Updated LSAR Rules and Regulations have been added to MLS Documents link located in the upper right-hand corner of Paragon.

We are writing to inform you of a new ShowingTime feature to help you navigate industry changes. A new NAR rule will require agents to have a written agreement in place with home shoppers before any showings. To help remind you of this requirement, ShowingTime will display a message during the showing scheduling process in Paragon beginning on 8/15/2024.

How does it work? 

• When you are scheduling a tour in ShowingTime, a message will pop up to remind you about the requirement to have a written buyer agreement in place before any showings. You will be asked to confirm you have read this reminder in order to receive showing instructions.
• If you decline to confirm you have read this reminder and wish to talk to a member of our MLS staff, you will exit the scheduling process and will need to begin again when you are ready to do so. Agents will not receive showing instructions until they confirm they have read the reminder.

Do I still need a buyer agreement?

Yes, you still need a written buyer agreement. This reminder in ShowingTime is not a buyer agreement, nor does it dictate the type or terms of the agreement between an agent and their client. It is your responsibility to secure a signed buyer agreement prior to any tours to ensure you are compliant with new requirements.

Is ShowingTime asking me to upload my buyer agreements? 

No. You must simply confirm you have read the reminder in order to receive showing instructions – you are not required to confirm you have a buyer agreement, or share or upload that agreement to ShowingTime in any way.

Why is ShowingTime doing this? 

ShowingTime+ is committed to helping agents, MLSs and the industry navigate changes following the NAR settlement. As the leading showing service provider, ShowingTime is offering this solution to help you adapt to new rules, so you can focus on what matters: serving your clients.

We will work with ShowingTime to share any product updates or enhancements they may offer in the future to help you navigate potential new guidelines. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Sincerely,
LSAR

Currently the online Withhold (OEX) form is unavailable. Please submit a hard copy Withhold Form to info@lsarealtors.com along with the Listing Agreement.

Thank you.

A newly added feature called “Listing Ads” is LIVE. This is a new feature that all LSAR MLS Users have as part of their MLS Experience.

Why Listing Ads? 

• Harnessing the power of artificial intelligence and web tracking, we spot potential buyers who are on the hunt for homes similar to your listing and in the same vicinity.
• We then whip up an ad for your listing, featuring the primary property image and vital property details, straight from Paragon®.
• Your ad is displayed to targeted buyers, based on Zeta Global’s proprietary intent signals, directly on their Facebook® and Instagram® feeds.
• Clicking on the ad brings potential buyers to your personalized CollabLink page and new leads that sign up directly are automatically added to your contacts in Paragon®.

But it doesn’t stop there – Listing Ads offers real-time insights, tracking ad impressions, shares, comments, and more. You can even export these insightful reports to share with your sellers! 

All LSAR MLS Users now have the added benefit of photo labeling/tagging through artificial intelligence within Paragon. Upload your photos to a new/existing listing and an image label and description for each photo is generated automatically. You may modify the AI generated label/description. The labels and descriptions have also been added to the photos as image tags that can be read by screen readers helping meet ADA compliance standards. Easy, step by step instructions can be found by CLICKING HERE.

If you have any questions, please contact the LSAR office for assistance.

One of LSAR’s most recent MLS enhancements is now available. You can download the Paragon Connect Mobile Application in your App Store or Play Store. You will use the same login credentials you utilize in Paragon Professional. You will need to select the Lake Superior Area REALTORS MLS.

Paragon connect puts the power of the MLS in the palm of your hand. If you have questions, contact the LSAR Office!

ShowingTime sends important updates about listing appointments in your MLS via text message. Recently these messages may not have always reached agents and clients due to mobile carriers blocking text notifications from ShowingTime.

To enhance text deliverability for agents, ShowingTime is implementing a new opt-in process.

Please be aware that this process will begin on February 29, 2024

• When a new mobile number is added to the ShowingTime system, or after 60 days of inactivity for an existing mobile number, ShowingTime will send a message to confirm opt-in to text messages. It will state: “You’ve been added to ShowingTime to receive texts for real estate appointments and messages related to our services. To give ShowingTime permission to send you these messages at this number, reply START to confirm or STOP to not receive text messages.”

