Message from Mark Rosener, 2016 NEFMLS President, System Changes AND Rules & Regulations

Keeping up with industry trends in any profession is vital to being successful.  Our MLS system is constantly evolving and expanding our choices now offering two showing appointment options and two (and soon to be three) transaction/document management systems and more.  However, it is important to us, as an organization and an industry, that we not lose sight of the value of what lies beneath.  I am referencing the importance of data - accurate, comprehensive, and timely information on our listings and comparable properties.  Our customers expect it and our industry demands it.

For this very reason, several RealtyWEB.Net MLS committees met and discussed certain data issues that needed to be clarified and looking at data fields that needed to be improved.  This is very important to all of us accessing listing and comparable data.

So effective July 18th, the following changes will be implemented that impact both the NEFMLS Rules & Regulations as well as the MLS system

• Rentals that cannot be shown for 3 days or more MUST be changed to Temporarily Withdrawn. With the increase in Rental activity in the system, we found that other agents and their prospective renters were getting frustrated when attempting to view a rental only to find out it is not being shown.

• All listings, with the exception of Commercial for Sale and Commercial for Lease, MUST CONTAIN A MINIMUM OF ONE PHOTO to be added within 7 days of listing entry. The photo must be an accurate representation of the property AND must show a majority of the total home/building/lot including the front exterior or rendering.

Note:  This will require you to upload a photo to ALL Active, Withdrawn, and Pending listings before their status can be changed 

• MAPPING WILL BE REQUIRED.  All listings must now be geocoded properly on the MLS map.

• # OF GARAGE SPACES will be Required.  DIRECTIONS will be Required.  All directions must start from a major thoroughfare or intersection closest to the listing. 

• Updated Definition for OPEN HOUSE. When using the Open House program on Flexmls, it must meet the following criteria:

An Open House entered into the MLS system as such, is defined as a single marketing event on a specific day for a specific limited time when the agent or representative is at the home and home is open to the public for viewings.  Gated communities requiring appointments or “by appointment” are not considered an open house.

Many of these changes originated from your invaluable input. Moving forward, we will continue our efforts to build a system that provides the tools and reliable information necessary to successfully work and communicate with our customers.