CoreLogic will be performing system maintenance on the evening of Saturday, September 17, 2016 beginning at 11:00 PM through 4:00 AM Sunday morning.  Realist may be intermittently unavailable during this maintenance period.

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09/16/2016

The MLS will be intermittently inaccessible on Friday, September 9th between 1:00am and 5:00am. The Flexmls system may be completely offline for approximately 30 minutes during this window.

This planned maintenance downtime is due to a system upgrade taking place at a network provider used by our vendor, FBS.

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09/07/2016

*Update at 9:37am* – Print to PDF functionality looks to be restored. We are still following up with several other smaller issues.

*Original* We are seeing that it appears the Print to PDF option that was available in several locations within Flexmls is currently unavailable. This, along with several other smaller issues, appears to be the result of the software vendor restoring access to the system after a brief period of inaccessibility this morning.

We are in touch with the vendor and expect to see functionality fully restored at some point today. We will update this notice as we learn more from our vendor.

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08/31/2016

New selections have been added to several MLS fields in MLS.  The changes affect Residential and Res Rental property types only.  These new selections are available immediately when entering or editing a listing.  The new items will appear on the reports in the sections already designated for the fields to which they have been added.

As with all new selections, please remember that it will take some time for the fields to be adopted widely.  This means that many properties that were entered prior to the new items being available.  Unless updated by the listing agent, they may go off market before the agent adds the pertinent new selections.

Below is a list of the new selections now available in the fields identified.

Added to Field – Interior Amenities:

• On-Demand Water Heater
• Water Filtration System
• Whole House Fan
• Gas Dryer Hookup
• Electric Dryer Hookup
• Electric Water Heater
• Gas Water Heater

Added to Field – Exterior Amenities:

• Cistern

Added to Field – Foundation:

• Other

Added to Field – Heating:

• Boiler
• Wall furnace
• No Heat

Modified in Field – Style:

• “Cape Cod” label changed to “Cape Cod/1.5 Story”
  (NOTE: this is primarily a label change.  The previous selection label was simply “Cape Cod”.  No selection for “1.5 Story” style previously existed. The new labeling is meant to encourage the use of this selection for Cape Cod and 1.5 Story properties.)

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08/29/2016

Realist will be performing system maintenance on the evening of Friday, August 26, 2016 beginning at 11:00 PM through 12:00 AM. Realist may be intermittently unavailable during this maintenance period.

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08/26/2016

Primary Policies regarding Delayed Showings / Showing Start Date

1. There may be no showings of any kind until such time as the date established as the “Showing Start Date” has been met. For the purpose of the “Showing Start Date” policy, the following would qualify as showings: Open Houses, realty tours, agent previews
2. The “Showing Start Date” may not be moved to an earlier date for any reason once it has been entered into the MLS. The only exception would be when a mistake is realized and the MLS is notified within 24 hours of entry.
3. The “Showing Start Date” is limited to a date no more than 30 days in the future. If originally set to less than thirty (30) days in the future, it can be extended. The extension cannot be further out than thirty (30) days from the original list date.
4. The “Showing Start Date” cannot be changed once it has been met. If showings must be stopped again for a period of time after the “Showing Start Date” has passed, the listing should be in the withdrawn (Temp off Market) status.
5. Any showing of a property before the “Showing Start Date” has been met will be a violation of MLS Policy and potentially the NAR REALTOR® Code of Ethics. There may also be issues with Fair Housing Laws that could affect the REALTOR®, their broker and the seller.

Below, you will find a recap of several MLS Welcome Screen posts regarding Showing Start Date.

Many questions on the proper utilization of Showing Start Date can be answered via this link. For specific questions regarding showing start date and MLS policy surrounding it, please contact mlspolicy@columbusrealtors.com or the MLS Policy Administrator at 614-475-4000 during the hours of Mon-Fri 8:30a-5:00p.

The list below begins with the most recent article:

Delayed Showing Authorization Form – Now Required for Listings with Future Showing Start Date

A new Delayed Showing Authorization Form has been created and adopted for use with listings that utilize a future Showing Start Date. The form is required for any listing for which the Showing Start Date is after the List Date. (Example: List Date June 1, Showing Start Date June 10.)

Brokers are permitted to formulate their own version of the form provided the substitute form contains at least the same requirements as the MLS version of the form.

