News & Past Hot Tips

– Offer to Purchase: The WRA has created Addendum CV to assist you in addressing closures of government entities/settlement service providers as well as required isolation of parties to the transaction.

– Show Date Now Optional: The Show Date is now optional for properties in the status of Delayed. The requirement to enter a Show Date for Active listings currently not available for showings has been removed. If you have an Active listing for which the seller has requested to suspend showings for an unknown period of time, simply add NO SHOWINGS in the first line of the public remarks. If you are comfortable with a date showings will be allowed, please enter it.

– Virtual Showings: Consider sending an email to your buyers letting them know you are willing to show them property virtually. If a seller is allowing showings, you can use your smart phone and an app such as FaceTime, Zoom, GoToMeeting, JoinMe or Skype to take your buyer on a live virtual tour. Here is a resource from ShowingTime on setting up virtual showings.

If directed by the listing office, click the action link  on the agent full detail report to facilitate an electronic earnest money transaction.

Click here for more information on TrustFunds.

The iPhone operating system 13 allows you to select to enable Bluetooth by app. If you are having difficulty using your Supra eKEY, make sure both the overall Bluetooth for your phone is enabled, as well as the Bluetooth for the Supra eKEY. To find this setting:

1. Go to the iPhone Settings
2. Tap Privacy
3. Tap Bluetooth
4. Find Supra eKEY, and change the permission

Beginning with 2020 sales, if a team participates on the sale side of a transaction, and is registered as a team in the MLS, the listing office must record the sale under the team record. If the team has opted not to register, and does not come up on the list of sale agents within Paragon, you still have the option to record either the team lead or the team member assisting the buyer. Team names are required to include the word Team or Group, so it will be more evident, when reviewing productivity, if an entity is an individual or a team.

Teams now have an option to be recognized within Paragon. If you currently work within a team, click here for information on setting up your team within Paragon.

MLS Statement 8.0 – NAR Clear Cooperation Policy – Effective March 1, 2020

When an agent joins the MLS, a very basic agent profile is set up on Realtor.com. Realtor.com relies on agents to claim and maintain their profiles, and therefore does not pull any agent changes from the MLS. If you register a new email address or phone number with the MLS, Realtor.com does not update your profile with these changes automatically. Agents need to login to their profile to make any agent changes, including adding a photo. Here are 2 links that will help you maintain your Realtor.com profile:

• Setting up your profile
• How to add or update your profile photo

The following changes/additions have recently been made to listing data we collect:

• The size of the public remarks field was increased from 650 to 800 characters.
• The size of the Items Included field was increased from 150 to 275 characters.
• For Single Family listings, we have added a required field for Total Full Garage Stalls. We have automatically filled this field for all Active, Pending, and Delayed listings from data in the Garage feature. If your listing has a single feature selected for 1 Car, 2 Car, or 3 Car, that data was automatically copied to this new field. If your listing has no garage, more than a 3 car garage, or multiple garages, you will need to enter this data manually.
• Garage was added to the Other Room pick list. This will allow you to include garage dimensions if you would like. This will be a great way to bring attention to oversized garages, but will not require an entry if your listing has a standard garage.
• An additional field has been added for a second unbranded virtual/video tour.
• Aquaculture has been added as an option under the Farm Feature pick list.

November 2019

-When recording a sale within Paragon, you are asked what type of transaction the sale was. Two options that seem to cause confusion are Arms Length and Non-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.

-MLS Rule Change for Reporting Offers with a Bump – When reporting an offer with a bump, you have the option to change the status to AB (Offer-Bump), or to leave the status as Active. If you leave the status as Active, you must disclose the offer within the broker-to-broker remarks. The MLS Board of Directors recently voted to require this disclosure (Offer Bump) in the first words of the broker-to-broker remarks. This new rule applies to offers accepted on or after November 1, 2019. Complete rules regarding reporting offers can be found here.

October 2019

-CRS Tax Hot Tips: When entering a name within the main search bar, parcels that match based on multiple fields will come up as results. For example, if you type in Apple, you will see a list of owner names that begin with Apple, as well as street names that begin with Apple. If you do not see the specific last name or street name you are looking for, click the View More link on the Owner’s Name or Street Address header to see all the matches for the owner or street you are looking for. When printing a parcel detail report, you have the ability to hide sections of the report you do not want to print. On the far right of each section header, you will see a down arrow. Click the arrow to hide the section.

-Looking for WIREX? The link used to switch back and forth from the SCWMLS database to WIREX has been moved. It is now located within the new User Menu which can be accessed by clicking on your name in the upper right corner. Log Out has also been moved here.

