September is REALTOR® Safety Month, and we want to share an important initiative we’ve implemented to protect you, our market, and the integrity of our MLS.

Real estate fraud is becoming increasingly sophisticated. Fraudsters target our market because it presents a perfect storm: high value transactions, public listings, and REALTORS® trained to trust. We’re seeing three primary fraud threats that can directly impact your business:

1. Listing fraud Bad actors post fake listings to steal deposits or manipulate market data
2. Account takeover Compromised REALTOR® credentials make fraudulent listings appear legitimate
3. Seller impersonation Fraudsters claim authority to list properties they don’t own

These aren’t just consumer problems. A single fraudulent listing can damage your reputation for months. It erodes trust with your clients and creates liability questions that keep you up at night.

That’s why we’ve implemented fraud detection and ownership verification technology to protect you.

Find Property Shield in the Resources tab of your Paragon Dashboard

How This Protects You

Our fraud detection system flags suspicious listings within minutes of posting. This is critical. The difference between catching a fake listing in 10 minutes versus 10 hours is the difference between 50 views and 500. It’s the difference between a minor reputation hiccup and a market crisis.

When a suspicious listing appears, it’s removed quickly through our processes before it spreads and damages your professional standing. You get immediate notification so you can verify the listing, secure your credentials if they’ve been compromised, or pull the listing if you didn’t post it.

For seller impersonation fraud, our ownership verification system confirms that whoever is initiating a listing actually has authority to represent that property. It combines identity verification with property level cross referencing to catch what fraud detection alone might miss.

What This Means For Our Market

When we implement these defenses together, we’re sending a clear message: this MLS takes integrity seriously. Our subscribers know their reputations are protected. Our data stays clean and trustworthy. Our market operates at a higher standard than markets without these protections.

Real estate thrives on confidence. Buyers trust that listings are real. Sellers trust that their properties are protected. Agents trust that the market they’re operating in is fair and honest. When fraud goes unaddressed, that confidence erodes. When we take action, we strengthen it for everyone.

What You Should Know

You don’t need to do anything right now. Our fraud detection system is working behind the scenes to protect you. If your listing triggers a fraud flag, you’ll receive a notification so you can verify the activity immediately.

If you have questions about how these system work or what to do if you receive a fraud alert, lets us know.

Have you utilized Broker Bot in your business? Put this powerful tool to work today!

Broker Bot can be found in the lower righthand corners of, the Paragon Home Page Message, SWCMLS.com, and RASCW.org.

Just look for the little blue logo.

Example Prompt:

“Broker Bot you’re the seller who thinks your home is worth more than the comps. Raise objections one at a time, and I’ll defend my price, then tell me how clear and confident I was.”

Broker Bot Response:

Scenario: You’ve recommended $385,000 on a 3-bed, 2-bath ranch. Your seller insists on listing higher because a neighbor sold for $420,000.

Seller:

“The Johnsons two doors down sold for $420,000 last summer, and they don’t even have my granite counters and stainless appliances. How is mine only worth $385,000?”

Your move: Explain your CMA. Comps from last year don’t reflect today’s market, and upgrades add value, but they don’t close a $35,000 gap.

Broker Bot — Provides an AI-powered assistant designed to help brokers and real estate professionals quickly access information, resources, and answers that support their day-to-day business.

Stop Waiting for Listings to Find You.

Join domii, for a live REALTOR® Growth Session designed to help agents find opportunities earlier, prospect more strategically, and build a stronger pipeline

Learn how to identify the homeowners most likely to sell in the next 30 days, and turn those opportunities into:

• Conversations
• Appointments
• Listings

The market is changing, and the agents who build their pipeline before a property hits the market will have a serious advantage.

Join domii, for a live REALTOR® Growth Session designed to help agents find opportunities earlier, prospect more strategically, and build a stronger pipeline.

South Central Wisconsin MLS just became the first MLS in the state to run its data distribution on SourceRE. We are now listing its data in the SourceRE Data Marketplace and layering in Data Dye™ forensic tracking, giving it a single place to manage licensing, vendor onboarding, and billing while keeping full authority over who receives its data.

Vendors and partners who rely on that data get simpler onboarding and access through RESO-certified APIs. Being first in Wisconsin is less about the technology and more about how it wants to be seen: intentional about how member data is accessed, distributed, and protected.

