News & Past Hot Tips

April 2019

Change Regarding Photo Watermarks:

At their April meeting, the MLS Board of Directors voted to limit what can be used as a watermark on photos in the MLS. The purpose of a watermark is to protect the photo from being copied without permission. The purpose of a watermark is not to advertise a broker brand. For all listings with a list date of 5/1/19 and later, watermarks on photos in the MLS will be limited to the license number of the MLS Participant Broker. As this number is unique, it will serve as a distinctive identifier for photo protection, without presenting a branding opportunity. Photos including a watermark on listings with an effective date before 5/1/19 will not be required to be resubmitted. Photo watermarking is optional, and is currently being done on approximately 6% of listings.

Paragon Updates – April 24

– A prototype showcasing voice technology has been added to the power search. You can now ask Paragon to find a listing. The functionality is currently limited to the Google Chrome browser in Windows, MacOS, and Android.

-The map search screen now opens in a main window opposed to a modal giving you a larger map view to work with. This also provides a better workflow for switching between the map search and other search criteria.

-The ability to pull up your last search and save a search via Quick Search has been added.

-The ability to navigate through listings via an emailed multi-up report is much improved.

March 2019

Paragon Tax to be Replaced with CRS Data

Black Knight, the vendor for Paragon, has partnered with CRS Data, Inc to offer a more robust tax data offering within Paragon. The CRS Tax Search has been turned on in conjunction with Paragon Tax. To try this new program, click on Tax from the top Paragon menu bar. At the bottom of the list of counties click on CRS Data: Tax Search. All counties have been updated with 2018 assessments and taxes. You will also now see two red T action icons. The second will bring you to the new CRS Tax Report. We have not yet scheduled a sunset date for Paragon Tax.

If you use the current Paragon Tax module, we recommend you attend CRS training on April 4th or 5th. CRS trainers will be conducting 90 minute sessions at 9:30 am, 12:30 pm, and 3:00 pm. Training will be held in the WRA Education Center located at 4801 Forest Run Road in Madison. Feel free to bring your laptop, but it is not necessary. There is no need to register. For those who cannot make it, or like to learn in their jammies….here are a few videos. We will also be scheduling live webinars. Watch here for a schedule.

New RatePlug features just in time for Spring

New pre-approval request, new flyer templates, & a bold new look for your buyers!

RatePlug still lets you share accurate home payment estimates from your trusted lenders directly within any property listing you send your clients, but now the process to get your buyers asking questions about their financing earlier is more user friendly!

• No additional cost for SCWMLS members to participate*
• Only promotes your trusted lending sources.
• Delivers interactive, real-time mortgage programs, payments and qualifying information.
• Informs you if your listing is eligible for special financing (FHA, VA, USDA, etc.).
• Includes Property Flyer Program for your listings (now with 15 available templates)

Click here to learn more or take a couple of minutes to opt-in to this tool that is included for FREE as part of your core MLS Subscription!

*lenders do pay a license fee to be displayed.

-Listings in the status of Delayed or Active marked as “no showings until” cannot be shown to prospective buyers by a cooperating agent or by the listing agent. In addition, agents from companies other than the listing company are not allowed to preview these listings. Those found in violation of this rule can be fined up to $15,000 and are subject to suspension of MLS services. This fine and suspension can be applied to both the listing agent and the agent showing the property.

Q: I have a listing in the MLS in the status of Delayed, can I market this listing?

A: Yes, you can market a listing that is in the status of Delayed or Active with “no showings until…”. It is against MLS rules, however, to show this listing to a prospective buyer. Therefore, you should be clear in your marketing that this property is not available to see. If you indicate a date showings will be allowed, this date must match the date listed in the MLS.

Paragon Enhancements/Fixes – 2/27

-The map that displays via search again narrows to user location opposed to the entire region.

-Count/Clear/Search buttons have been added to the top of the quick search to eliminate the need to scroll down if you have added criteria.

