You can now download the latest review of the MLS Policy Violation Manual.  The manual has been updated for November of 2016.

One notable change is the new policy regarding comments specific to buyers (1.02.13) listed below. The manual can be downloaded in PDF format here.

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

Back To Top

11/17/2016

The Rooms field has 2 new selections in Residential and Res Rental. One item, “3-Season Room”, is new.  The other item was relabeled from “Florida Room” to “4-Season Room – Heated”.

Please remember that the new selection “3-Season Room” will take time to be fully searchable. New fields can take months to be fully populated with accurate selections as new listings are added and existing listing are updated by the listing agent.  No listings were automatically mapped to this new selection.  If your listed property has a 3-Season Room, you must manually edit your listing to select this item in the Rooms field.

All listings that previously had “Florida Room” selected have been automatically relabeled “4-Season Room – Heated”.  If this does not correctly describe your property, please manually edit your listing to reflect the correct selections in the Rooms field.

Back To Top

11/02/2016

The field “SqFt Tax Record” has been relabeled “SqFt Documented”.  This label was changed by the MLS committee to more accurately describe the field.  Since documents other than the tax record (auditor) can be used to update this field, the MLS committee felt the new name was more accurate.

In the the coming weeks, a new field called “Documented SqFt Source” will be added directly below the “SqFt Documented” field.  The “Source” field will be used to identify the document source for any change to the “Documented SqFt” field.  Realist will continue to auto-populate both SqFt ATFLS and SqFt Documented (formerly Tax Record) fields.  If Realist successfully auto-populates both fields, then “Realist” will be entered in both ATFLS and Documented “Source”.

Although ATFLS Source can be modified, the new Documented Source field will be locked.  Agents must contact the MLS staff in order to modify the “Documented Source” in order to verify the source documents.  Acceptable documentation will be: Appraisal, Auditor, Builder Statement, and Floor Plan.

Back To Top

10/05/2016

The Showing Start Date (SSD) field is allowed to be no more than 30 days after list date (30 days in the future).  It is also not allowed to be edited after the SSD has passed.

Currently, the software is allowing the SSD to be edited even after it has passed.  FBS is working to correct this bug.  In the meantime, the ability to edit the SSD after the listing has been made active has temporarily been turned off.  This is to prevent the SSD from being modified after it has already lapsed.

The ability to edit the SSD will be reactivated as soon as the software can prevent modification of the field after the date has passed.

Back To Top

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

Back To Top

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.

Back To Top

08/15/2016

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.

Back To Top

08/03/2016

Pictures on the MLS cannot be branded in any way.  This applies explicitly to your “For Sale” sign.  MLS photos are available to the public through MLS email and broker-operated websites.  For this reason, For Sale signs are considered very volatile and are subject to an immediate $100 fine. It doesn’t matter if the signage or other branding is on the primary or secondary photos.  It is an MLS policy violation and you will receive a fine.  Please check your listings photos for possible violations for yard signs or any other branding on your photos. Please review the actual MLS policy below.

Policy 1.03.05 – Unallowable Data on Photos and Public Documents – Fine with No Warning
$100, $200, $500 (escalated for additional infraction)

No marketing devices of any type (e.g., logos, readable for sale signs, company names, phone numbers, Web sites, e-mail addresses including embedded, overlaid or digitally stamped information etc.) shall appear on or with any photos or public documents except for the following:

• Any listing with the MLS watermark “CR” must allow it to remain visible on the photo.
• Any Build-to-Suit listing whose primary (first) photo must display one of the MLS images provided.
• Any listing whose altered primary photo or image (whereby that primary photo or image displayed would not be what was visible at the property location) must display on that primary photo or image the words “Not Actual Property” in 36-point type or larger.
• An image may have text overlays added on primary and secondary photos provided it is descriptive or informative of the property and it is not misleading, branded or leads to branding, i.e., no agent or brokerage information.
• No people are permitted in the primary photo. People may appear in secondary photos.

Back To Top

06/30/2016

Two new selections have been added to the existing Accessibility Features Worksheet.  These new selected, Elevator and Stair Lift appear in the “Other” section of the form.  The Accessibility Features Worksheet is required when the MLS field “Accessibility Features” is set to Yes on a listing.  Agents are highly encouraged to attach the completed form to their listing in the MLS.

The Accessibility Features field acts as a notification that a property has Accessibility Features ‘of some kind’.  The required Accessibility Features Worksheet allows the agent to detail the degree of accessibility.  The form has been updated to include options for Elevator and Stair Lift.

Download the updated Accessibility Features Worksheet

Back To Top

06/24/2016

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

Back To Top