The MLS committee is reviewing the disclosure of fracking and mineral rights disclosure on the MLS worksheets.  We need your help and input.

Tell us how fracking (hydraulic fracturing) has positively or negatively affected your business, your clients, and your transactions in real estate in central Ohio.  Any information you can provide as to the benefits or liabilities of fracking disclosure will be helpful to the committee.

Please email your experiences, recommendations, or warnings regarding fracking disclosure on MLS to Matt Warren  – mwarren@columbusrealtors.com

Thanks for your input!

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05/03/2013

The MLS Committee recently confirmed that the MLS photos designed exclusively for use with your Build-to-Suit properties cannot be used for any listings other than new construction withoutbuilding permits.  Warnings and/or data maintenance fees will continue to be issued for those found in violation.

New construction with a building permit is required to display the primary photo with the words “Not Actual Property” appearing in 36 point type or larger if the actual photo either is not (1) the current stage of construction or (2) the actual interior.

Again … please do not use the Build-to-Suit primary photos that MLS provides for any listing other than new construction without building permits.   Those photos serve as quick identification of vacant ground listings with a proposed house that is currently not under construction.

Thank you for your cooperation.

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04/26/2013

If your listing currently has Contingent-Escape status, and “Sale of Home” is not the most accurate description of the reason for contingency, please update your listing now to a more accurate Contingency Reason.

When changing a listing to Contingent-Escape status, the MLS system automatically populates “Sale of Home” in the Contingency Reason field. This has not changed. However, prior to March 2013, the field Contingency Reason was locked and could not be modified from “Sale of Home”, even if there was some other description for the contingency reason. This field, Contingency Reason is now unlocked and able to be modified for all listings that are currently Contingent-Escape status. This behavior is similar to the function of Contingent-Fin/Ins.

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03/14/2013

Please review the updated article from CBR CEO Stan Collins regarding the use of Coming Soon signs.

https://columbusrealtors.com/NewsDetail.aspx?article=57049088

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03/12/2013

The MLS Policy Violation and Data Maintenance Fee Manual has been revised and is now on the CBR web site here.

Specific policies that were added/changed are:

 1.03.02 – Improper Display of Photos

1.03.03 – Unallowable Data on Photos

1.03.05 – Primary Photo Build-to-Suit Property Types                                                  

1.06.01 – Re-entry of Same Property Prior to 30-Day Off-Market

SECTION 5.01 – DATA MAINTENANCE FEE WAIVER PROCESS WITH EDUCATION CLASS

The Data Maintenance Fee(s) must be paid prior to attending the Real Estate Data Accuracy class.

• ·         REALTOR® is required to stay for the first hour of the Real Estate Data Accuracy class to receive a refund of a data maintenance fee.
• ·         REALTOR® is required to stay for the entire two hours of the Real Estate Data Accuracy class to receive CE credit.
• Refunds will be issued for the Data Maintenance Fee(s) allowed within 4-6 weeks of (1) attending the Real Estate Data Accuracy class or (2) granting of waiver by the Review Panel. (Jan.’13)

Please call Karen Thompson at 614-475-4000, ext. 270 if you have any questions.

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02/08/2013

Cumulative Days on Market (CDOM) has been added to the Residential A2A – Agent to Agent Remarks report.  CDOM appears directly below the DOM (Days on Market) field on the A2A report.  This will be added to additional reports in the coming days.  It will also be added to the other categories (Multifamily, Land/Farm, etc).

CDOM accumulates the days on market for a property in the MLS going back 365 days from listing date.  This number will include a sum of the DOM for all listings that have been active for a given address over the last 365 days.

CDOM calculation rules:

1) If no matching property is found going back 365 days, then the DOM and CDOM values will be identical

2) If a Sold Status listing is encountered for the property address in question, the CDOM will stop adding the DOM market values.

(Note: there is a glitch currently that will display some CDOM with 1 less day than the DOM value due to the starting value of zero.  This will be remedied very soon).

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12/11/2012

Beginning January 1, 2013, a new image policy has been added for primary property photos.  The primary photo for every listing in the MLS must either be “of the actual property, as it exists” or must be marked “Not Actual Property” with a clearly legible and visible watermark over the photo.  The watermark must be 36 pt type or larger.  A video tutorial on wdwpy.com that will walk you through adding the necessary “Not Actual Property” watermark.  REMINDER:  No branding of MLS images is allowed.  MLS Policy strictly prohibits watermarking of images with any personal or company branding.

Video Tutorial – How to Watermark MLS Images

This new policy applies only to the primary image.  Secondary images are not required to be marked “Not Actual Property”.   All listings are affected by this new policy.  Any modification of the “actual image”, including any 3D renderings, pictures of the model property, edited or retouched images and the like must be marked “Not Actual Property” in 36pt type or larger.  The MLS committee feels that the technological advancements of photo-manipulation software and the potential to make a property appear more complete or in better condition they “as

This requirement does not supersede the mandatory standardized image that is required for Build-to-Suit (BTS) properties.  The BTS mandatory default image downloadable from the the CBR website or wdwpy.com is still the only acceptable primary image for BTS properties.  The “Not Actual Property” watermark requirement is for all other properties, excluding Build-to-Suit which has it’s own requirement.