• Additional messages will be paused until we receive confirmation. We will resend the prompt to ensure receipt.

• Once confirmation is received, any messages that were not sent while waiting for the opt-in will be delivered.

• If there is no response or the recipient replies with STOP the mobile number will be marked as “Do Not Send” and no further text notifications will be sent to that number.

Please see the attached form which also outlines the new opt-in process.

SMS Opt-in_ One-Pager for MLS to send to Agents.pptx

Brokers: Please review the attached “step by step” directions on how to update your broker attribution contact information.

Currently, if you HAVE NOT done this, listings shared via IDX on websites of other participants are showing only the name of the listing firm when attributing who owns the listing. If you’d like that attribution to include office contact information, you must follow these steps. It should take less than five minutes of your time.

If you have questions, call the office at 218-728-5676.

Updating Listing Broker Attribution Contact

How’s the MLS working out for you?  Is there a cool new product you wish the MLS would provide?  A new field that would make your life easier?  A change to the way the MLS is structured?  A new rule you think is needed?  Remember we have an MLS Management Committee that serves the purpose of reviewing all these recommendations and more!  The MLS you use today is a result of thousands of recommendations made by OUR USERS over the past few decades.  If there’s a change or improvement you’d like to see, let us know!  Send your ideas to info@LSARealtors.com.

Want to grant access to others in your office to “be you” in Paragon?  Assume Identity is the answer!  Simply go to your “Preferences” Button, select “User,” then “Assume Identity.”  From there you can add or remove access for any other agent in your office.  Want to know more, watch the video linked below!

Fannie Mae has new standardize measurement guidelines for single family homes.  It went into effect April 1st, 2022.

For More Information Click Here

We’ve had a few questions about the new Sub-Type field options.  The MLS Management Committee has drafted the following tooltip to help explain the field options.  Please contact info@LSARealtors.com with any questions!

SF/Detached: Single detached dwelling.  Not attached to another dwelling or part of a CIC. May still be part of HOA.
SF/Attached:  ATTACHED to another dwelling (ex:  Twin Home) but not part of CIC.
Condo/Townhouse:  Part of CIC, both detached & attached dwellings.
Seasonal:  Not currently suitable for year-round use.

As you are likely already aware, Certificate to Withhold/Office Exclusive Listings (OEX) must be filed with the MLS office within two business days of a fully executed listing agreement.  Formerly, they were submitted via email.  Going forward, we will be utilizing a Google Form (linked below) for OEX submissions.  In addition to being a more uniform and efficient process, new features include the ability to be sent an email confirmation with the details and more robust analytical capabilities.  Check it out below and bookmark it to your browser!  Please contact the MLS Office with any questions:  218.728.5676 | info@LSARealtors.com

LSAR MLS Office Exclusive Listing Submission Form

From the LSAR MLS Rules & Regulations:

Section 1.3  Exempt Listings
If the seller refuses to permit the listing to be disseminated by the service, the participant may then take the listing (office exclusive) and such listing shall be filed with the service but not disseminated to the participants. Filing of the listing should be accompanied by certification signed by the seller that he does not desire the listing to be disseminated by the service. The certification shall be delivered to the multiple listing service within two business days after all necessary signatures of seller(s) have been obtained.

MLS Participants must distribute exempt listings within (1) one business day once the listing is publicly marketed.

Did you know you can use ShowingTime to schedule showings on listings outside the LSAR MLS?  And when you allow showings through ShowingTime on your listings, agents outside the LSAR MLS are able to schedule showings on your listings too!  Pretty cool, huh?!

ShowingTime Online:

ShowingTime Mobile (Remember to uncheck the “Only Lake Superior Area MLS” Checkbox):

The LSAR Board of Directors updated language to Section 2.9 to allow more flexibility for properties unavailable for showings.  Two main points have been updated:

• You must clearly communicate availability (or unavailability) of property within two business days.  Generally this will happen through blocking out time in ShowingTime.
• If a listing is not available for showings longer than four business days or six calendar days, you must complete a Hold No Show Form and send it to LSAR.

