News & Past Hot Tips

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.

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:

1. Tap My Keyboxes

2. 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 instruction on assigning a keybox to a listing if you are not at the keybox.

3. Select Grant Managed Access

4. Enter the cell number of the person needing access

5. 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.

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.

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.

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.

Did you know you can customize the Market Monitor on the Paragon Home page to limit the display of listings to certain counties, cities, school districts, or types of property? Click the gear to the right of the words Market Monitor to set your preferences:

Clicking the My Info Tab on the Market Monitor gives you quick access to your current active listings as well as your current offer-no show listings, your current delayed listings, your listings due to expire for days specified, and your solds for the past 6 months. Listings under the Sold Within Six Months link include your co-broke sales, allowing easy monitoring to be sure you are given credit for them.

Have you ever wondered how to tell the difference between a bi-level and a raised ranch? Or maybe a townhouse condo vs. a garden style unit? You can find descriptions (and photos) of each of the architecture features in the SCWMLS Architecture & Home Style Guide.

Did you know you can track the number of times your listing is viewed by agents and consumers via Paragon? To access this information, pull up your listing via Listings -> Maintain, and click on Select an Action.  From the Select an Action box, choose View Activity Report.  Within the report there is a link that defines the statistics displayed.

Expired status means the listing contract is no longer in effect. When the term of a contract ends, the status automatically updates to Expired in the MLS. If a firm releases a seller from their listing contract early, the status must be manually changed to Expired as of that date.

Withdrawn by Seller status means the listing contract is still in effect, but the seller has changed their mind about selling. Properties in Withdrawn by Seller status may not be marketed or shown. If you are contacted by a seller to list their property, please include this status when you check the MLS to be sure they aren’t still listed with another firm. More information can be found here.

To see all emails (manual and automatic) you have sent from Paragon, click on Contacts and Sent Items. If you want to look at or forward any of these emails, simply click the check box in the far left column and the email will open at the bottom of your screen.

​You can also see messages sent to a particular contact by clicking the contact name, then clicking Messages History on the left side menu.

Emails you send manually are saved for 90 days. Emails sent automatically by searches are saved for 60 days.

Whether you’re a brand new agent or a veteran looking to brush up your skills, be sure to check out our Listings Training page. There, you’ll find short “how-to” videos (some are even animated!), helpful guidelines, and quick links to our most commonly used listing input resources:

You may have wondered why active listings that are imported from other MLSs have 1/1/2079 as their expiration date. Most MLSs do not display the expiration date for active listings within their MLS systems. Our agreement via WIREX requires us to honor restrictions set in the native MLS systems. Paragon requires data to be included in the expiration date field, so we use 1/1/2079 as a placeholder. The actual expiration date is hidden, and when the property is moved to an expired status, the placeholder is replaced with the actual expiration date. More information on imported listings can be found here.

A new section of information regarding available internet access has been added to the CRS tax report within Paragon.    This data is provided by Fiberhomes.com, and can be found before the FEMA Flood Zones section on CRS tax reports.    Access CRS Tax Reports by selecting the red T icon    from property reports within Paragon Desktop, or within third-party integrations using Paragon Connect.

Starting 2/28, when accessing CRS Tax Suite via the MLS, you will be presented with an End User License Agreement, and will be prompted to review & accept the terms (just once) in order to view or search for property tax information. FAQs about the agreement can be found here. If you have additional questions, please contact CRS at gethelp@crsdata.com.

You may have noticed a new icon next to Preferences in the top bar labeled “Connect”. This icon will open Paragon Connect, the cross platform mobile-friendly version of Paragon. Previously there was only a Paragon Connect link in the resources dropdown.

While designed to be mobile-friendly, it works on your PC and tablet as well. Paragon Connect has all the core MLS features (searches, contacts, CMAs, Hotsheets, listing input and more) on your favorite devices (Mobile, tablets and desktop).

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And no need to worry … everything you do in Paragon Connect will also be in your Paragon Desktop system and vice versa. They are connected.

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Click here to see a video about Paragon Connect.

Please use the following guidelines when entering FSBO & One-Party comp sales:

• Do not enter FSBOs or One-Party listings on the MLS until after closing
• Enter the status as Sold (not Active)
• For list date, use the contractual list date. For FSBO properties with no listing contract, use the date on which the owner began marketing the property to the public, if known, or the date of the first showing (must be the accepted offer date or earlier). The listing input time frame does not apply to sold comps.
• For expiration date, use the contractual expiration date. If there is no listing contract, use the closing date.
• Room dimensions, if unavailable, are not required, but room types and levels are. All other listing rules that apply to active listings apply to Sold Comps, including photo requirements.
• For One-Party listings, the list side should be recorded as the actual Listing Agent, and the sale side should be recorded as the actual Selling Agent. Please note “one-party listing” in the broker remarks.
• For FSBO sold comps, enter the buyer agent on both sides, and then select FSBO Comp – Not Listed under the Sale Factors pick list. This will cause the list agent/office to be automatically changed to FSBO Comp when the listing is saved. Please be sure to add a photo before saving, as you will no longer have access to edit the listing or add a photo after the list side is changed.

With Paragon’s Message Body feature you can create templates to put commonly used  messages, paragraphs, or phrases into emails and notifications with one click.

​Click the Preferences icon and choose Email. In the left panel click Message Body, then Add New. Type in your text, give it a unique name, and click Save.

Then, when composing an email, hover over the Message Body button at the top and choose the name from the dropdown list. When you click the name it will insert your saved text into the email.

Create a quick CMA report with just a few clicks with the EasyCMA feature in Paragon. You’ll find this option under the CMA icon.

EasyCMA uses Google search to find your subject property, then it will find 10 comparables for you. You can also add others manually, make adjustments, or remove properties you don’t want included. Then click Generate CMA for a report you can print out or create a link to send. If you are using Paragon Connect on your phone you can easily text a link to the CMA right from the report.

PropertyFraudAlert.com is a free public service that will alert a property owner of potential fraudulent recordings that affect their property. It is monitored by the individual county land records offices. Although it does not prevent fraud from happening, it provides an early warning system so the property owner can take the appropriate action if fraudulent activity has occurred. It may be particularly helpful to share this resource with a property owner who has had someone pose as them and attempt to list their property.

Sign up is quick & easy. Go to PropertyFraudAlert.com, select the state & county in which the property is located, and choose how you’d like to be notified.

For additional info on how to avoid listing scams, check out this helpful article by the WRA.