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12/10/2012

Recently, CBR leadership approved a change in procedures and policy for new construction listings in MLS that do not have a building permit.   Effective immediately any new Build to Suit listings you enter and effective November 30 any listings already entered as Build to Suit, the primary photo must be one of two now found on the CBR’s Web site at www.columbusrealtors.com under the MLS Worksheets, Forms and Contracts tab that is accessed by using your TEMPO login name and password.

Listings typically displayed in MLS reflects existing property that is available immediately for a buyer after reaching an agreed upon purchase price, while Build to Suit listings imply to a buyer the promise of future availability of perhaps several model home choices different from what is displayed.     Although the listing of Build to Suit properties presents marketing challenges for both the buyer and seller as well as the MLS, nevertheless, leadership believes Build to Suit properties are important to the real estate industry and discussions with the CBR leadership, the MLS Committee, and the BIA have led to this current policy designed to accommodate them.

Listings in MLS that have the Property Type Build to Suit imply they are either a single family or condo without a building permit but the property described and displayed could be built with an accepted purchase offer.    Please note the following instructions:

• If your listing(s) is a Build to Suit property type, meaning it does not have a building permit, it is now required that you select and display the applicable primary photo that is now also mandatory for the listing(s) found at www.columbusrealtors.com.
• If your listing(s) is not a Build to Suit, meaning it does have a building permit, it is now required that you change the property type to either a single family free standing or condo free standing or to a single family shared wall or condo shared wall and there are no mandatory photo requirements from MLS.    However, if the primary photo you display for this listing is not the actual property for sale such as a 3D image, sketch, architectural rendering, it is now mandatory that you imprint in 36 point type the words Not Actual Property on your primary photo.

Important … remember, all new construction residential listings in MLS without a building permit will now be required immediately (1) to use the Property Type Build to Suit and (2) to use one of the two newly created MLS photos as the primary image in MLS found on CBR’s Web site at www.columbusrealtors.com under the MLS Worksheets, Forms and Contracts tab that is accessed by using your TEMPO login name and password.     Also, please review your current Build to Suit listing inventory and make any necessary photo change by November 30.   Any existing Build to Suit listing found in MLS after November 30 without the required primary photo will be assessed a warning.    To learn more on the new Build to Suit Property Type, please click on  http://columbusrealtors.com/NewsDetail.aspx?article=81723394

Your cooperation is appreciated … thank you.

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11/13/2012

The #2 policy violation that we see in the MLS is for “Unallowable Data in Property Description/Additional Remarks.”  The most common problem is for showing instructions in this field.  Examples of showing instructions are:

• 24 Hour Notice to Show

• Curb Offers Only

• No showings Thursdays after 5pm. Request 24 hour notice.

Please remember to always place showing instructions in the agent to agent remarks field.  In 2011 the MLS Committee with approval from the Board of Directors changed the name of this field from “Remarks” to “Property Description.”  The intent is to encourage REALTORS® to enter only characteristics of the property.

MLS policy reads:

1.01.06 – Unallowable Data in Property Description/Additional Remarks       $ 25 Data Maintenance Fee

Examples of data to be excluded but not limited to this list would be names, phone numbers, web sites, e-mail addresses, logos, slogans, showing instructions, self-promotional statements, etc.  Names of model homes and builders are to be excluded on new construction listings but are permitted on resale property listings.  REALTOR® will receive an immediate warning. There shall be only one warning per licensee during each six-month period (Jan. – Jun. and Jul. – Dec.) Additional offenses of the identical data field occurring within the same six-month period (Jan. – Jun. and Jul. – Dec.) will be assessed an immediate data maintenance fee.

Please call Karen Thompson at 614-475-4000, ext. 270 or e-mail her at mlspolicy@columbusrealtors.com if you have any questions.

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10/23/2012

REMINDER…Please help us keep your MLS database as accurate as possible:

Remember, MLS will immediately correct the following required data fields: (1) Street Number (2) Street Name (3) City (mailing address) (4) Zip Code (5) School District (6) Corp Limit (7) County (8) Taxing District (9) Parcel Number but you will also receive either a warning or violation notice. When this occurs, no further action is required by you unless you wish to appeal the violation. There is a link in the violation notice regarding the appeal process.

However, if you receive a MLS Policy Violation notice that instructs you to make a correction, change a listing status, etc., please note that you will have 24 hours to respond to MLS or correct the violation identified in the warning issued. Any delay in your response or action requested beyond the 24 hour allowable time would subject you to having the next level of assessment applied to that violation. For more information, please see Section 2.03.01 of the MLS Policy Violation and Data Maintenance Fee Manual.

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12/09/2011