READ THE FULL PRESS RELEASE

If you haven’t taken advantage of NextKey education, get started now! It was built for you—our members—with practical, relevant education to help you stay sharp, build your skills and keep growing.

And we’re just getting started.

👀 Coming in 2027: Be on the lookout for an updated NextKey landing page and 18 NEW course topics!

AND HERE’S SOME BIG NEWS…NextKey is officially going beyond Wisconsin!

We’re excited to share that RASCW has partnered with the South Bay Association of REALTORS® in California, bringing NextKey to more than 4,500 REALTORS® on the West Coast.

That’s a pretty exciting milestone for something that started right here at RASCW.

From the beginning, the goal behind NextKey has been simple: empower agents through education. In an industry that never stops changing, taking time to learn, pivot and grow matters.

We’re proud of what NextKey has become, even more excited about where it’s headed—and most importantly, we want YOU to take advantage of everything it has to offer.

Built for our members. Built in Wisconsin. Now reaching beyond Wisconsin. 💙

READ THE FULL ANNOUNCEMENT      Welcome to NextKey℠ Learning Center

Office Closure – Wednesday, September 9

The RASCW/SCWMLS office building will be closed Wednesday, September 9, due to scheduled parking lot construction.

Our staff will still be available to assist you by phone and email during regular business hours.

We will reopen and resume normal office operations on Thursday, September 10.

Thank you for your patience and understanding while this work is completed!

RASCW/SCWMLS offices will be closed Monday September 7, 2026 in observance of Labor Day. We will be back open at 9 AM, Tuesday September 8, 2026.

Scammers are taking real listing photos and property information and using them to create fake listings online. These scams can involve fake rentals, fake homes for sale, or even listings that appear to be connected to a legitimate REALTOR®.

A recent example shared by Inman involved a home that was listed for sale but was falsely advertised on TikTok as a rental using the listing agent’s photos.

What can you do?

• Remind clients to verify a property directly with the listing agent or brokerage before sending money or personal information.
• Be cautious of prices or terms that seem too good to be true.
• Remember that photos and property information posted online can be copied and reused by scammers.

🛡️ NEW MEMBER BENEFIT: PROPERTY SHIELD

SCWMLS members now have access to Property Shield, which can help identify potential fraudulent activity involving property listings online.

It’s another tool you can use to help protect your listings and your clients.

Source: Inman, “Tech Roundup: TikTok Rental Scams,” August 26, 2026.

Contacts Saved Search Digest Notifications have a new look! These are the notifications that you and your client currently receive from Collab Center.

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10 YEARS OF SERVICE. ONE INCREDIBLE CAREER.

After an incredible 10 years of dedication and service, we’re celebrating Dave as he prepares to begin his next chapter — retirement!

For a decade, Dave has been an important part of our team and has made a lasting impact on our organization and the REALTOR® community. We want to make sure he knows just how much he is appreciated!

🥂 STOP IN & CELEBRATE ALL SEPTEMBER LONG!

Members are invited to stop by the office throughout the month of September to say congratulations, share a memory, and wish Dave well in his retirement.

And we’re not stopping there!

🎊 JOIN US OCTOBER 8! 🎊

We’ll be celebrating Dave with food, refreshments, and plenty of well wishes at the office!

📅 October 8 at 3:00 PM
📍 RASCW Office
🥪 Food & Refreshments

Come help us celebrate 10 amazing years of Dave!

Congratulations, Dave! Thank you for 10 years of dedication, laughter, hard work, and service. We’re so excited for you as you begin this next adventure!

What Is Property Shield?

Property Shield monitors the internet for potential misuse of listing information and can help identify activity such as:

• Rental scams using legitimate listing information
• Fake or fraudulent listings
• Unauthorized use of listing content
• Potential brand impersonation
• Other suspicious activity involving your listings

How Does It Work?

Property Shield works behind the scenes to monitor for potential issues. If activity is identified involving one of your listings, SCWMLS will alert you and contact you directly (emails will come from support@wisre.com) to help you understand what was identified and what steps may be available.

To Access Property Shield SCWMLS members login through Paragon, and Navigate to the Resources tab.

We’re proud to lead the way in Wisconsin and bring our members technology that helps protect what matters most—their business, their listings, and their clients. 

Another Way We’re Protecting Your Business

Being the first MLS in Wisconsin to bring this technology to our members is more than a milestone—it demonstrates our commitment to continually looking for new ways to support and protect our REALTOR® members.

