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Advertising Before the Effective Date is a Violation of State Law & MLS Rules
Per Wisconsin State Statute 452.136(3), an agent cannot advertise a property unless their firm is the listing firm or has permission from the listing firm. The firm does not become the listing firm until the term of the contract begins. The beginning of the term of the contract is the beginning date as listed on line 311 of the WB-1.
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In addition to a state law violation, this is also an MLS rule violation and carries with it a fine of $200 per day. If any detail of a specific property, sufficient to activate the interest of a potential buyer, is advertised before the effective date of the listing contract for said property, the listing agent shall be fined $200 per day, from the time of advertisement until the effective date of the contract. This new fine will not exceed $5,000.
Click the icon below for an informational video.
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When to Use Withdrawn by Seller
The status of Withdrawn by Seller should be used when a seller changes their mind about selling, but the listing agent does not release them from their listing contract. Properties in Withdrawn by Seller may not be marketed or shown for the duration of the listing contract. Just like with Delayed properties, if the listing agent allows a showing, or a potential co-broke agent shows a property in Withdrawn by Seller status, both agents would be subject to fines by the MLS.
Once a listing is moved to the status of Withdrawn by Seller, it cannot be moved back to Active. A new listing contract is required before marketing & showings can resume. At that point, the previous listing should be Expired and a new MLS # may be entered.
If you have a situation where the seller wants to temporarily suspend showings, you should leave the listing as Active, indicate in the first line of the public remarks that there are no showings allowed and provide the date showings will resume. You can change this date if needed.
If the listing agent releases the seller from their listing contract, the status should be changed to Expired.
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Correct Map Placement
If you have a listing that is not mapped correctly, it may be missed if an agent is searching by map. Please make it part of your routine to always check the map placement when adding a new listing. If the map placement as assigned by Paragon is not correct, you can adjust it under Listing Maintain –> Change GeoCode.
When the map displays under maintain, click on the red map placement marker and move it as needed. Switching to a bird’s eye view (click the down arrow next to the word Road in the upper left corner) and using the zoom feature helps to pinpoint the exact location. There is also an option to enter the latitude and longitude. Before clicking Save, you may want to zoom out a bit as the zoom level will also be saved.
If you are not familiar with the location of a property, the CRS tax program can help you pinpoint it exactly using the latitude and longitude. Click on the red T from the listing to pull the property up within the CRS tax program. The Latitude/Longitude are the last field within the Location section. Copy and paste into the Change GeoCode option within listing maintain.
As that was a lot of words, here is a helpful video to visually demonstrate:
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Control your Searches with Search Qualifiers
To the right of most search fields within Paragon, you will find a drop-down containing search qualifiers. Most default to Equals or Contains, meaning that when you enter a search option, Paragon will find matches that equal or contain what you have asked for.
You may ask, what is the difference between Equals and Contains? The best way to explain this is with an example: Think of searching by Subdivision. If you type in Seminole, and the search qualifier for the Subdivision field is set to Contains, you will get all the listings with the word Seminole somewhere in the Subdivision field. If you specifically want listings in the Seminole Forest subdivision, you may want to change the default search qualifier to Equals, and type Seminole Forest into the search field to get just listings in the Seminole Forest subdivision.
Besides Equals and Contains, other search qualifiers available are: Not Equal To, Contains All, Does Not Contain, Starts With and Not Starting With.
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Entering FSBO Comp Sales
After closing, you have the option to enter FSBO sales for which you represented the buyer. When entering an unlisted FSBO sale, please:
- Add the listing in Sold status instead of Active.
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For list date, use a verifiable date the owner began marketing. This will create a valid days on market, which in turn will help appraisers. The 4-day input rule does not apply for listings entered as Sold.
- For expiration date, use the closing date.
- All required fields, with the exception of room dimensions, are required. At least 1 photo is required.
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Select FSBO Comp – Not Listed under the Sale Factor pick list within the Sold information. This will automatically change the list side to Sold by REALTOR.
- Add at least 1 photo before saving the listing, as you will not have an option to edit the listing or add a photo after the list side is changed. A primary photo can be added on the left panel of the add listing screen.
- When entering a comp sale, instead of just entering “sold comp” in the remarks, please include features of the property that are not addressed in our pick lists, especially if there is something unique.
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Our Mission and Vision Articulated
At a recent meeting, your SCWMLS Board of Directors put into words our goal each day via a Mission and Vision statement. We are here for you!
Mission Statement: The South Central Wisconsin MLS is a member-first organization. SCWMLS commits to fostering a world class member experience and to continually seeking advancements that make the market work.
Vision Statement: SCWMLS drives cooperation and opportunity in the real estate profession and market.
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Upcoming Training Opportunities
Collab Center: Do you want to set up buyers with an automatic search that notifies them about new properties? Learn how to set up a Collab Center site for your buyers, and what they can do with it. This live class will be held via Zoom, please register here.
Map Search in Paragon: With Paragon's map search you can visually define areas on a map to search for listings. Join SCWMLS trainer, Dave Bass, for this 30-minute class where you will learn how to draw different shapes on the map and edit them, use layers to show lots of helpful information, and more. This live class will be held via Zoom, please register here.
Paragon Connect: Join Dave for a 30-minute class via Zoom where you will learn how to use the mobile version of Paragon, Paragon Connect, on your smartphone. Please register here.
Paragon Overview Classes: We offer weekly live classes for Paragon training. To register for an upcoming session click here.
In person: We are offering an in-person Paragon training class at the MLS office. Please bring your own laptop or tablet. To register click here.
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South Central Wisconsin Multiple Listing Service
4801 Forest Run Rd, Suite 101
Madison, WI 53704
(608) 240-2800
www.scwmls.com
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