portal).

NOTE: Private versions of the email will still have the options that agents are used to seeing.

How do I enable the new portal?

After the New Portal is enabled to all users in September, you will see a button on Portal Preferences. The large, blue button will read, “Try the New Flexmls Portal”.  As soon as you enable the New Portal, ALL of your clients will have the new interface.

Reminder:  Switching back and forth repeatedly would be very confusing to the clients.

 Things to note about the new Portal:

1. Old (aka Classic) Portal design will continue to be available. Agents can choose between new and old-style Portal
2. New Portal will be opt-in for existing agents. It will not automatically change to new Portal.
3. New Agents who join MLS after the September release of the new Portal will default to new-style Portal, but they can “revert” to old Classic-style Portal.
4. All clients for each agent will use the new or old style based upon the agent’s preference.
   1. Agents cannot have one client on the new Portal and another client on old Portal.
   2. When an agent changes their Portal style preference (new vs. old), all clients will be immediately moved to that style of portal. Switching back and forth repeatedly would be very confusing to the clients.

Would you like to download or print a copy of this New Portal announcement? Click here to view the PDF.

VIDEO OF NEW PORTAL:  Click here to see a video preview of the new portal.

If you prefer to see screenshots of the new functionality, here you go:

New “Contact Agent” button appears at the top of each listing report.

Simplified “send” box appears to allow client to contact their agent quickly.

Hovering over a photo on the new Portal will cause the photo to “pop-up” over the property on the map.

Clicking on the photo will take the client to the photo viewer and listing information for that property.

Some considerations before switching to the new Portal:

1. Existing reports from flexmls (ie “1-page, 2-page, Brief with Photos”) have been replaced with a standard “Portal report layout.”
   1. The listing info on the new Portal is always displayed in the new Portal report format. The MLS-created reports are not available.

2. Subscription/News Feed listings sent by auto-email will also display the new, generic Portal report layout since the subscription links take the user to the Newsfeed section of the new Portal.
3. Custom Collections cannot be created by the client on the new Portal. (Very few clients utilized this function on the old Portal.)
4. Clients cannot print listings from the new Portal.

Back To Top

08/10/2018

RPR has recently provided a list of upcoming webinars for August 2018. The links below will take you to RPR for the specific event for registration. Note that it appears that many of these events have multiple potential dates to register.

View All Webinars available

Getting Started With RPR

Residential:

Get the Most out of the RPR/zipForm^® Partnership

Pre-listing Checklist: Use RPR to Nail Your Next Listing Presentation

Open House Tips & Tricks from RPR

RPR for Residential Investment Analyses

Design and Deliver a Successful Buyer Tour With RPR

Commercial Webinar Recordings:

Introduction to RPR Commercial

RPR Mobile^™ for Commercial Practitioners

Adding Value to Multifamily Investments Through Renovations and Refinancing

Broker/Owner Workshops:

Introduction to RPR’s Broker Tool Set

RPR Overview for Broker/Owners and Managers

RPR Data Tool and Market Reports

Back To Top

08/06/2018

A change was made in 2016 that affects what can be said about listings that are “Back on the Market” because of buyer related matters. The policy is listed below:

1.02.13 – Comments Specific to Buyers in the Property Description Field

Comments specific to buyers or buyer-related information, including financing concerns, are not permitted in the Property Description field.  The comment “Back On Market – See Agent to Agent Remarks” is permitted. MLS staff is authorized to delete wording as needed to make the Property Description compliant with this policy.  The policy will be effective Immediately with enforcement beginning November 1, 2016

Some examples of phrases that are not permitted are listed below:

Back On Market – Buyer’s Financing Fell Through

Back On Market – Buyer’s Unable to Perform

Back On Market – Buyers Back Out of Contract

Note: the examples above are not all inclusive. In general, any comments relating to the potential buyer and/or their part of the transaction can not be used.

For your review you can always download the latest version of the MLS Policy Violation Manual.  The manual can be downloaded in PDF format here.

If you have any questions if a phrase is acceptable or not please contact the MLS staff to verify policy compliance. email mlspolicy@columbusrealtors.com or call 614-475-4000

Back To Top

08/02/2018

Please make sure to select “Yes” if you want to deliver your listing to Catylist from MLS for all Commercial, Office, Industrial and Business Op listings.

“CIE Export Y/N” is a required field in MLS for all Commercial, Office, Industrial and Business Op listings entered into the MLS. It was added to MLS in June 2018. The field determines whether the listing will be made available to Catylist. The field appears on the Edit Listing screen below the Printing Services field on the “Details” tab.  The CIE Export field does not display on listing reports.

