It’s that time of year again to update your listings with the latest property tax information for the 2017 tax year. Many county auditors have updated their tax records already, or will finish their process in the next few weeks, for each parcel in their taxing districts for the 2017 tax year. Voter approved school and bond levies impact those figures each year along with auditor reassessments or owner appeals of property valuation.

Most real estate taxes change annually. It is important that REALTORS®, clients and even sellers be kept apprised of these ever changing figures. While Realist can auto-pop the Yearly Taxes and Tax Year for you when you first enter the listing, it cannot automatically update them when those figures change.

This routine remains an important manual operation for REALTORS® to complete at the beginning of each year.

For listings that are not in a CANCELLED or CLOSED status, these fields can be edited along with other listing fields by editing the listing values through LISTING INFORMATION. This action can be taken by the broker/office admin or by the listing/co-listing agent.

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01/18/2018

New Way to Select Property Type for Quick Search

Beginning Thursday, January 18, the property type used for your last search will be the default for the next search your create.  This means you will not have to select “Residential” every time you start a new Quick Search.  It will default to the “last used” property type.  You can always pick a different property type, but this will save you time.

When starting a Quick Search or a Map Search, you will go directly to the search page where you can immediately start entering search criteria. If you’d like to select a different property type (Land/Farm, Multi-Family, etc), you can do that directly from the Quick Search screen. This change saves time and provides a logical workflow by eliminating the need to select a property type before going to the Quick Search screen.

When you use the menu or favorites link to begin a Quick Search or Map Search, you’ll go directly to the Quick Search screen.

You can begin entering search criteria, or your can change the property type using the Quick Search Template drop down menu. To change the property type for your Quick Search Template, click the current Quick Search (located at the top of the search criteria, ie “Residential”) and select a different property type from the list.

The next time you begin a Quick Search, the system will load the last property type you used. So if your last search used a Residential template, the next time you begin a Quick Search, you’ll begin on a blank Residential Quick Search template.

Please note, specific search criteria (list price, location, square footage, etc.) will be cleared whenever you change Quick Search templates.

The new workflow for selecting a Quick Search template provides a more intuitive workflow and saves time when starting a new search. Most users use the same property type the majority of the time.  Having to select “Residential” every time you start a search is a waste of time if you almost always want a Residential Quick Search.  You click on Quick Search and go directly to the search screen where you can begin entering search criteria or, if necessary, you can change your Quick Search template to the appropriate property type.

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01/16/2018

Virtual Tours Open in a New Window
Beginning January 18, viewing a Virtual Tour in Flexmls will automatically open the Tour in a new window. As a result, the current option, Open All Virtual Tours in a New Window, will be removed when adding Virtual Tours to listings in Flexmls as it won’t be necessary.

The process for adding Virtual Tours to a listing will remain the same. Select a listing to Edit, and select the Virtual Tour option. The option Open all Virtual Tours in a new window will no longer appear. Instead, all Virtual Tours will automatically open in a new window.

When other users view listings and click the Virtual Tour option on the Photo tab, a link will display to view the Tour in a new window.

Opening all Virtual Tours in a new window will make the behavior consistent for all Virtual Tours. Since Flexmls is a secure website, linking to Tours hosted on insecure sites, like YouTube, requires them to open in a new window rather than within the Flexmls Photos tab. In order to keep behavior consistent and intuitive, all Virtual Tours will automatically follow the same behavior and open in a new tab.

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January 3, 2018

MLS Participating Brokers will soon be able to direct the MLS to send their listings to Zillow.

Following extended negotiations, the Columbus and Central Ohio Regional MLS has entered into an agreement with the Zillow Group that the MLS will enable a new feature for Broker Listing Distribution. The new feature allows any MLS Participating Broker, including those regional members in Delaware and Licking County, to opt-in to a feed that will provide their listings to Zillow.

The new dashboard, after testing, should be fully operational within a few weeks, and will include listings that are in either active or contingent status. Participating Brokers should watch for instructions from MLS staff about how to access the new dashboard and how to opt in to the feed. In the meantime, any questions should be directed to MLS Director Bryan Dean at bdean@columbusrealtors.com.

Buyers and sellers alike should be reminded that the best place to find the most accurate and complete display of real estate currently for sale today is by visiting a REALTOR® website.

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01/03/2018

Coming 1/3/18: Flexmls Pro Mobile Web: Improved Sharing Workflow

When you’re using Flexmls Pro Mobile Web, the workflow to share listings will be streamlined, making it easier and more intuitive to share listings. The new functionality will be similar to the existing functionality found in Flexmls Pro for iOS, reducing the differences between platforms.

When Will it Change
The new workflow for sharing will be available on January 3, 2018.

Who Will be Affected
All users who access Flexmls Pro Mobile Web on their mobile devices will be able to use these improvements.