Section 2.9 Temporarily Unavailable to Show Listings:

The availability of a property for showings must be clearly communicated to MLS participants within two business days.  If a listing is not available for showings for a period exceeding four business days (or six calendar days), the listing broker must complete the required form and submit it to the MLS.  The MLS will change the status of the listing.  It is the listings broker’s responsibility to change the status of the listing prior to any showings being allowed.

In the event a listing is indefinitely and contractually prohibited from all showings (such as “sight-unseen” sales), the listing will be allowed to remain in an active status provided disclosure is included in the public remarks and agent remarks of the MLS.

A $1,000 fine will be assessed for allowing showings on a listing marked as unavailable to showings.

A $50 fine will be assessed for a listing in violation of any other provision of section 2.9.

The MLS Committee earlier this year updated the definition to standardize the bedroom count field.  The definition is:

“In order to be included in bedroom count, room must be defined as bedroom by local unit of government code.  If no local unit of government code is available, defer to UBC (minimum of 70 sq feet, privacy, egress and heat source).”

It is hoped that this will help clarify this for our members, customers and clients.

The Board of Directors has approved an update to the “Service Area” of the MLS.  The “Service Area” in part defines what listings MUST be entered into the MLS.  Previously the Service Area was the entire state of Minnesota and Wisconsin.  Service Area now means:  the Minnesota counties of Aitken, St. Louis, Lake, Cook, Carlton, Pine and the Wisconsin counties of Douglas, Bayfield, Ashland, Iron, Burnett, Washburn, and Sawyer.

All required property types located within the Service Area must be input within two business days of the listing date.

Please refer to the MLS Rules & Regulations in the “MLS Documents” section for all applicable rules and direct any questions to info@lsarealtors.com

This new feature allows agents to be notified when showing times become available. Just select “Join Waitlist” on the ShowingTime app. The link below will provide more information about this feature and how it works.

ShowingTime Waitlist Feature

Below are some links to help you utilize Instanet’s ability to send Disclosures and such for your clients to fill out. When the clients fill out the form and then saves and closes out the document, it will update the form in real-time in your Instanet Profile. You can then add them to transaction you have already created, or create a new one.

Member Tutorial on to how to send Disclosures and such for your clients to fill out from Instanet.
Tutorial For Sending Disclosures and Such For Clients To Fill Out From Instanet

Copy and send the link below to your clients for a short video for them to watch and how to properly interact and save the forms sent from Instanet.
Client Tutorial For Filling Out Disclosures and Properly Saving Them

It seems like Facebook is the go to for Agents to post their Agent Opens these days, but in all reality not everyone participates in social media platforms and such. However, the Tours section of the the Market Monitor is a good place to look for upcoming Agent/Broker Opens. This will ensure that all LSAR MLS Participating members will be able to see any and all upcoming Tours. Tours in Paragon is specific to Agent/Broker Opens in the MLS. Agents will be able to quickly check for Agent/Broker Opens by clicking on the Market Monitor under Tours.

How do I add an Agent Open to the Paragon MLS you ask?

In the Listing Maintenance of your Paragon Listing, you can click on the Add/Edit Tours link and follow the guide below.

ShowingTime’s latest release gives listing agents more control over how they prefer showings are conducted on their listings and the capability to easily communicate appointment information for each listing.

“Click This Link To ShowingTime’s Virtual Appointment Walkthrough”

Listing agents can now configure their listings for 1) Virtual Appts Only 2) In-Person and Virtual Appts or 3) In-Person Appts Only. This setting can be configured per listing by choosing from a drop-down menu on each listing’s setup worksheet, or agents can choose a setting for all of your listings in your user profile. When Virtual Appts Only is selected, the access details for the home are intentionally hidden from the buyer’s agent. They remain in the account should you decide to switch the listing back to allow In-Person Appts, but are not visible for Virtual Appts Only since no one will be accessing the home. Notes added by the listing agent are highlighted for easy visibility by the buyer’s agent and include information on how the virtual showing will happen. When using the ShowingTime app, agents can easily share these notes by tapping the newly added ‘share’ button and sending the information via text or email.

