MLS News

Elimination of MLS Areas postponed
After much discussion and debate over the last year, the MLS Committee has decided not to eliminate the years old tradition of MLS Areas at through Dec. 2009.

Reasons noted for keeping MLS Areas:

• Needed for searches and statistics;
• Majority of members likely still using them;
• More familiarity and training is needed with mapping functionality;
• Concern about availability of other existing, viable options since polygon and tax district alternatives are still being developed;
• Belief that use of areas is more frequent than the use of MLS books before they were eliminated;
• No harm identified in keeping them;
• Unknown impact it would have on the TEMPO 5 system's functionality and not believed to be the optimum time for the change.

Short Sale Policy: Review & Revision
The new Short Sale Policy effective Oct. 1 requires that Short sale status must be disclosed as soon as known.

• How reduction in gross commission will be handled must be disclosed.
• Any details must be relayed through the Agent-To-Agent Remarks section only.

A revision to this policy approved last month adds that: As of Oct. 1, 2008, all short sale properties with purchase contracts subject to bank approval are to be placed in MLS as CONTINGENT. For more information, click here.

Can `MLS' Be Used in an Agent's Web Site Address?
Question: I've noticed that quite a few real estate practitioners are using a city name followed by the letters "MLS," even though the URL is really for their Web site, not their local Multiple Listing Service. An example would be JonestownMLS.com" as a URL for a broker in Jonestown. Doesn't this violate the Code of Ethics?

Answer: Until recently, the Code of Ethics did not specifically address this practice. However, as more REALTORS® have started using "MLS" to indicate that their Web site gives consumers certain information derived from their local MLS, the NAR Professional Standards Committee decided that there was a need to provide specific guidelines.

As a result, it recently adopted new Case Interpretation 12-20 that holds that a URL leading reasonable consumers to the mistaken assumption that the Web site belongs to an MLS instead of to a real estate professional violates the Code of Ethics. Effective January 2008, Article 12 of the Code, which traditionally required REALTORS® to present a "true picture" in their advertising and other representations, was revised to expand REALTORS®' duties to be honest under the Article and to make it clear that the "true picture" test in the Code of Ethics applies to all communications, including Web sites and blogs.

In addition, new Standard of Practice 12-13 states that "REALTORS® shall not: 1) use URLs or domain names that present less than a true picture or 2) register URLs or domain names which, if used, would present less than a true picture."

Reprinted from REALTOR® Magazine, 06/01/2008 by Columnist Bruce Aydt, ABR®, CRB.

HUD Listings in the MLS
There has been great confusion for those trying to work with HUD properties and still stay compliant with CBR MLS reporting policies. For this reason, a focus group is being created to discuss the issues involved. Fines for non-reported HUD closings will be temporarily suspended until a determination is made as to how to proceed. Feel free to contact CBR's Mike Gautier or Stan Collins should you have a comment or suggestion on this important topic.

Tech Tip: Add CBR Tempo Web address to your IE trusted sites
While not required in order to use the core aspects of Tempo, adding the CBR MLS Web address - cbrmls.columbusrealtors.com - to your Internet Explorer "Trusted Sites" is highly recommended and allows for extra, useful  functionality in CBR Tempo.

Benefits of adding cbrmls.columbusrealtors.com to your Internet Explorer Trusted Sites:

• Allows use of the "Save as PDF" option in various areas of CBR Tempo (Active X controls must be installed as well)
• Allows use of the image zoom tool before saving an image on Image Upload
• Allows use of image preview before saving an image on Image Upload

The following are instructions on adding the CBR Tempo MLS address to your Internet Explorer "Trusted Sites:

• Open up Internet Explorer
• Go to Tools > Internet Options
• Click on the "Security" tab
• Select "Trusted Sites"
• Click the "Sites" button
• On the screen that comes up, uncheck the "Require server verification..." option.
• In the "Add this Web site to the zone" field, type in: cbrmls.columbusrealtors.com
• Click Add. This should move the Web siteinto the "Web sites" box below.
• Click Close. Then click OK.
• Close ALL open Web sites.
• Reopen Internet Explorer and log back into CBR Tempo.

How is the MLS Committee formed?

MLS Committee Makeup
The MLS Committee is made up of members from predetermined listing categories. The number of members allowed to serve is based on a simple formula using the units of activity (Listings + Agents + Solds + Offices).

The units of activity are combined for all companies in each listing category and taken as a percentage of the whole.

Every 5% (determined by rounding up to the nearest whole number) of units of activity equals 1 seat and 1 vote for that listing category.

The units of activity are reviewed annually for the period of October 1 through September 30. So the 2008 MLS Committee positions were determined by the units of activity from 10/1/06 -- 9/30/07.

For the upcoming MLS Committee Election, the units of activity for the period of 10/1/07 -- 9/30/08 will be summarized and the number of seats in each listing category determined by those results. Nominees will then be selected for the appropriate listing category openings resulting from members whose terms are expiring this year.

The Presidents of the Delaware, Fayette, Madison, Morrow and Union County Boards/Area Realty Associations shall appoint their committee representatives.

The C/I Section representative on the MLS Committee shall be the Chair of the COCIE Governing Board.

The Technology Users Group is also afforded a position on the MLS Committee, however that appointment does not have a vote.

Eligibility
Any MLS Participant (broker) or licensee associated with a Participant is eligible but the broker approves any selection as they are a representative of that company. Not more than one (1) nominee for election can be from the same office and no more than four (4) from the same office may actually serve (unless appointed) on the committee during the same year.

Attendance
If a member misses four meetings per year, they shall be removed from the committee and the Board President shall appoint someone to serve the remainder of the year within the same category. The person elected or appointed at the year-end to fill the vacancy shall serve only the unexpired term.

Election
Similar to the process of electing CBR Directors, a Nominating Committee is elected during the Annual MLS Business Meeting (held immediately after the regular Business Meeting). However, only Participants (brokers) may vote at the MLS Annual Business Meeting.

The 2008 MLS Nominating Committee will be the current MLS Chairman (Ben Calhoon), the President Elect (Gary Parsons) and the following five (5) participant members elected Oct. 23: Jeff Murray, Murray Realty; Ron Hobelman, Keller Williams Capital Partners; Pat Kearns Davis, RE/MAX Capital Centre; Linda Niemann, Niemann Real Estate; and Gary Francis, American Dream Realty.

No member of the MLS Nominating Committee can be nominated as a candidate for the MLS Election.

The Nominating Committee will nominate two (2) candidates for each seat. Ballots will be mailed to all MLS brokers in November and will be due back to CBR in December (dates not yet determined at press time).

If interested, please email your resume to Mike Gautier at mgautier@columbusrealtors.com for consideration by the MLS Nominating Committee that meets Nov. 18.