Posts belonging to Category MLS

What is “Assume Identity?”  Assume Identity is a way for you as an agent or broker to allow a licensed or unlicensed assistant to log into the MLS under their own unique login and then “Assume the Identity” of the agent or broker they are working for. Why is that a benefit to you?  The easy answer is that you will no longer have to share your username and password with anyone else, thus creating a more secure and reliable MLS!

A more complete answer might be that as a result, you can be certain that under your login, only you can manipulate your listings. When the assistant that is working for you logs into Paragon and assumes your identity, there will now be a “paper trail” that shows the assistant is logged in under their unique username and password but, and with your permission only, has assumed your identity and made any change to your listings.

This should be especially beneficial to real estate teams as well as the assistant that needs to access an agent’s or broker’s account to expedite workflow in the most efficient manner possible. As for the CATRS MLS management and support staff, it allows us to assume your identity as well and potentially isolate any issue that might be account-specific without requiring you to divulge your personal username and password. This is a huge timesaver!

Of course there will be some minimal paperwork that will need to be completed and a nominal fee for new user IDs, but once implemented Assume Identity has the potential to not only help to protect the overall accuracy and integrity of the CATRS MLS but to also transform your daily real estate business in a positive and mutually beneficial manner.

If you have any further questions or need more details please feel free to call the CATRS/TBR Technology Desk at (850) 224-7713.

Will Shepherd
Technology Support Specialist
Capital Area Technology & REALTOR® Services
Tallahassee Board of REALTORS®

Have you been looking for a way to better promote an upcoming “REALTOR® Luncheon” or “Tour of Homes”? Did you know that Paragon 5 offers a quick and easy way to promote said luncheons and/or tours? Well it does and it is perhaps one of the more underutilized features within our MLS system. The process is actually quite easy as outlined below:

To enter your REALTOR® luncheon as a tour of homes into Paragon you must first click on the large “listings” button at the top of your screen and then under “Listings,” choose “Maintain Listings.”

Once you are at the Listings Maintenance screen you will then want to choose “Select an Action” at the end of the row of the listing for which you want to create a REALTOR® luncheon or tour.

The next step is to choose the option for “Tour Listing.”

The next step you will want to take is to click “Add New.”

Now add the appropriate information about your Open House or Tour including any comments and click “Save.”

You will now see the tour home listed.  If you would like to enter more REALTOR® tour homes, just repeat the process beginning with “Add New.”  A broker or agent may only enter tour listings for homes under their own inventory.

That’s it!  It really is just that simple.  Don’t forget to call any other agents that you might be working in conjunction with and advise them to follow these same easy steps.  You might also wish to further promote your REALTOR® tour by calling Christy O’Connell at the Tallahassee Board of REALTORS® at 850.224.7713 and asking that your Thursday tours be listed in the latest edition of eBoard Briefs.

Now that you have entered your REALTOR® tour, don’t you want to know how to search for it?  Of course you do!  Just click on the big Search button at the top of the screen in Paragon, and under “Specialty Search” choose “Tour and Open House.”

Now enter the dates you want to search for and choose the “Tour/Open House Status” as “Tour,” enter any other pertinent information, and hit Search.

You should now see the REALTOR® tour that you just entered!  Remember that you can also email this information to anyone you like.

So that’s it!  You have now successfully created and searched for your REALTOR® tour!  WELL DONE!!!  Of course if you have any trouble along the way you can always rely on your trusted CATRS Helpdesk at 850.224.7713.  I am always happy to assist you, so please just give me a call any time Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. and I will do my best to serve your needs.

Technically speaking,

Will

Have you ever hit the correction button on a listing and wondered what happens next? Well for starters I think I should point out that we can receive dozens of these corrections every day. Sometimes, albeit rarely, we can receive 100 or more. As you can imagine, there are obviously not enough resources (i.e., staff) to fully investigate and follow up on every one, and thus it can often take a while between when the correction notice is generated and when (and if) any action is taken on the listing. In fact, depending on the issue, it is not always possible to know if the complaint is even valid!