-The Contact Activity Widget on the Home Page has been further enhanced for Collaboration Center users. If you are not using the Collaboration Center for your clients, and are still relying on legacy auto emails only, please consider upgrading. This comprehensive video will introduce you to the Collaboration Center.

-The ability to add calculated adjustments within CMA has been added.

-When sharing listings to Facebook, photos were sometimes blurry – this has been resolved.

February 2019

-When entering a new listing, you are asked to provide the source for fields such as acres, square footage, and year built. If you select the option of “Other”, you are required to indicate what “Other” is in either the public or broker-to-broker remarks. If you do not specify, you may be subject to a penalty of $5/day (max $100). An increase in selecting “Other” when the data is easily accessible via assessor records has resulted in complaints, and thus our need to monitor more closely.

-Are You Missing Listings? If you have a buyer requesting to be in a specific school district, do not simply search by the municipality or mailing city you think is serviced by that school district, but rather use the School District search field. There are many instances where school districts span several municipalities and mailing cities, and it is easy to miss listings if you are not aware of all of them. For example, the school district of DeForest spans six different municipalities and five different mailing cities. If you limit your search to the Village of DeForest, you would miss over 30% of properties serviced by the DeForest School District.

Updated Resource: Click here for 2018 Tax/Mill Rates.

-The ability to assign and unassign keyboxes to listings is easily accessible via Paragon. Within Listings – Maintain – Select an Action, there is a link titled Supra Lockbox. Click the Assign link in the upper left corner and enter the keybox serial number and shackle code. Other than being a good way to keep track of where keyboxes are, once you assign a keybox to a listing, you will see the MLS number and address on Supra reports and notifications instead of the keybox serial number.
Quick links to add information for ShowingTime, share to Facebook, and share to Twitter can also be found within this same Integrations section under maintain listing.

January 2019

-New Supra eKEY app: Supra is incrementally releasing a new eKEY app this month. You will know you have received the update, as your eKEY icon will change. Besides a more user friendly design, the new app will allow access to showing data for boxes you have assigned, and include access to some MLS listing data when opening a box. In addition, an option has been added to set a safety alert. Click here for more detailed information. Even though the release notes from Supra indicate you will not need an authorization code, we have had reports that some have needed one. If you are prompted for an authorization code: Call the MLS office (608-240-2800 option 3) OR Call Supra Tech Support (877-699-6787) OR Logon to SupraWEB (desktop) if you have that set up to generate your own Code. You must have location services turned on. Go into your phone settings and enable location services if you do not currently have it turned on.

-The security of clients’ properties is a top priority for all of us. At a recent meeting, the MLS Board of Directors reviewed guidelines used when issuing sanctions for Supra keybox violations. Please note that you and your broker may be assessed a fine of $500 each if you access a keybox without a confirmed appointment, or if you allow another person to use your eKEY. These fines double, and Supra eKEY access may be suspended for a second offense. These penalties are guidelines, and depending on the circumstances may be more severe. In 2018, there were two instances that resulted in keybox sanctions.

-Paragon Enhancements – 12/5/18

-Google Maps Driving Directions has been incorporated within Paragon. Use and presentation is much improved over Paragon Driving Directions. There is a Google imposed limit of nine properties per route, however.

-There have been several improvements to Collaboration Center including the automatic creation of a url for the agents Collaboration Center website. Also, the Contact Activity Widget on the Home Page now contains helpful information and links to Collaboration Center client activity.

-A new Midwest theme banner has been added to your preference options…finally! Go to Preferences -> System -> User Interface.

November 2018

-Database/Profile Sheet Changes: On November 19, we made a few changes to our feature pick lists. These changes were done as a result of both member requests, and our work to align our data fields with Metro Milwaukee and Northeast WI MLSs. The majority of the changes were done within the Business/Commercial property type. A full list of changes can be found here. Updated profile sheets can be found here. Profile sheets have also been updated in ZipForms.

-Rule Reminder: Listings no longer available for showings due to an accepted offer must be moved to the status of Offer-No Show (PND). It does not matter if all contingencies are removed; the deciding factor is if showings are allowed or not. Please make this change as soon as possible. MLS rules mandate this change must be done within 3 days of when the property is no longer available for showings.