Paragon Connect is the new agent facing mobile tool that is replacing Paragon Mobile (Paragon Mobile will be sunset on 08/31/2020). Paragon Connect syncs with Paragon, so your Default Saved Searches in Paragon are your Default Search in Paragon Connect. You have all of your contacts and their contact information. Unlike the old Paragon Mobile, you now have the ability see your own listings and make edits from your mobile devices without having to view the full version to do so. You can add contacts and saved searches. In many ways, this is the online version of Paragon in the palm of your hand! The online version and mobile version of Paragon Connect will have the same interface. Below are some tutorials and screen shots for your reference as well. I would recommend watching the Paragon Connect Short Tutorials or watching Paragon’s most recent recorded Paragon Connect webinar in this post. It is very detailed and will give you a good look at what to expect and how to use all of the great new features!

The link to log into Paragon Connect is below. You can either click on the link, or you can copy and paste the link into the address bar of your browser. Your login User ID and Password will be the same as you have been using to log into Paragon all along. 

Paragon Connect Direct Link: https://daar.paragonrels.com/ParagonConnect/daar/Account/Login 

You can also log in through the sign on screen you normally see for Paragon MLS too by clicking on the link below the sign on information.

When a user connects with a mobile device they will be prompted to select the interface of their choice ( MLS for desktop, Paragon Connect, or Paragon Mobile)

Click Here For Paragon Connect Tutorials Short Videos

If you have any questions or complications, please reach out to the LSAR office and we will be more than happy to help!

*UPDATE*  The LSAR Board of Directors has approved a modification to the “Coming Soon” and “Hold-No Showings” statuses effective June 1, 2021.

The “Coming Soon” status will now be available AFTER the listing date (for no more than 21 days).  This also means that the status is now available to Wisconsin listings as it is available during the listing period.    In addition, the “Coming Soon” status will be disseminated in data feeds.

A new “Showing Start Date” field has been added and will appear as a required field when the “Coming Soon” or “Hold-No Showings” status is selected.  The listing will automatically become “Active” on the “Showing Start Date” and the agents will be able to schedule showings to occur on or after the “Showing Start Date.”

The LSAR Board of Directors has adopted the required NAR “Clear Cooperation” Policy effective April 1, 2020.

What is it?
Within one business day of any public marketing of a property (including flyers, yard signs, digital marketing, website displays, etc.) by any person (including the seller and/or their representatives) the property MUST be entered into the MLS.

How will it work?
If your executed listing agreement allows for a pre-marketing period, you would enter the property in the MLS with the “Coming Soon” status.  LSAR has drafted a “Coming Soon Listing Authorization Form” which must be completed and signed and kept on file.  This form must be made available to LSAR staff upon request.  During the “Coming Soon” period the property may NOT be shown by anyone.  On the showing start date, your listings will automatically switched to “Active.”

Is this the same as the two business day input rule?
No.  While the two are related, the Clear Cooperation rule requires entry within one business day of marketing.  The input rule requires a property to be listed within two business days of the listing date (contract start date).

Does this apply to the MN Facilitator Services Agreement?
The key to determining if listing taken under this type of agreement centers on lines 15 and 151.  Line 15 indicates whether the listing is taken on an exclusive or non-exclusive basis.  As the MLS does not accept non-exclusive listings, “Exclusive” would need to be indicated on this line in order for entry in the MLS.  Line 151 specifies whether or not compensation is offered to cooperating brokers.  As the MLS does not accept listings that do not offer compensation to cooperating brokers, “Shall” must be selected on this line in order for the listing to be eligible for entry.  Provided lines 15 and 151 are marked accordingly, any public marketing of the property by the agent or the seller would require the listing to be entered under the MLS Rules & Regulations.

Can’t I just use a Certificate to Withhold Property Listing Form (OEX)?
While OEX listings are still an option available to sellers and MLS participants, NO PUBLIC MARKETING of OEX properties may occur under this policy.  If any public marketing of an OEX property does occur, it MUST be entered into the MLS.