After investigating the issue and determining if it is the type of issue we believe we can or should pursue, a notice is sent to the agent that says something along the likes of either “Invalid (fill in the blank)” or “It has been reported to CATRS/TBE that (fill in the blank).” If the listing agent confirms the information is accurate and we have no other proof it is not, the listing agent gets the benefit of the doubt and the listing will remain as it is. For example: if an agent sends in a correction for the square feet, the listing says 2250 sq ft and the source is other (we can’t look to the Property Appraiser’s site), the listing agent says its 2000 sq ft. We would send the message, “It has been reported to CATRS/TBR that the square footage in listing 123456 is incorrect…” If the listing agent says, “No, the square footage is right,” we do not take any further action.

The other side of this coin is an instance whereby a valid and fully vetted correction notice has been sent to the listing agent and the three days grace period (as well as three different emails have been sent to both the agent and the broker) has passed and no correction has been made. In this scenario, the offending agent is suspended from the MLS and a $100 fine is levied against their account. That agent would then need to pay the fine and correct the error in order to re-access the MLS. They would then have the option of enrolling in our Fine Forgiveness Program, and after taking two classes within the next four months (MLS & Your Liability and MLS: Listings) they can apply to have their $100 fine refunded in full. An agent may take advantage of this option once per year.

As you can see there is an enormous amount of time and energy involved in these procedures as well as a large number of corrections on any given day. Thusly, we always recommend that  brokers and agents contact the listing agent first (peer to peer) and give the agent an opportunity to correct for whatever errors are perceived and only then use the correction button as a last resort. Of course if there is a very serious issue that demands immediate attention you can always call the Helpdesk at 850-224-7713 and request the issue be addressed right away! 

If you would like any further explanation or just have any questions about what is and is not valid, please do not hesitate to call the Helpdesk for further guidance.

Technically speaking,

Will

There are many reasons why you might be having issues with using Form Simplicity. Perhaps the one most likely culprit as of late is your unintentional (or perhaps intentional) upgrade to “Adobe Reader X.” As of this writing, Forms Simplicity is not yet compatible with Adobe Reader X.

At present, Florida REALTORS® is in the process of attempting to correct for this deficiency and it is our understanding that a fix is eventually forthcoming. Until then, what’s a REALTOR® to do? Well, if you go to the Adobe website you will likely see the only option as “Upgrade to Adobe Reader X.” Well you probably DON’T want to do that since that is what got you in trouble in the first place ,so where do you go from here?

Florida REALTORS® currently recommends the following advice: The first thing you will want to do is remove Adobe Reader X. After that, simply Click Here and then determine if you want the full download version or just an upgrade.

Still confused or just need a little “hand-holding” along the way? No problem! Just Call the Tallahassee Board of REALTORS® Helpdesk at 850.224.7713 and we will be more than happy to assist you. If you are interested in why it is a good idea to keep your Adobe software updated, read this previous post on updates.

Technically Speaking,

Will

A couple of days ago a REALTOR® was telling me a story and kept referring to a broker as a “REALTOR® that was not a member of TBR.” Of course there are plenty of REALTORS® that are not members of TBR (about 1.1 million); but I had the feeling that this person was not a REALTOR®. I checked it out and sure enough he is a broker in Florida, but not a REALTOR®. That is an important distinction to me. Not all real estate licensees are REALTORS®. REALTORS® adhere to a code of ethics as promulgated by the National Association of REALTORS®. The Marks are collective membership marks which serve to identify members of the National Association and distinguish them from non-members.

Knowing the trademark rules is vital to keeping the term REALTOR® specific to members and not letting it become a generic term of a licensee. Check out this short video from NAR that will further explain. For comprehensive guidelines on using the term REALTOR®:

• As part of your name
• With your firm name
• On the Internet

It is in everyone’s best interest to protect and preserve the REALTOR® trademarks; make sure you do your part by keeping your use in compliance, assisting others, and reporting use by non-members to the Tallahassee Board of REALTORS®.

Steven

Success in the rapidly changing world of real estate demands the latest in tools and connectivity. When your client requests information on the fly, you need to retrieve property data quickly, without the added steps of opening a web browser or other applications. The tax and MLS information you need is instantly available via our newest feature, IMAPP Desktop Gadget.

Look for this link in your IMAPP search:

The IMAPP Gadget is an easy-to-use mini program producing information at a glance and providing seamless access to frequently used tools directly from your computer desktop.

The IMAPP Desktop Gadget is now available for all MLS participants and subscribers. It is compatible with PCs with the following applications: Vista Windows Sidebar Gadget; Google Desktop Gadget; Yahoo! Widget. For installation instructions click here or go to www.imapp.com and click on User Guides. For assistance, or to see if your system is compatible, contact IMAPP support toll free at (888) 462-7701.