October 2018

-Save Time Adding Listings. If you are not currently using the Tax Autofill link when adding a listing, you may want to check it out. Clicking on the Tax Autofill link at the top of the Add Listing screen will take you to the Tax Search page. Locate the property you are adding by parcel number, address, or owner name. Select the tax record, and then click on the Autofill link at the top of the screen. Information such as address, owner, school district, acres, assessments and taxes will be automatically imported into the add-listing screen saving you keystrokes. If the listing agent has provided information that is different from what is auto-filled, you can simply overwrite the auto-filled information.

-Agents with standard agent level security can modify all fields on their listings except those that are contractual in nature (status, price, Y/N questions, and address). These fields can be modified by someone with a higher security level (ex: office staff or broker).

-What Can I Do If My Listing Shows Up For Rent Online?

• Contact the website and ask that the ad be removed.
• Place a sign on the front door clearly stating that the property is NOT for rent and refer any questions to the listing agent.
• Contact the Consumer Protection Division of the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection at 800-422-7128.
• Contact the Police Department serving the city your property is listed in.

-The ability to measure distance from one point to another when searching using the map has recently been added. This measurement can be saved along with the map shape(s) as a point of reference. The new measure tool can be found under the Draw option within the map toolbar. Usage tip: After selecting the measure tool, single click on the map anywhere while you have a cross as your cursor — when your cursor turns into a hand, this will select listings, not draw measurement.

-A share to Twitter option has recently been added along with Share to Facebook within Listing Maintenance. Find this new option under Integrations within the Select an Action box while in Maintain Listing. All Active, Pending, and Sold listings for which you are a listing agent can be selected to share via Twitter or Facebook. After clicking on Share to Twitter, you will be given a url to share. Add any message you want and select to Tweet. You will need to have a Collab Center site set up before you can take advantage of this new feature. If you are not currently using Collab Center, you can set up your site under Preferences (in the menu bar at the top of the screen).

-If you change contact information (i.e. email address, phone number, company affiliation), remember to update your Paragon Email Signature (Preferences – Email Signature).

You can store multiple Email Signatures and multiple Message Bodies for inclusion in emails from Paragon. Click Preferences, and Email to access the Email Signature and Message Body folders. Within both of these preferences, you have the ability to set one as your default, and insert any of the others on the fly. When you set up email auto-notification for a contact, you can included any Email Signature and/or Message Body from the list, and that is the signature and/or message body that client will always get. The Message Body will display before the Click Here to View Listings link, and the Email Signature will display after.

September 2018

-Do you or a client have a property to rent? Do you have a client that needs a place to rent? Paragon includes a rental add and search program. Residential rentals can be added by clicking on Listings and Rental. To search for rentals click on Search and Rental. All Paragon users have access to add rentals. Access to the add rental module is not restricted in the same fashion as adding a property for sale. Rentals can be added for 6 months at a time. Click here for a copy of the Rental Profile Sheet. All rentals added to Paragon automatically flow to www.apartments.com.

-When filling out the field for Finished Above Grade Square Footage, include only the finished area on levels that are 100% above grade (or ground). None of the square footage on a walk-out lower level with even one wall partially below grade should be included in the Above Grade Square Footage field, even if all the other walls on that level are above the ground. Click here for a must have resource to help you classify square footage correctly.

-Agents with standard agent level security can now update all room dimensions, room levels, and other room names for their listings within Paragon. In addition to these fields, agents have had the ability to update all pick list features, photos, virtual tours, associated documents, map location, public remarks, broker-to-broker remarks, showing instructions, open house date/time, broker open date/time/comments, and assessment/tax info for their listings.