-When viewing listings via the Google Map view, layers can be added to provide more information about the parcels. One of these layers is the Parcel Lines layer. If you turn this layer on (icon to the left of the printer icon in the map toolbar), it will display parcel boundaries (zoom in if you do not see them). When you click on a parcel, you will see lot dimensions and total parcel size on the map. In addition, the left panel will display the Google street view as well as owner information. If you would like this parcel layer to always display for you, you can set this via your personal preferences (Preferences – System – Search Options – Parcel Layer).

-You now have the option to quickly save multiple associated documents in a ZIP file. From the documents screen, select the docs you want to save, and click the Export icon from the toolbar. Select Download. You will be given an option to Open or Save the ZIP file. Only public docs are available to select.

–Supra Update Required for iPhone/iPad Users: Apple released a new operating system, iOS 13, for iPhones and iPads, on September 19. A new version of the Supra eKEY app is now available in the Apple app store. Please update your eKEY app to this new version before you update your iPhone or iPad to iOS 13. You may not be able to access keyboxes if you use a previous version of the eKEY app with iOS 13.

-Change for Supra eKEY Safety Alerts: If you have set up the safety alert feature on your Supra eKEY, please note that the format to send an alert for help via a text message has changed for AT&T, Sprint, and US Cellular. Please update your settings in Supraweb as follows for any of your emergency contacts with these carriers. Information for setting up an emergency alert via your Supra eKEY can be found here.

AT&T: 5551234567@mms.att.net
Sprint: 5551234567@pm.sprint.com
US Cellular: 5551234567@mms.uscc.net

Sept 2019

-Delayed Status Reminder: If you enter a future Show Date for either a Delayed or Active listing, please keep the MLS current as to the date showings will be allowed. As is the nature of listings that are not yet ready for showings, the initial Show Date entered is often a best guess. Please keep in touch with your sellers for these properties and update the Show Date to reflect the progress of readiness. Paragon does not automatically move a listing from Delayed to Active on the Show Date entered, as we realize the Show Date can, and often does change. If you have to change a Show 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. More information on handling Delayed listings can be found here.

-ShowingTime Hot Tip: Never miss a ShowingTime alert again – install the free ShowingTime Mobile App. Email notifications about showings can sometimes get blocked, delayed, or sent to your spam folder. The ShowingTime app uses push notifications that cannot be blocked. You also have access to showing instructions, feedback, buyer tours, and more while out in the field. Click here for installation instructions and other helpful articles. Attention Yahoo/AOL/Verizon users — if you host your email via Yahoo, AOL or Verizon, please note that these providers have blocked ShowingTime emails several times in the past.

-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. MLS rules mandate a photo be included within Paragon showing the egress window for every lower level bedroom.

August 2019

-Email auto-notifications of price changes are sent from Paragon only if the price change is at least .5%. This setting limits the practice of $1 price changes to gain exposure. Within the price column on spreadsheets, a price in red indicates a price decrease, and a price in green indicates a price increase. In addition, if you hover over the arrow, the previous price and percentage of change will display. Price changes are highlighted for 2 weeks.

-Paragon was recently enhanced to more seamlessly integrate with ShowingTime via a widget on the home page. Clicking on these new icons will link you directly to appointments you have requested, appointments on your listings, and other ShowingTime activities available within the version of ShowingTime you subscribe to. This new widget was installed at the top right of your home page. You have the ability to rearrange and collapse all the widgets (Quick Search, Market Monitor, Contact Activity, Calendar, Messages, and Showing Time) on the Paragon home page for your login. Simply click within the blue bar at top of the widget you want to move, and drag it up or down within the left or right panel. To collapse a widget, click on the up arrow within the blue bar at the top of the widget. The middle panel cannot be adjusted.

-If you want to move a list of properties from Paragon to the new CRS Tax Program, pull up the list of properties in Paragon via a search or lookup and select the listings. Once selected, click on the Actions drop down and select View in CRS Data. The selected listings will be imported into CRS and all CRS functions, such as reviewing the assessment/tax info, viewing on the CRS map, and creating mailing labels will be available for this group of listings.

July 2019

-Safety Alert on your Supra eKEY: Agent Alert is a feature built into Supra’s eKEY, providing peace of mind for agents. With the press of a button, agents have a simple discreet method to send an alert message to selected contacts. The message, and up to three contacts are set up in advance. Holding the alert button automatically sends the message to the contacts. The message can be sent as an email or text message. A link to a map of the key’s exact location is included with the message. For more information, click here for written instructions.