PLEASE NOTE:
The new field was back-populated “NO” for all existing listings. All newly added listing will require the agent to manually select Yes or No before saving the listing as Active in MLS. You must manually select “YES” if you want your listing sent to Catylist.

Summary:
• New field named “CIE Export Y/N”
• Determines whether flexmls will send the listing by subscription email to Catylist staff
• Required entry for newly entered Commercial, Office, Industrial, Bus Op property types
• Existing listing were auto-popped with “NO” in this field.
• New field does not display on listing reports, only Add/Edit
• CIE Export field is located on the “Details” tab in the listing edit screen

Back To Top

07/26/2018

The Auction field has been relabeled “Auction/Online Bidding” to accommodate the selection of “YES” in this field for online bidding-type auctions.  This change was made because the State of Ohio does not recognize online auction services as traditional auctions.

Help text has been added for the newly relabeled “Auction/Online Bidding” field as well as the “Additional Acceptance Conditions” field.  This help text will appear on the add/edit screen beside the fields these fields.  The text is intended to promote proper usage of these fields.  It will also clarify the label change of the Auction field.  The exact help text appears below.

1. In the Additional Acceptance Conditions field beside the Online Bidding selection: “Must be selected if an online auction service will be used for this property.”
2. Beside the Auction/Online Bidding field: If online bidding will be used for the sale of this property, select “YES” in the Auction/Online Bidding Y/N field and “online bidding” MUST be selected in the Additional Acceptance Conditions field. The State of Ohio does not recognize online auction services as “traditional auctions”.

Back To Top

07/10/2018

A Realist update is scheduled for the early morning of Thursday July 12^th, 2018.  Realist may be intermittently unavailable between 1:00 AM and 5:00 AM during the installation process.

Back To Top

07/09/2018

The Columbus REALTORS® association headquarters will close early at 4:00pm on Tuesday, July 3rd and all day on Wednesday, July 4th in observance of Independence Day. The association will open for normal business hours on Thursday, July 5th at 8:30am.

Schedule:
Tuesday, July 3, 2018 – Closing at 4:00pm
Wednesday, July 4, 2018 – Closed
Thursday, July 5, 2018 – Open at 8:30am

Back To Top

07/03/2018

Video and audio surveillance is everywhere.  It’s on the streets and highways, in stores, in cars, and ever more frequently inside private homes.  When taking a client into a home, it is important to understand that nanny-cams and pinhole cameras may be recording everything you say and do.  While you can’t blame a homeowner for wanting to keep an eye on their property, you must be aware of the privacy concerns of the buyers as well.

View the full, state-by-state “Video and Audio Surveillance State Law Survey” on the NAR website here.  An excerpt from the NAR website regarding the laws governing surveillance in the state of Ohio appears below.

Summary for Ohio:
A person may record oral conversations where either the person is a party to the conversation or at least one of the participants has consented to the recording. A person may not surreptitiously videotape another for the purpose of viewing the body/undergarments of that person.

Statute – Communications:
A person may intercepts a wire, oral, or electronic communication, if the person is a party to the communication or if one of the parties to the communication has given the person prior consent to the interception, and if the communication is not intercepted for the purpose of committing a criminal offense or tortious. Ohio Rev. Code Ann. §2933 52(B)(4)

Statute – Videos:
No person shall secretly or surreptitiously videotape, film, photograph, or otherwise record another person under or through the clothing being worn by that other person for the purpose of viewing the body of, or the undergarments worn by, that other person. Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 2907.08(D)

Back To Top

06/12/2018

“CIE Export Y/N” is a new, required field in MLS for all Commercial, Office, Industrial and Business Op listings entered into the MLS.  The field determines whether the listing will be made available to Catylist.  The field will appear on the Edit Listing screen below the Printing Services field on the “Details” tab.  The CIE Export field will not display on listing reports.  The release of the new field is scheduled for June 4, 2018.  It may take a few weeks for CIE/Catylist to begin adding the listings in Catylist after the new field is created.

PLEASE NOTE:  The new field will be back-populated “NO” for all existing listings.  All newly added listing will require the agent to manually select Yes or No before saving the listing as Active in MLS.  It may require some existing listings to enter Yes/No when edited, until all existing listings are back-populated with “no”.

Summary:

• New field name “CIE Export Y/N”
• Determines whether flexmls will send the listing by subscription email to Catylist staff
• Required entry for newly entered Commercial, Office, Industrial, Bus Op property types
• Existing listing will be auto-popped with “NO” in this field. (may occur after initial field added)
• Will not display on listing reports, only Add/Edit
• Field is located on “Details” tab in the listing edit screen

Back To Top

06/04/2018