-We are excited to report that the Northeast Wisconsin MLS is now importing SCWMLS listings directly from WIREX into their local MLS database. If you list a property in any of the following counties, that listing will automatically be loaded into the Northeast WI MLS database for easy access by their members. The counties include: Adams, Brown, Calumet, Dodge, Door, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Kewaunee, Lincoln, Manitowoc, Marathon, Marinette, Marquette, Menominee, Oconto, Outagamie, Portage, Shawano, Sheboygan, Waupaca, Waushara, Winnebago, and Wood.

Since June of last year, we have imported over 5,500 listings from other MLSs, via WIREX, directly into your SCWMLS database to make it easier for you to find them. These listings are located in the 19 counties our SCWMLS members typically list and sell in. Metro MLS has done something similar in that their members can also see SCWMLS listings directly in their Flex system without switching to WIREX.

August 2018

-A new listing share option has been added that will allow you to share listings in SMS, MMS, or instant messenger applications. From the spreadsheet, you will see a new option in the toolbar labeled Share. When you select the listings you want to share, and click the Share button, a URL will be displayed in a modal. This URL can be used to send the group of listings via a text message. The link, when clicked on by the receiver, will display listings in the mobile friendly Collab Center listing view.

-A new Southwest theme banner has been added to your preference options to spice things up! Go to Preferences -> System -> User Interface.

-A feature called map boundary has recently been added within Paragon. In the past, when a user entered search criteria first, and then clicked to open the map search, they were confused because the map did not display the matches for the criteria they had already entered. Now, the map will open with the matches from the criteria you have entered before selecting the map search criteria. The map will automatically open using the best-fit zoom level. There is an icon within the tool bar at the top of the map to turn this boundary off if you would rather your matches not display until after you select your map shape(s). This icon is a green dotted line square with a magnifying glass located to the left of the address search bar.

-If you are providing a Real Estate Condition Report to a buyer, it must be on the most recent version of that form (6 pages versus 2-3 pages). Even if the seller completed the form before 7/1/18, you will need an updated one if that form is provided to a prospective buyer after 7/1/18.

-When entering a new listing, you are asked to indicate, via free form fields, items that are included and excluded in the sale. In addition, there is the opportunity to select some items that are included under feature pick lists (i.e. Washer & Dryer under Interior Features). We encourage you, as a listing agent, to enter the included items in both the free form field and in the pick lists. As a selling agent, please check both places just in case the listing agent has not read this helpful Hot Tip.

July 2018

-The Show Date field is now available for optional entry on active listings. Show Date has been a required field for delayed listings, but was not available for active listings. If a listing is not ready for showings, an agent has the option to put that listing into delayed or active status. If set to active, MLS rules require the listing to include the date showings will begin in the first line of the MLS public remarks. This is still mandatory, as the date showings will be allowed must be made clear on public websites. You can find the Show Date field under the Showing Info section when adding/maintaining a listing. Showing dates are automatically blocked off within ShowingTime until the Show Date.

Important Reminder: If you enter a Show Date for either a delayed or active listing, and have to change that date (either forward or backward), remember to contact agents who have set up a showing based on the original show date, to reschedule based on your new show date. ShowingTime does not do this automatically for you.

-ShowingTime reports that the national average for showing feedback is 72%. SCWMLS members are a bit above average, completing feedback requests 76% of the time

-Within Paragon, you can change the fields that display on the spreadsheet list of properties that come up after a search. Click Customize from the closest toolbar above, and select Fields. The box on the right lists the fields that currently display on your spreadsheet. If you want to remove a field, simply click on the field and click Remove. If you want to add a field from the left box, click on the field and then on Add. If you do not see the field you would like to add, click on the Group box at the top to display different types of fields (i.e. Feature Categories). You can also use the Move Up and Move Down buttons to change the order the fields appear on your spreadsheet. Click on Save and Close to apply your changes. Your customized spreadsheet will now come up each time you display the spreadsheet. There is a Revert to Default button on the bottom if you mess up.

-RatePlug is a valuable tool that lets you share home payment affordability factors directly within any property listing you send your clients, which can get your buyers asking questions about financing earlier, to avoid snags later.