Once installed, the Desktop Gadget allows a simple search of IMAPP tax and MLS data directly from your desktop.  Choose either Tax or MLS search, enter the criteria, and then click on “Search” to access the full record from IMAPP or browse multiple results and select a subject property. 

Tax Search Options: Owner Name, Property Address, Parcel ID

MLS Search Options: Listing Number, Property Address

In today’s competitive market, IMAPP understands that REALTORS® need timely, accurate and comprehensive data.  The IMAPP Gadget is another way we help make your job easier.

For all your technology needs, contact the CATRS (TBR) helpdesk at (850) 224-7713.

e-ya later,

Steven

If you have received an iCheck notice or fine and do not understand the notice or have further questions about the notice or fine, then you must either leave a voice mail for, or write an email to, or best of all speak only and directly with CATRS/TBR Technology Personnel. If a member is unsure about what action needs to be performed for an iCheck notice, CATRS/TBR Technology Personnel must be contacted before a fine has been issued or else the fine will be enforced as levied. 

If the error has been corrected or if further action is necessary, CATRS/TBR Technology Personnel will either:

a.)   Clarify what corrective action needs to be taken.

b.)   Inform the member that corrective action must still be taken before the close of the current business day in order to avoid a fine and suspension.

c.)    Notice the member via telephone call or email that corrective action has satisfied their iCheck notice and that they are in full compliance and no longer risk a fine and suspension.

By engaging in these simple steps you will be certain that you are never fined and suspended inadvertently and that the accuracy and integrity of the MLS data is protected and secured!

Will

Over the last month there have been sporadic but minimal reports of a few members having issues with logging into Paragon Mobile (http://tbrmls.mobile.fnismls.com/). In the great majority of these instances, the issue has come down to a rather simple solution: clearing Cookies and Cache. Today I will share with you the appropriate steps for BlackBerry phones.

To clear the BlackBerry Browser cache from your BlackBerry:

1. Open the BlackBerry Browser.

2. Click the BlackBerry Button (the one with all the dots).

3. Select Options.

4. Click Cache Operations.

5. Click Clear Cookie Cache.

6. Click Clear History.

7. Click the BlackBerry Button.

8. Click Close.

This should resolve your password issue!

In the future I will share how to accomplish the same thing on additional devices. Should you have any questions about this post or just need a little help along the way, please do not hesitate to call the Helpdesk at 850.224.7713 and ask for Will.

Technically speaking…

Will

There have been a lot of questions over the last year or so about these items, so we thought it would be a good idea to post this to the blog in hopes that the explanations below might help these MLS terms make a little more sense. If you have additional questions, feel free to contact the helpdesk at (850) 224-7713.

Days on Market (DOM) is from List date to off-market date. Cumulative Days on Market (CDOM) pulls the CDOM from one previous matching listing and adds it to the DOM of the current listing.

Days on MLS (DOMLS) is from Input date to off-market date. Cumulative Days on MLS (CDOMLS) is the sum of the DOMLS of the listings matched under the CDOM calculation. CDOMLS pulls the CDOMLS on the listing matched by the CDOM calculation and adds it to the DOMLS of the current listing.

Days on MLS/DOMLS is based on Input date because that is when it was entered in the MLS.

Days on Market/DOM is based in the Listing date because that is when it was technically “On Market”. A property can be on the market even if it’s not listed in an MLS system.

To Paragon, the purpose of DOMLS is to indicate how long a listing was visible as Active on the MLS. A listing that is input as already sold will have a DOMLS of zero regardless of the listing date.

Paul

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where a listing has too many lot dimensions to include in the appropriate field? What about a “Flag Shaped” lot or one that has a funny piece cut out of it? You’ve tried to place “Call Agent” or “Irregular” in the Lot Dimensions field but you keep getting a notice saying that is unacceptable. What is an agent to do???

The appropriate resolution is actually quite simple in this scenario. When a listing has too many dimensions to include in the appropriate field, simply place the words “See Remarks” in the Lot Dimensions field—AND be certain to place the full lot dimensions in both the Public and Confidential Remarks fields. This simple solution will ensure that you are in full compliance with MLS Regulations and also will allow the public to see the exact lot dimensions they seek!

Happy selling,

Will