What happens if my seller publicly advertises the listing?
This policy applies to ANY advertising of the listing, including by the seller or other parties so it would be subject to the Clear Cooperation policy.

How will the “Coming Soon” status work?
This status can be used prior to the listing agreement start date and cannot exceed 21 days from date of entry.  The listing will automatically become active on the “Showing Start Date.”  Listings in this status will be disseminated in data feeds.  Listings with this status cannot be shown by anyone.  When you select Coming Soon for the status, you will be prompted to enter a “Showing Start Date.”  The listing will automatically become active on the “Showing Start Date” and ShowingTime scheduling will be blocked out up until this date.

What happens on the “Showing Start Date?”
On the “Showing Start Date”, listings with the Coming Soon status will automatically be switched to “Active” by the system.

Can I change the “Showing Start Date?”
A properly executed amendment to the listing agreement would need to be submitted to the LSAR in order to change the listing date in the MLS and therefore, the date the listing goes to active status.  Remember, the property CANNOT be shown by anyone while in Coming Soon status.

What happens if I don’t follow the rule?
LSAR MLS Rules include a fine of $1,000 for failure to enter a listing within one business day of public marketing.  In addition, the fine for allowing showings on a listing unavailable for showings (including coming soon listings) is $1,000.

Who can I contact if I have questions?
Maranda DeSanto:  maranda@LSARealtors.com

Resources:
NAR Page on Clear Cooperation
LSAR Coming Soon Listing Authorization Form
LSAR MLS Rules & Regulations (Section 1.01, 1.3, Exhibit A)

Visit https://www.lsarealtors.com/COVID-19 for current information for Lake Superior Area REALTORS, NAR, MNR, and WRA operations.

Hold-No Showings Rule Temporarily Suspended (3/23/20)

Effective immediately, we are temporarily suspending Lake Superior Area MLS’s rule requiring availability for showings in Active status. If your seller is not comfortable scheduling showings for their property because of the COVID-19 threat, you may decline showings but leave the property in Active status. However, we do require that you disclose in Public Remarks that you are not accepting showings at this time. We also ask that you revise the showings calendar in ShowingTime to block scheduling for the property and notify any already confirmed appointments if you wish to cancel them. This rule suspension will remain in effect indefinitely. We will post here when the situation improves and the rule is put back into effect.

Contact Maranda with any questions on the above items: Maranda@LSARealtors.com

Question:  How do I enter a listing for comparable purposes in the MLS?

Answer:  MLS users are permitted to input listings in the MLS as comparable properties even when the sale itself did not originate out of the MLS.  Examples include when an agent represents a buyer in a FSBO listings, when an agent facilitates a transaction between a buyer and seller who already knew each other, or one-time showing contracts.  While it is not required to input these properties, it is encouraged for the benefit of other MLS Participants and for our market statistics.  There are some steps you will need to ensure you still take in order to input these properties:

• Get Permission:  Make sure permission to enter the property data is granted in writing from both parties of the transaction.  This may already be part of your contract but double check
• Enter ALL Required Information:  All required information as with any other listing, is required for a comparable input.  This includes, at a minimum, a main exterior photo of the property and all fields marked with “R.”  Use the correct dates as stated on contracts rather than the day you are entering the listing.
• Be Generous with Details:  Appraisers often need information beyond the required fields in order to use the properties for comparable purposes.  Please try to gather and enter data such as room dimensions, condition/updates to the property, and additional photos.  Remember, it may lead to additional and unnecessary time calling for information on properties if it’s not entered in the beginning.
• Inform MLS Office:  If you did not represent the seller, the “FSBO” or “Nonmember” agent/office will need to be entered as the listing office.  MLS staff are the only users able to make this change for you.  Email info@daar.com with the MLS number to make the change.
• Indicate Comparable Input:  Commonly this has been entered in the agent remarks should also be added under the “Listing Type” field.  You may still receive a warning email for entering a listing past the two-day “listing date” grace period.  MLS staff reviews all of these warnings and looks in the MLS to verify if the listing was input for comparable purpose prior to assessing any fines.

If you have further questions, please contact our office:  (218) 728-5676 or info@daar.com