• Displays only your trusted lending sources
• Displays calculations based specifically on the listing being viewed
• Delivers interactive, real-time mortgage programs, payments and qualifying information to your clients
• Identifies special financing options available (FHA, VA, USDA, etc.)
• Includes Property Flyer Program for your listings

Click here to learn more, or to sign up for this tool that is included FREE for MLS members.

3 Common Questions Regarding Delayed Listings:

-My seller is still not ready for showings on day 45…what do I do? A listing can only be in the status of Delayed, or as Active with No Showings for 45 days. If a seller is still not ready to show their property on day 46, an extension can be granted. Simply have the seller provide a request for an extension including the reason why. This can be as simple as an email from the seller saying…I am not ready because the painters have been delayed. Forward this request to the MLS at listings@wisre.com for an extension up to another 45 days. If the MLS does not receive a seller request for an extension, MLS staff will send an email to the listing agent on day 46 as a reminder, and will then move the listing to MLS Suspended.

-Why are some no showings until listings in an Active status instead of Delayed? We are generally seeing two reasons a new listing is not available for showings right away. The first is the property is not ready to be marketed due to needed clean up, timing for professional photos, desired staging, etc. You will find these listings in the Delayed status as the listing agent does not want them to be viewed by the public yet. In the second situation, the property is all ready for public viewing, but the seller and listing agent decide to pick a launch date, often starting with an open house. You will find these listings in Active as the seller and agent want the public to see them. The listings in Active must include the date showings will be allowed in the first line of the public remarks. Our rules regarding “no showings until’ listings have taken both situations into account, and allow agents the flexibility to market these listings as either Delayed or Active.

-I listed a property on Monday, and entered it as Delayed on Friday, why is Days on Market showing as 4 days? For all listings, days on market starts counting at List Date and subtracts days in an off-market status. As this listing was entered 4 days after the list date, the time between the list date and the day entered was counted. If you want to avoid a days on market calculation for your Delayed listings, you should enter them on the list date. For days on market calculations, the list date is day 0 and the day after the list date is day 1.

June 2018

-ADDENDUM 11A to the WB-11 Residential Offer to Purchase: When drafting an offer to purchase on a property that is part of a condominium with a recorded Condominium Declaration and Plat, it is appropriate to use the WB-14 Residential Condominium Offer to Purchase. In some cases, however, a single-family residential property is not subject to a Condominium Declaration and Plat, yet has non-exclusive use and enjoyment of common areas and amenities – such as properties located in Planned Developments, Residential Cooperatives and where the property owners can share in the use and direct or indirect ownership of shared facilities (for example, playgrounds, clubhouses, and beaches). One popular example of this type of property is Tamarack Trails in Madison, WI. To assist with transactions involving this type of property, the SCWMLS Committee and Board of Directors engaged the services of Attorney Pharis Horton to develop Addendum 11A. This is a voluntary form and is designed to be used with the WB-11 Residential Offer to Purchase. The form can be found here.

-Photo Increase to 36 and New Photo Requirement for Lower Level Bedrooms – At their last meetings, the MLS Committee and MLS Board of Directors voted to increase the maximum number of photos allowed per listing from 25 to 36. This program change has been made. In addition, they voted to mandate a photo showing the egress window for every lower level bedroom. This new rule will take effect for all new listings with a list date of 6/1/18 and later.

May 2018

-When searching MLS remarks, you no longer need to include asterisks (* *) around the word or words you are searching for. What….you didn’t know MLS Remarks were searchable? Well….they are! You will find the Remarks search prompt under the Advanced Criteria section of the search parameters. Simply type in the word or words you are looking for. 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.

-The MLS does not define what is a bedroom. Listing agents should use common sense when calling a room a bedroom. If you are counting a room as a bedroom that is not a typical bedroom (i.e. does not have a closet, is accessible only by going through another room, etc.), please indicate in the remarks what makes it atypical so that showing agents and potential buyers are informed before a showing. A lower level room that does not meet safety guidelines for a bedroom, however, should not be labeled as a bedroom in the MLS. Click here for requirements from the Department of Safety and Professional Standards regarding lower level bedrooms.

