Your listing agreement is NOT EXEMPT and YES you must comply with the Clear Cooperation policy beginning May 1st. You can either take the “For Sale Sign” down and cease any further marketing outside your brokerage OR you can enter the listing into the MLS.

If you place the listing into the MLS under the Coming Soon status, you have then complied with the Clear Cooperation policy since listings in the Coming Soon status are shared with all brokers in the MLS.

No, the rules have been updated to prohibit showings of listings in the Coming Soon status. If the property is ready for showings, then the listing is no longer “Coming Soon” …it has arrived! The status in the MLS should be changed to Active.

The fines outlined in the new adopted rules apply to violations of the Clear Cooperation policy. The Coming Soon status helps you to comply with the Clear Cooperation policy but they stand alone otherwise. If there is a violation by showing a property in during the Coming Soon status, the MLS committee will have determine a sanction possibly through a hearing process.

Data integrity is monitored in three essential ways:

1. The Listing Data Checker (LDC) system runs all new listings through their system. The LDC uses public records to check the address, county, city, tax ID to make sure all information matches up with the information provided on the listing. The LDC also screens remarks for fair housing violations and other violations of business rules, such as web addresses in the Property Description.

2. Reported by Members. MetroTex members may report suspected violations of MLS rules via email to mls@dfwre.com.

3. Pending Listings. We proactively monitor listings that have been in the Pending status over 6 months. We also check sales prices to make sure proper information is reported for the sale of the property.

4. Accurate Sales Price. We also check sales prices to ensure that proper information is reported for the sale of the property.

Wow, that’s a great question! MetroTex members can really learn from these mistakes and avoid violations like these:

1. Failing to make showing appointments

2. Photos with contact information

3. Failure to report the sale of a property

4. Failure to report an accepted contract (status change)

5. Failure to provide the correct city for a listing

6. Trying to report a sales price of a property as $1.00

7. Including contact information in the property description

8. Failing to provide actual directions to a property

9. Duplication of listings

10. Restricting Showings