As a quick update to our previous communication, ShowingTime will begin rolling out two-factor authentication (2FA) on August 25, rather than August 18 as previously communicated.

This change will only affect members who sign in directly to ShowingTime using a ShowingTime username and password. Members who access ShowingTime through their MLS and do not use ShowingTime credentials to sign in will not be affected.

Beginning August 25, affected members will be prompted to set up 2FA when they sign in. They’ll have 30 days from their first prompt to complete setup before it becomes required for access to ShowingTime.

Click here for an overview

Property Shield’s single sign off is currently disabled but that will not stop you from being notified.

We will update you once SSO is updated.

SCWMLS is excited to announce that Property Shield officially goes live on August 17, 2026!

As the first MLS in Wisconsin to bring this technology to our members, we are taking another important step forward in protecting our listings, our members, and the consumers we serve.

Property Shield is an AI-powered monitoring and protection platform designed to help identify potential listing fraud, unauthorized use of listing data, brand impersonation, and other online threats. By proactively monitoring activity across the internet, this service gives SCWMLS and our subscribers another layer of protection in an increasingly complex digital environment.

 What happens if you receive an alert?

We have included a short educational video to walk you through what to do if you receive a Property Shield email alert. The video will explain how to review the alert, understand the issue identified, and take the appropriate next steps.

Please take a few minutes to watch the video so you’re prepared when an alert comes your way.

 Join Us for Live Training

Want to learn more? Property Shield will also host two live training sessions:

• Tuesday, August 18, 2026 | 10:00 AM Central Time
  Register for the August 18 Training
• Thursday, August 20, 2026 | 1:00 PM Central Time
  Register for the August 20 Training

This is more than just another member benefit. It’s an investment in protecting our MLS ecosystem, our members, and consumers from the growing threat of online real estate fraud.

We are proud to lead the way as Wisconsin’s first MLS to launch Property Shield—and we’re just getting started.

Property Shield. More protection. More proactive monitoring. More peace of mind.

We have been notified of reports of email delivery issues related to certain email providers. Users may be experiencing delays or non-delivery of emails to Microsoft domains. All appropriate levels of support are engaged.

We recommend that users utilize an alternative email address while this issue persists.

Updates will be added to this post as we get them.

Property Shield – a benefit for members of the South Central Wisconsin MLS!

Property Shield is a real estate data security platform that will soon protect our members by monitoring the internet for rental scams, fake property listings, and unauthorized use of listing data.

We will continue to share more information about this new member benefit, including training opportunities, sneak peeks, and everything you need to leverage this new tool.

Trainings:

August 18, 2026 – 10:00 AM Central Time

August 20, 2026 – 1:00 PM Central Time

Protecting customers’ information is a top priority, and as part of their ongoing efforts to strengthen account security, Showingtime is introducing two-factor authentication (2FA) to help prevent unauthorized access to ShowingTime accounts.

Beginning August 18, members who sign in to ShowingTime will be prompted to set up two-factor authentication. You’ll have 30 days from your first prompt to complete setup before it becomes required the next time you sign in.

We encourage you to complete setup when you’re first prompted and to confirm that the email address associated with your ShowingTime account is current and accessible.

Know a REALTOR® or real estate team making a difference in our community? Nominate them for the 2026 RASCW Good Neighbor Award!

Recipients will receive a monetary donation to the nonprofit of their choice.

🏆 Nominations close September 30, 2026.

👉 Submit a Nomination

🏆 Celebrating Our 2025 Good Neighbor Award Winners

Last year, we were honored to recognize three outstanding REALTORS® who are giving back and making a meaningful difference in their communities:

Andrea Joo — Century 21 Affiliated Supporting Iowa County Pheasants Forever

Anne Baranski — Badger Realty Team Supporting Albert’s Dog Lounge

Monique Olson — Preferred Title Supporting Level Up Foundation

These REALTORS® demonstrate the incredible ways our members give back, support important causes, and strengthen the communities they serve.

Who will be part of the 2026 class? Nominate a deserving REALTOR® or team today!

The next FOREWARN trainings are August 11th at 9:00am and August 27th at 1:00pm. Join us as we demonstrate how to best utilize FOREWARN, share insider tips and tricks, and host a live Q&A session.

Register  August 11th at 9:00am

Register August 27th at 1:00pm