April 2018

-Double Exposure for Delayed Listings: Within the Market Monitor on the Paragon home page, the link to New listings includes each new listing created within the number of days you have requested. When a new listing is added as Delayed, it shows up under this New link. We have made a change to also include listings that move from Delayed to Active within the New link. So if you add a listing as Delayed, it shows up once when first added, and then again when it moves from Delayed to Active.

-When viewing a listing in Paragon, one of the links at the top is “correction”. If you click on this link, an email box will open. Use this link to report to the MLS what you believe to be a data inaccuracy on the listing, or a violation of our MLS rules as related to the listing. Since last summer, we have imported over 3,600 listings from other MLSs directly into our Paragon system. The MLS number for these listings begin with a two-characteralpha designation (ie MM for Metro MLS). As rules vary from MLS to MLS, what may appear to be a violation in our MLS, may not be in the source MLS. Therefore, if you report an issue via the correction button for one of these listing, we will pass the report on to the source MLS, but may not be able to “fix it”. Reporters of violations via the correction button are kept anonymous.

-If you click the listing agent name on reports, a box will open showing alternate agent phone numbers and a photo of the agent, if the agent has loaded a photo into Paragon. Agents can load a photo of themselves by clicking on Preferences, User, Agent Image. Agents can also load a logo here.

-We were recently notified by Supra that if you are using the eKEY Supra App on an iPhone with an older operating system, you may have issues entering the last digit of your PIN when trying to obtain the key from a Keybox. Please make sure your phone is updated to the latest iOS (operating system 10.3.3 or higher) to avoid any inconvenience. If you have any questions, please call Supra Technical Support at 877-699-6787.

-The Board of Directors recently fined both an agent and her broker $2,000 each for showing a property to a potential buyer the morning before it was available for all to see later in the day. No showings means no showings…..right up until the minute it is available for all to see. Both the listing side and the showing side can be sanctioned for allowing and taking part in a showing before it is available for all to see. In addition, it is against MLS rules for agents from companies other than the listing company to preview properties not available for showings.

-Arms Length Added to Sale Factor Pick List: To provide a more accurate representation, we have replaced the option of N/A with Arms Length within the list of Sale Factors when moving a listing to SOLD. N/A was included to indicate no special sale factors, which is the same as Arms Length. Arms Length should be selected for all sales that are NOT between friends or family members, between employer and employee, between a parent company and its subsidiaries, or between a trust and its beneficiaries. Most sales are Arms Length.

March 2018

-Bing maps have been replaced with Google maps throughout Paragon. The main reason for this change is to offer more up-to-date maps. At this time, our Paragon vendor is still looking for a Google tool that measures the distance while drawing a shape. A workaround for a radius is to first enter the address at the top of the screen and select the number of miles. If you have not tried the Hybrid option for map view, give it a try. It is similar to the old Birdseye and provides street detail. If you like this view you can set it as your default. Go to Preferences – System – Search Options – DefaultMap View.

– Our Supra key system allows you to set email or text alerts when an agent opens your keybox, and when they leave your listing. You can also set up to send this alert to your seller or team member(s). Alerts can be set up via www.supraekey.com (click the SupraWEB Login for Real Estate Agents). If you are new to this website, you will be prompted to set up an account (hint: your key serial number displays at the top of your ekey screen). Click here for detailed instructions on setting up showing alerts.

-The list price for commercial properties that are for lease only have been entered in our MLS inconsistently. To fix this, we ask that you enter the list price for commerical lease only listings as the annual lease amount. We have added a note to the agent full report that says “if lease only = annual lease amount” to help clarify.

-Listings in the status of Delayed or Active marked as “no showings until” cannot be shown to prospective buyers by a cooperating agent or by the listing agent. In addition, agents from companies other than the listing company are not allowed to preview these listings. Those found in violation of this rule can be fined up to $15,000 and are subject to suspension of MLS services. This fine and suspension can be applied to both the listing agent and the agent showing the property.