-By default, ShowingTime only sends texts and push notifications during the hours of 8 am to 8pm. If you want to receive these alerts at any time, you can change this preference. Within Paragon, click Preferences and Showing Assist. Click on your name within the left panel to open your preferences. Agent Communication is an option under Additional Preferences.

-Input Reminder for Condos: When selecting features for a condo listing, please remember that the features Basement and Parking are for the individual condo unit, not the building as a whole.

-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, our new 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. Scroll down to the Property Characteristics: Lot section. The Latitude and Longitude is listed. Copy and paste it into the Change GeoCode option within listing maintain.

Fond du Lac Listings Imported from WIREX: Since June of 2017, we have imported over 8,600 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. The MLS numbers for these listings are prefixed by 2 letters to make the MLS number unique, and to identify them as listings that originated in a different MLS system (i.e. MM for Metro).

On 7/1/19, we added Fond du Lac County listings to these imports. New listings with a list date of 7/1/19 and later are now being directly imported into your SCWMLS Paragon system. It is no longer necessary to switch to WIREX to see new listings for Fond du Lac County. Metro, Northeast and Central WI MLSs have done something similar in that their members can see SCWMLS listings directly in their native systems without switching to WIREX.

June 2019

-Expansion of MLS Rule for MLS Excluded Listings: Back in November, the MLS incorporated a mandatory exclusion form for all residential single family/condominium listings that the Seller has directed to be withheld from the SCWMLS database. At their last meeting, the MLS Board of Directors expanded this rule to apply to all MLS eligible listings, which includes vacant land and multi-family dwellings under 9 units, in addition to single family and condominium listings. This expansion for vacant land and multi-family dwellings under 9 units will take effect for these listings with an effective date of July 1, 2019 and beyond.
Agents are required to submit the fully executed listing contract, along with a completed Seller Certification to the SCWMLS office within 4 days of the effective date. Failure to do so may result in a fine. The updated form can be found here: Seller Certification Authorizing Exclusion of Listing from SCWMLS.

-The number of characters allowed for public remarks has been increased from 600 to 650 characters.

-Listing Firm Name on IDX Websites: When a listing is displayed on an IDX website, the listing firm name must be included on the full listing display. The firm name must be in type that is at least as large and of the same darkness as the type used to describe the property, and must be located in a prominent location within the top third of the page. If a website requires the consumer to login before seeing the full listing display, the listing firm name must also be on the listing summary that displays before the login.

-Two Changes for the Status of Withheld/Delayed: Paragon was recently modified such that listings in the status of Active can no longer be moved to the status of Withheld/Delayed. Once a listing is moved from Withheld/Delayed to Active, there is no option to move it back to Withheld/Delayed. If a listing is Active, and showings are temporarily suspended, the listing should remain Active and a note should be added to the first line of the public remarks indicating when the listing will again be available for showings.

In addition, the description label for the status of Withheld/Delayed has been changed to simply Delayed. There has been confusion regarding Withheld/Delayed versus Withdrawn by Seller, and we hope this will help with the distinction. Delayed should be used for listings that are new, but not yet ready to show. Withdrawn by Seller should be used when a seller decides they no longer want to market or show their property that has been Active in MLS, but the listing broker opts not to release them from their contract.

May 2019

-Within your ShowingTime settings, you have the option to turn on and off notifications alerting you when an appointment request is received, is viewed, and is confirmed/cancelled. In addition, you can also turn on/off alerts informing you that a property you have shown has had a price or status change. To find these settings from within Paragon, click on Preferences, Showing Assist, My Agent Setup (from left panel). Scroll down to Showing Agent Preferences. Options for turning these notifications on/off are the first four settings.

-Appraiser Request: If your listing is part of a Home Owners Association, please include the annual HOA dues as part of the data on Paragon. I often see this listed on the condition report, but it is not included within the listing data. Having it front and center helps me turn around appraisals faster for you. Thank you

-CRS Tax – View Data on Map: A feature of our new CRS Tax program that members have been very impressed with is the larger map view, and the ability to visually see information on the map. For example, you can pull up the map of an area and add a layer showing the owner name, the last sale date/price, and the acreage. To give this a try, first do a search within CRS Tax and display the list of your search matches. From there, click on Map View, View Larger Map, and Change Layers (upper left corner). Open the Labels layer and toggle the layers on to view. Zoom in if labels are too crowded to read.

-Square Footage Reminder: 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 level). 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.

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.