PROView - March 2008 - (Page 14)

MLS Update Changes to Rules & Regulations Now in Effect by Jan Dean, Director of Information Services The Board of Directors of the National Association of Realtors® approved several changes to MLS Policy and Rules in November last year. Providing new guidelines for website disclosure, online advertising, several of these changes will likely affect the business practices of those with their own real estate websites. Additional changes were made to the rules and regulations about the use of the terms MLS and Multiple Listing Service. Did you know that you can access all rules and regulations through the PRO website at www.TampaBayRealtor.com as well as through the Tempo sidebar? All agents have agreed to abide by the MLS Rules and Regulations as well as the Code of Ethics – we encourage you to update yourself on all these changes. devices/methods to direct, drive, or divert Internet traffic, or to otherwise mislead consumers. Rationale: Both these new rules will help protect consumers by giving MLS’s discretionary authority to impose duties mirroring the Code of Ethics’ Standard of Practice 12-9 on MLS Participants and Subscribers who are not REALTORS® Use of terms MLS and Multiple Listing Service Section 7.4 Firm’s Website Disclosure Section 14.22 MLS participants’ firm websites shall disclose the firm’s name and state(s) of licensure in a reasonable and readily apparent manner. No MLS participant, subscriber or licensee affiliated with any participant shall, through the name of their Did you know you can access firm, their URLs, their e-mail addresses, their website all Rules & Regulations through addresses, or in any other way represent, suggest or imply that the PRO website at www. the individual or firm is an MLS, TampaBayRealtor.com as well as or that they operate an MLS. through the Tempo sidebar? Websites of licensees affiliated with a participant’s firm shall disclose the firm’s name and the licensee’s state(s) of licensure in a reasonable and readily apparent manner. Participants, subscribers and licensees affiliated with participants shall not represent, suggest or imply that consumers or others have direct access to MLS databases, or that consumers or others are able to search MLS databases available only to participants and subscribers. This does not prohibit participants and subscribers from representing that any information they are authorized under MLS rules to provide to clients or customers is available on their websites or otherwise. Website Advertising Section 14.23 MLS participants shall present a true picture in their advertising and representations to the public, including the URLs and domain names they use, and participants may not: • engage in deceptive or unauthorized framing of real estate brokerage websites; • manipulate (e.g., presenting content developed by others) listing content in any way that produces a deceptive or misleading result; or • deceptively use metatags, keywords or other 14 PINELLAS REALTOR® ORGANIZATION Rationale: This new rule will establish the discretionary authority of every MLS to govern use of the terms “Multiple Listing Services”, “MLS” and similar terms, and to require that it be clear to consumers that they do not receive full, direct and complete access to all information in MLS databases via participant or subscriber websites. March 2008 http://www.TampaBayRealtor.com http://www.TampaBayRealtor.com http://www.TampaBayRealtor.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of PROView - March 2008

PROView - March 2008 Contents Chairman's Notes - A Strong Force, Working on Your Behalf Feature - Going Back to Basics: Are You Generating Leads ProActive - Amendment 1 Passes: What Now? What's Next? Finance - How Your Customers Can Find Home Loans Brokerage Design - Reject the Blindfold; Enlightenment is the Way to Go Marketplace Analysis - The Opportunity Market Home Sales Report MLS Update - Changes to Rules & Regulations Now in Effect MLS Mind Your Manners Education - Don't Let Time Run Out: Complete Mandatory Code of Ethics Training Now Calendar of Events & Programs PROBiz - FREE Real Estate Websites! New PRO Members

PROView - March 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.