February 2018

-Since June 1, we have imported over 3,000 listings from WIREX directly into your SCWMLS database to make it easier for you to find them. These listings are located in the 19 counties our SCWMLS members typically list and sell in. These listings, listed by members of other MLSs, were in the past only available via a separate WIREX search. Metro MLS has done something similar in that their members can also see SCWMLS listings directly in their Flex system without switching to WIREX. Members of both MLSs can now easily find all listings in one single search, see listing detail on these listings, and schedule a showing directly by clicking a button from the listing detail. SCWMLS and Metro MLS continue to work together to keep our database fields aligned, which allows a seamless search experience for their members.

– From your ShowingCart screen, click on the email icon in the top right corner and then type your client’s email address in the To field. Your clients will be emailed a buyer’s version of the showing tour, which they can open on a mobile phone to take advantage of the built-in navigation option.

-The default spreadsheet sort in Paragon is by Price. You probably know you can click on the header of any column to resort the spreadsheet by that column. You can also set a multiple sort for the spreadsheet. When on the spreadsheet view, click Customize from the closest toolbar above, and select Sort. You can select up to 3 levels to sort your spreadsheet by. You can also select Ascending or Descending. This sort order will now be your default sort each time you display the spreadsheet.

-Avoid a $100/day fine: All MLS eligible properties must be entered into the MLS within 4 calendar days of the effective date (first day of the term) of the listing contract. If a seller instructs you to withhold their new listing from MLS for a limited time, that listing must still be entered into the MLS within 4 calendar days of the effective date, but should be entered with a status of Delayed. It is against MLS rules to include verbiage such as “not to be entered into MLS until X” as a means to avoid entering a listing within the required 4 days. If a seller does not want their new listing marketed via the MLS at all, this instruction must be written into the contract for the whole term of the contract. Once your seller has signed a listing contract, that listing begins on the effective date (beginning of the term). You cannot modify the effective date via an amendment once that date has passed. In other words, you cannot undo days a listing was already under contract.

-Clicking the My Info Tab on the Market Monitor (top right on this page), 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 co-broke solds.

-Updated Resource: Click here for updated 2017 Tax/Mill Rates.

January 2018

-Q: My buyer wants a home with at least 2 bedrooms and one extra room. What is the best way to search for this in Paragon?

A: Within the Feature pick list under search Secondary Criteria there is a feature for Z-Other Rooms. Within this pick list select Bedroom, Bonus Room, Den/Office, Sun Room, etc. within the Must Have 1 or More column. Paragon will look for listings that have at least one of these rooms listed as Other Room 1-4.

-The 4-day grace period allowed to gather information before entering a new listing on the MLS, is not a barrier to showings by a potential subagent or buyer’s agent. All MLS eligible properties must be made available for showings on the effective date of the contract, unless the seller has indicated that no showings are allowed for a specific time. Any no showing stipulation would apply to showings for all perspective buyers, including those working with the listing agent.

-Click here for a copy of the 2018 Gregorian Calendar.

-If you receive an email alerting you that a client has opted out of receiving emails from you via Paragon, this may be because they accidently clicked on the opt out link within an email, or because Paragon received a bounce back from your clients email provider. To opt them back in, email them the following link or open the link and type in their email address: http://p50.fnismls.com/paragonsubscriptions/optin.aspx. Your client will be sent a confirmation email containing an opt-in option they will need to click on within 72 hours to opt back in. This opt in link can also be found within the links in the orange banner on the top of the Paragon home page. You can proactively check for clients that have been opted out by clicking on Contacts and View/Manage Contacts within Paragon. Look at the Email column. Clients should have an orange envelope indicating a valid email address. If you see a white envelope with a red exclamation point, this client is opted out and is not receiving emails.

December 2017

-Newly created Wis. Stat. 452.136 (3) states that an agent cannot advertise a property unless a listing agreement has been executed. It is no longer permissible to advertise a listing as “coming soon” without the existence of a listing agreement.

