PROView - April 2008 - (Page 15) Mind Your Manners! by Kat McCoy, MLS Manager Dear MLS Manners, I recently left a message for an agent so that I could show one of her listed properties. I never received a return phone call, but since the property was listed as vacant with lockbox in the MLS I went to the property that same day. The listing agent happened to be sitting right there on the porch. Much to my surprise she informed me that the home was under contract and going through an inspection. The next day I looked for the property in the MLS and noticed that it been updated as pending – with the contract date entered over a week earlier. I am sick and tired of lazy REALTORS® who do not promptly enter and update listing properties. —Tired of Lazy Realtors. Dear Tired of lazy REALTORS®, I agree with you – and I understand that it’s a major annoyance when your fellow agents do not enter listings accurately as well as report status changes in a timely fashion. By timely fashion I mean immediately, not within 8 to 10 days. While we do everything in our power to supervise the MLS to ensure up-to-date accuracy, status changes are not something we can monitor electronically. Instead, we rely on the support of our members to keep us informed about any inaccurate listings. Hopefully the following guidelines can help those not certain as to the regulations that govern listing updates and status change notifications: • Price changes, withdrawals and extensions need to be reported no later than 48 hour after a seller has signed a contract. PINELLAS REALTOR® ORGANIZATION • Agents must report contracts to the MLS as active with contract or pending sale immediately after written acceptance of an offer, by the seller, has been received. This remains the case even if it is a short sale transaction or whether third party approval is pending. Remember, not reporting listings under contract is a $500.00 fine. • Closed sales must be reported to the MLS immediately, including correct cooperating information, price and terms. Some may ask why we are so strict on enforcing these rules. First of all, inaccurate information may cause inconvenience to your peers, just as you read in the letter above. Second, we report MLS data to both our members as well as media outlets. We want to make sure the statistics we provide is completely accurate in order to show a true representation of the market. Remember, the MLS Rules and Regulations are now searchable in the MLS Reference Center. The more you know, the smarter you grow! If you have a question for Miss MLS Manners, or you have an MLS violation to report, please send an email to violations@tampabayrealtor.com. Running all over town getting you down? Shop at the PRO REALTOR® Store ONLINE and save a trip. With our same-day shipping, you could have your supplies delivered to your home or office as soon as tomorrow for most Pinellas County locations. Visit www.tampabayrealtor.com/store to check it out! April 2008 15 http://www.tampabayrealtor.com/store
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