Additionally, as soon as Columbus MLS is updated to the latest version of Flexmls Pro for Android, you will also be able to use the new workflow on your Android app.

What Will Change
When you share a single listing, selected listings, or a search, the share screen will have a blue ribbon at the bottom with three options: Email, Text and More. To share the listing, select (or add) a recipient, type in a message to accompany the link to view listings, and then select the method you’d like to use to share the listings.

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01/02/2018

Updated details from our vendor, FBS, coming to all MLS systems using the Flexmls system. We see the process of visually changing the Contact Management screen has started already. See below details from their information release below:

Soon your Contact Management screen will serve as a convenient central hub for viewing Contact Activity, allowing you to see your most active contacts with a quick glance–no more digging through email notifications to try to determine which clients are viewing the listings you send them. The new Contact Activity tracking keeps all of your contacts’ activity in one place, and a single glance at the activity graphs lets you quickly assess which clients are active or inactive and prioritize your followups more efficiently.

Whether you are using Flexmls Web, Flexmls Pro Mobile Web, or the Flexmls Pro app, you’ll be able to easily identify the contacts you may need to connect with. A Contact Activity bar will indicate which contacts have been the most active in the past seven days, and looking at a contact’s details lets you see their activity over the last 30 days and drill down to see listings that they have viewed, listings they’ve shared with others, and their email activity for subscription and manual emails. Portal activity is also included in Contact Activity, so if your contact relies on the Portal to view listings, you’ll know that they are actively looking at listings with the portal that you provided for them.

WHEN WILL IT CHANGE
Contact Activity tracking will be available on December 19.

WHO WILL BE AFFECTED
The Contact Activity tracking will be available for all users on Flexmls Web, Flexmls Pro Mobile Web, and Flexmls Pro for iOS. This feature will also be available for the upcoming version of Flexmls Pro for Android.

WHAT WILL CHANGE
Contact Activity indicates which contacts are actively viewing and sharing listings. Whether they are looking at listings that you’ve manually emailed to them, looking at listings from subscription emails, or using the portal to view listings, you’ll be able to see what they are up to. When viewing all of your contacts, a quick glance will show you which ones have been the most active recently and if you click to view a contact’s details, you’ll be able to drill down and see what kind of activity they’ve been up to.

Contact Management
When you go to Contact Management in Flexmls Web, you’ll see a column for Activity (Last 7 Days). This column immediately allows you to see which contacts have been viewing and sharing listings within the past seven days. The more listings they are viewing and sharing, the bigger the Activity bar. You can click on the Activity (Last 7 Days) column to sort your contacts by Activity and see the most active contacts at the top of the screen. Please note, the Activity bar updates nightly for each contact.

The past seven days’ worth of activity is also available on the Contacts screen in Flexmls Pro Mobile Web, Flexmls Pro for iOS, and the upcoming version of Flexmls Pro for Android. Tap the sort option at the top to sort by Most Active, Least Active, First Name or Last Name.

Note: When you sort by Contact Activity, the sort applies to the browser or app that you’ve used to sort your contacts. The next time a member uses the same browser or app, it will remember and use the last sort that they applied. If they use a different browser, have cleared their browser’s cache, or access Contact Activity (Last 7 Days) from a different device, the most recent sort will not apply.

Contact Detail
When you select a specific contact in Contact Management, a new Activity tab is available. The graph at the top, shows you a visual representation of the contact’s activity over the past 30 days. A quick look shows you what days the contact was the most active. Additionally, there are expandable sections that allow you to see which listings they’ve viewed, which listings they’ve shared, and how many times they’ve clicked on an email link to view listings.

The same information is available when viewing a contact’s details in Flexmls Pro Mobile Web, Flexmls Pro for iOS, and the upcoming version of Flexmls Pro for Android.

Each section below the Activity Over The Last 30 Days graph is expandable.

• Viewed Listings – This section displays listings that the client has viewed, whether they clicked on a link in an email sent via Flexmls or viewed the listing in their portal. The number to the right indicates how many times they have clicked to view the listing. You can click a listing to view its full details.
• Shared Listings – This section displays listings your client has shared. Every time the client is viewing a listing and clicks the option to share the listing, it will display in this section. You can click a listing to view its full details.
• Email Activity – This section provides summary information for how many emails have been sent to the client hand how many times they have clicked the link in the email to view the listings. It is broken down by the number of Subscription Emails Sent, the number of Subscription Emails Clicked, the number of Manual Emails Sent, and the Number of Manual Emails clicked. If you’d like to view the specific listings that have been sent and how many times those emailed listing links have been clicked, use the Menu to go to My Sent Emails and then choose to view either Manual or Subscription Emails..

WHY ARE WE MAKING THIS CHANGE
We know that your interactions with your clients help lay the foundation for a productive relationship with them. We want to make sure you maximize the time you spend with them, so we’re taking the tools that you already use – tools like Portals, Subscriptions, and Emails – and making them work more effectively and efficiently for you.