-Share to Facebook Added: With the update last week, a Share to Facebook option was added within Listing Maintenance. Find this new option under Integrations within the Select an Action box while in Maintain Listing. All Active, Pending, and Sold listings for which you are a listing agent can be selected to appear within your Facebook feed. The post includes the primary photo, public remarks, and a link to the detail report within Collab Center. You will need to have a Collab Center site set up before you can take advantage of this new feature. If you are not currently using Collab Center, you can set up your site under Preferences (in the menu bar at the top of the screen).

-Agent Phone Labels Added: When clicking on an agents name within Paragon, up to five phone numbers will display. These phone numbers are now labeled (Pref, Offic, Home, Cell, Fax). Pref = Preferred number. Offic = the phone number in the office record which cannot be changed in the agent record. Please email member@wisre.com if you want to make any changes to your phone numbers.

-New MLS Offering – Homesnap Pro: SCWMLS members now have the option to utilize Homesnap Pro as an added MLS benefit. There is no charge for this cool new product. Installation instructions: Apple iPhone/iPad or Android. Click here for tutorial videos.

-Don’t be a Keybox Jammer: When placing keys in the new Supra keyboxes, please make sure to put them in the front compartment, where a green sticker with bright yellow keys displays. Do not put them in the back more open area which has a picture of a key with a line through it. If a key is placed in the back, it is likely to jam. For those more visual, click here.

November 2017

-Wisconsinhomes.com Framed Website – If you currently use the free framed version of wisconsinhomes.com (www.wisconsinhomes.com/index2.php) as the listing search portion of your website, please let this serve as notice that we will be eliminating this framed option the end of December. We will be transitioning wisconsinhomes.com to a new vendor, which will not allow for a framed option. We are currently working with the IDX vendor, Placester, to offer an alternative. If you are interested in this alternative, please email support@wisre.com for more information.

-Property PIN: With the October database changes, we added a new optional listing field called Property PIN. This field can be used within your office to tie listings to internal processes (i.e. advertising PIN). This field is not on any standard reports, but can be added to spreadsheets and custom reports, and can be searched on. This field is alpha/numeric and has a max character count of 25. The Property PIN field within maintain listing can be found under the Open House/Tour/PIN section.

-Value Price Range Reminder: The price identified as the contractual list price on the listing documentation is the price that must be listed on Paragon in the list price field. Include the range in the first line of the MLS Public Remarks.

October 2017

-In the past, listing edit checks required that you enter the dashes and periods as part of a parcel number when entering a new listing into Paragon. As we now are storing the parcel number with and without the punctuation within the tax module, it is no longer necessary to include the dashes and periods when entering your new listing. Paragon will now accept a parcel number with our without the punctuation. An error will still come up if you enter the wrong number of digits.

-Rule Reminder: A new listing contract must be obtained before re-entering an existing listing into the MLS as new. If the MLS discovers a new listing contract was not obtained, the new listing will be deleted and the listing broker will be fined $50. It is not acceptable to draft only an amendment to create a new MLS listing.

-Condo Pets & Parking: If you currently have an active Condo listing, please check to be sure pets and parking are reflected correctly. We have expanded the options for pets, and in doing so converted Small Pets Only to Cats OK and Large Dogs OK to Dogs OK. If your condo allows small dogs, please select the new features Dogs OK and Size Limit. If you had selected 1 Space, 2 Spaces or Outside for condo parking, please note that we have changed these features to 1 Space Assigned, 2+ Spaces Assigned, and Outside Only. Please edit condo parking if these features no longer apply.

-Database Changes: On October 9th, we made several changes to our database. The changes were a result of both member requests and our work to align our data fields with Metro Milwaukee and Northeast WI MLSs. These changes include the elimination of value range symbols, the combination of below/part below grade and non-exposed sqft fields, an increase in the size of the broker-to-broker remarks field, and various pick list feature additions/deletions. A full list of changes can be found here. Updated profile sheets can be found here. Profile sheets have been updated within ZipForms.