Download the Delayed Showing Authorization Form

 – Originally posted 06/24/2016

Showing Start Date Limited to 30 Days in Future of List Date

The Showing Start Date will be limited to a maximum of 30 days in the future from the list date per MLS committee and Board of Directors’ decision.

If originally set less than 30 days in the future, it can be extended. The extension cannot be further out than 30 days from the original List Date. This policy will be effective immediately based on the ability of the vendor to implement the changes. Current listings where the Showing Start Date is more than 30 days out will not be affected.

 – Originally posted 06/24/2016

Showing Start Date Displayed More Prominently on Public and Private Reports

The Showing Start Date field has been added to the top of public and private reports in the MLS.  It was added to the Full Report (1 page), Full 2-page report, and Brief with Photos report.  The field appears directly below the List Price/Original List Price fields at the top right corner of these reports.  Previously, the field was displayed only at the bottom of the private reports.

The Board of Directors felt this was a high priority change since the Showing Start Date directly impacts buyers.  They felt the field should be made much more prominent so that the buyers were aware of this critical field.   Please make sure your clients know about Showing Start Date and that they will not be able to enter the property until the Showing Start Date passes.

 – Originally posted 05/05/2016

Showing Start Date – Live on MLS

The Showing Start Date field is now live on MLS.  The field is required entry for all new and existing listings. Members are now able to promote those listings “not quite ready for showing” while still entering them in MLS.  The Showing Start Date field enables members to enter an exact date when showings will begin.  It is important to note that NO SHOWINGS FOR ANYONE are permitted prior to the Showing Start Date.

New showing policy is also in place.  Verbiage such as “No Showings until 12/30/2015” is allowed in the Property Description field. You may also include a reason for the delayed showings such as “new carpet being installed”.  All wording in the Property Description field is still subject to MLS policies, rules and regulations.

Read the Full Article for more information about this new field and how it will work.

 – Originally posted 12/14/2015

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08/16/2016

Policy Reminder: Reporting of Co-Operative Transaction – It is the responsibility of the listing agent to properly report the cooperating agent/firm when closing out a listing. Failure to properly report this will affect the MLS statistics and the ability of other agents to properly gauge and report on their numbers. The MLS Committee assigns a high level of importance to accurate information and as a result there is a policy regarding this matter.

1.01.02 – Inaccurate Co-op Information for Closing (Sold)  – Data Maintenance Fee with Warning

Warning, $50, $100, $500

If the sale of property listed in MLS resulted in a co-op with another real estate company, the listing company shall report

the name and number of the co-op Participant or just the number (9980) of any non-Participant in the sale of that property.

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08/15/2016

Realist will be performing system maintenance on the evening of Friday, August 12, 2016 beginning at 11:00 PM through 1:00 AM. Realist may be intermittently unavailable during this maintenance period.

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08/12/2016

MLS Policy has been modified in consideration for the Showing Start Date functionality that was recently added.  The previous policy did not allow showing comments or instructions in Property Description field.  While this is still in effect, the policy has been modified to grant one exclusion:

Per MLS committee and Board of Directors decision:
Phrases such as “’XX’ number of hours notice to show” will now be allowed to appear in the public Property Description field. This allows agents to request a reasonable period of time for notice of showing. i.e. “24 hours or more notice to show”. This policy change is effective immediately.

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08/03/2016

Flexmls Consumer Portal App in the Apple App Store
– Flexmls is for Consumers, Flexmls PRO is for Agents

Customers using iPhones can download the Flexmls App from the Apple App Store to access their customer portal.  Both the consumer and Pro versions of the Flexmls App are free. (Please note: This new app for consumers is called Flexmls whereas the app for agents in the Apple App Store is called Flexmls PRO.  The PRO version of the App is still agent-only and requires MLS login.)

One of the primary benefits for consumers to use the new Flexmls iPhone app is to receive push notifications of new listings. Push notifications can be controlled directly by the consumer on their phone so they get the most prompt updates of just the listings they want. Another major benefit is the excellent usability and speed of having the app downloaded to your phone.

The Flexmls App for consumers is for iOS devices only at this time.  The Android version of the App is in development but no ETA has been announced.

Mobile Web Portal – New Look and Feel

A new, fresh look and feel will be applied to the Mobile Web Consumer Portals.  This will affect the functions and visuals that a client sees when the interact with their portal on a mobile device browser.

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07/28/2016