Newsletter - May 2024

Annual MLS Dues & Supra eKEY Billing

Please watch for your annual MLS dues and Supra eKEY billing, which will be sent via email around May 15. All members will receive an invoice for $325 for annual MLS dues, and an additional $175 to those who lease a Supra eKEY. The due date for this invoice will be June 15 for the service period of 7/1/2024 – 6/30/2025. Click here for a list of products and services you have access to as a member of the SCWMLS. Thank you for your continued membership.

Partnership with CubiCasa Coming

The SCWMLS Board of Directors recently entered into a partnership agreement with CubiCasa, a provider of floor plans. This partnership will provide our members with free basic floor plans plus a 25% discount on any CubiCasa add on, such as adding furniture, rush delivery, orders over 5,000 sqft, Gross Living Area floor plans, and 3D products. Watch for an email in the next couple of weeks with sign up information.

Update on Scheduling Showings Between Metro & SCWMLS

On April 8, Metro MLS moved to Aligned Showings and turned off ShowingTime within their MLS system. Metro agents are no longer able to click a button within their MLS system to schedule showings on SCWMLS listings. Metro agents can contact you via phone or email to schedule showings manually, or they can access the ShowingTime system at www.showingtime.com or via the ShowingTime app and pull up SCWMLS listings by address or MLS number.

Within Paragon & WIREX, you are no longer able to click to schedule a showing on Metro listings (those prefixed by MM). Our intent is to add a button for the Aligned showings product on Metro listings within Paragon and WIREX, but we are waiting on programming from Aligned. We unfortunately do not have an ETA as to when this will be done.

Our Board of Directors continues to monitor progress of the Aligned product as a potential replacement for ShowingTime.

Searching by MLS Remarks

Did you know the MLS remarks section of a listing is searchable? Within the Advanced Criteria section of your search options (at the bottom under Search), you will find the Remarks search prompt. Simply type in the word or words you are looking for.

For example, if your buyer would like a property that has a large garden space, type large garden and your search results will include properties for which the listing agent has included the words "large garden" in the remarks. You can also string together multiple words. For example, if your buyer would like a home on a secluded lot, you could type secluded (tab) private (tab) isolated. Your search will bring back properties for which the listing agent has included any of these words in the remarks.

Give it a try the next time you are looking for something there is not a specific search feature for. Also, when composing your remarks, make sure to mention special features not covered elsewhere in the listing features.

Personalize Your CRS Tax Experience

Set your Default County for Searching: From within CRS, open Settings at the top right. Select Default County Search, select up to 4 counties, click to Save.

Customize your Results List: When viewing search results, you can toggle between Simple Results or Custom Results. You can customize what displays under Custom Results. Open Settings at the top right and select Custom Results List. From here you can select up to 10 columns and even set your desired display order by dragging and dropping. Click Save before closing.

Personally Brand CRS Tax Reports: Within the Branding option under Settings you have the option to upload a photo, logo, and other information you want to include on CRS reports. Agent information does not flow from Paragon so you will need to keep this data updated manually.

Save Time Adding Listings with Tax Autofill

If you are not currently using Tax Autofill when adding a listing, you may want to check it out. It allows you to automatically pull information such as address, parcel number, municipality, owner, school district, acres, assessments, and taxes from the tax record into the listing input screen in Paragon, saving you keystrokes.

To do this, click the Tax Autofill button at the top of the Add Listing screen. On the Tax Search page that displays, select the county along with the parcel number, address, or owner name, and then click Search. Check the box next to the appropriate tax record, and then click the Autofill button in the toolbar above the results to load the information into the listing input screen. To adjust any of the information that auto-filled, simply overwrite it.

No Showings Yet?

When to Use Active vs. Delayed

We generally see two reasons a new listing is not available for showings right away.

The first is the property is not ready to be marketed via the MLS due to needed clean up, timing for professional photos, desired staging, etc. It makes sense to enter these listings as Delayed until they are ready for public exposure.

In the second situation, the property is ready for public exposure, but the seller and listing agent decide to pick a "launch date" when showings will begin, often starting with an open house. You will find these listings in Active status, as the seller and agent want them to be visible to the public. These Active listings must include the date showings will begin in the first line of the public remarks. The "show date" field can also (optionally) be entered, which will block off the showing calendar until that date.

Our rules regarding listings that are not ready to be shown take both situations into account, and allow agents the flexibility to market them as either Delayed or Active. Click here for more information.

No More Showings = Move to Offer-No Show Status

Listings that are no longer available for showings due to an accepted offer must be moved to the status of Offer-No Show. It does not matter if all contingencies are removed; the deciding factor is if showings are allowed or not. A listing can go directly from Active to Offer-No Show status if a seller does not wish to continue showings once the offer is accepted. MLS rules require this change within 3 days of when the property is no longer available to show.

Supra - Non-Member/One-Time Access

This access allows a non-member, such as an agent from outside our MLS, or a contractor, one-time access to a single keybox.

To Grant Access from your eKEY:

Tap My Keyboxes
Select the keybox from the list – If the keybox is not listed, tap Add Keybox, enter the Shackle Code for the keybox, and connect to the keybox. Click here for instructions on assigning a keybox to a listing if you are not at the keybox.
Select Grant Managed Access
Enter the cell number of the person needing access
Set the desired access date and time. Note: You can limit the duration of the showing per instruction, but the window granted here must be at least 2 hours.

More detailed information is available via the PDF Document below

Granting One-Time Access to Supra Keybox PDF Doc

The person you have granted access to will receive a text message. If they ask you for assistance, please have them call the MLS office at 608-240-2800, option 3. If after hours, please have them call Supra technical support at 877-699-6787.

Are you using FOREWARN?

FOREWARN© is an easy-to-use app that will allow you to assess risk by learning about a new prospect prior to meeting them for a showing.

Join 1,200 SCWMLS members who have taken advantage of this free offer. Click here for more information and to register.

Upcoming Training Opportunities

Paragon Connect: Join SCWMLS trainer, Dave Bass, 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.

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 Dave 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 Overview Classes: We offer monthly live classes for Paragon training. To register for an upcoming session click click here.

In person: We are offering an in-person Paragon training class at the MLS office on May 9th at 9:00am. To register click here.

Customized Office Training: Need training on specific topics? Have Dave come to your office or set up a Zoom meeting to talk about Paragon topics that are important to you. Email support@wisre.com to set up day and time.

South Central Wisconsin Multiple Listing Service

4801 Forest Run Rd, Suite 101

Madison, WI 53704

(608) 240-2800