Using these tools alone is good, but they are even more powerful when used together as they provide more opportunities to interact with and understand your clients. Contact Activity keeps track of all of their activity in one place and lets you see it with a quick look at the Contact Management screen so you can immediately see the results of all of the Flexmls tools you use to communicate with them. You won’t need to dig through email notifications to see who opened up emails, and you won’t have to wonder which clients are actively looking at listings using the Portal; instead, that information is easy to see and readily available, letting you prioritize and plan your next moves.

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12/14/2017

Congratulations to the winners of the 2017 MLS Committee Election. The people who are slated to serve on the MLS Committee in their Company’s respective listing category are below:

26-100 Listing Category
Regina Acosta-Tobin – Metro Village Realty
JP Faulkner –  Faulkner Realty Group

101-500 Listing Category
Greg Giessler –  Cam Taylor Co. Ltd., Realtors
Jeremy Pape – CRT, Realtors
Amy Clark – ERA Real Solutions Realty

501-1000 Listing Category
Sandra Thomas – RE/MAX Achievers

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12/06/2017

On 11/20/17, eligible MLS Participants (Broker of Record/Designated REALTOR®) were sent a unique link to their online ballot for 2018 MLS Committee members. If you are the official MLS Participant (Broker of Record/Designated REALTOR®) for your company and did not receive this email, please check your Junk (or spam) folders. An alternative would be to visit www.CRelections.com, click ‘Help’ and enter your name and email address. Provided that your email address matches the one we have on file, your voting credentials will be sent to you immediately.

Original Post on 11/20/17
Updated 11/30/17

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11/21/2017

New update coming from our vendor to all systems using Flexmls (including us in Columbus). See details below:

What is happening?

In an effort to improve security, the process for resetting your password from the login screen will be more intuitive and user-friendly. Additionally, the minimum requirements for your Flexmls password are getting stronger. When you set a new password, it will require a minimum of 6 characters (containing at least one character and one number) and you will no longer be limited to using only 8 characters.

WHEN WILL IT CHANGE
Beginning on November 29, these changes will be enforced when changing your password.

Note: You will not be forced to change your password on November 29, and you can continue to use your current password, even if it does not meet the new minimum strength requirements. You will only be required to use a password that meets the minimum strength requirements when you change your password after November 29.

WHO WILL BE AFFECTED
When you change your password after November 29, the process will follow the steps outlined below in the What Will Change section.

Whether you are changing your password as a result of an MLS requirement to update it every few months or you’ve forgotten your password and are requesting a new one, the new password must be between 6 and 100 characters and contain a minimum of one number and one character.

WHAT WILL CHANGE
Password Strength
Passwords must be between 6 and 100 characters and contain a minimum of one number and one character. Additionally, the most commonly used passwords – such as using your login as your password or using words like ‘password’ – are not permitted. Also note, if your MLS currently prevents you from using previously used passwords, that requirement will still be in effect.

When changing your password, you will receive a prompt to meet these requirements if the new password you’ve entered doesn’t meet the minimum strength requirements.

Request a New Password
If you are on the Flexmls login screen and cannot remember your password, click on the Password not working? Click here link.

Enter your username, and click the Reset Password button.

Check your email for a Password Reset Request and click the Update Password link.

Please note the following concerning the Update Password link:

• When you receive a Password Reset email, changing your password is NOT REQUIRED. Your current password will still work and you can safely ignore the email if you’d like.
• The link in the Password Reset email is valid for 24 hours.

·  If you request multiple password resets, any one of the emailed links will work (or you can ignore them and choose to keep using your current password).
Enter and confirm a new password. Please note that when you enter a new password, the system will prompt you to ensure that it meets the minimum strength requirements. Click Update Password to complete the process.

Update Password from Inside Flexmls
The process to update your password while you’re currently logged into Flexmls will not change. Use the Menu to go to My Profile , click on Security, and select Change Password. Enter your current password, then enter a new password that meets the minimum security requirements.

WHY ARE WE MAKING THIS CHANGE
Increasing the strength requirements for your password makes your account more secure, while streamlining the process for requesting a new password offers a better user experience. The new process eliminates the need to use a temporary password, and when you receive a Password Reset email, you are not required to change your password and can ignore it if it was sent in error.

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11/17/2017

CoreLogic will install Realist version 1.17 on the morning of Thursday November 16th. Realist may be unavailable between 1:00 AM and 5:00 AM during the installation process.

Two notable changes with this update:

• Updates the Change Region with additional logic to display the most recent Sale Date in in counties where Recording Date data is not provided

• Remove Bird’s Eye button
In conjunction with a Microsoft-mandated update to Realist’s Bing mapping interface, the Bird’s Eye view within the Realist map was deactivated as that view is no longer supported by Microsoft. The Bird’s Eye button will be removed from view with this release.

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11/14/2017