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7/19/17, 9’14 PM What Happened When One Agent Forgot To Pay The MLS Page 1 of 16 https://www.inman.com/2016/09/16/what-happened-when-one-agent-forgot-to-pay-the-mls/ Advertise on Inm BROKERAGE MLS & ASSOCIATIONS What happened when one agent forgot to pay the MLS A broker was 'shocked' to receive notice that a single late subscriber payment could result in MLS suspension BY CAROLINE FEENEY StaWriter SEP 16 96 96 SHARES Key Takeaways It's not uncommon for local MLS policy to hold brokers accountable for any agents with outstanding fees, with MLS suspension as a consequence. The local boards create MLS payment and suspension bylaws, which are approved by NAR. HiCentral MLS (a subsidiary of the Honolulu Board of Realtors) sends initial subscription renewal notices 30 days before payment and reminders along the way. After 45 days, a single late subscriber payment can result in MLS suspension. To avoid losing MLS access, brokers can keep track of agent payments and, when online records are available, confirm them on their MLS member website when yearly dues come around. Celebrate your Tribe at Indie Broker Summit Save $50 when you register using code: INDIEWEEK LEARN MORE Hi, Carolin Technology Agent Marketing More EVENTS INMAN PRO MARKET INTEL

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Page 1: What Happened When One Agent Forgot To Pay The MLSjournoportfolio.s3-website-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/users/24599/u… · What Happened When One Agent Forgot To Pay The MLS 7/19/17,

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Page 1 of 16https://www.inman.com/2016/09/16/what-happened-when-one-agent-forgot-to-pay-the-mls/

Advertise on Inman

BROKERAGE MLS & ASSOCIATIONS

What happened when one agentforgot to pay the MLSA broker was 'shocked' to receive notice that a singlelate subscriber payment could result in MLS suspension

BY CAROLINE FEENEY ⋆ Staff Writer SEP 16

9696SHARES

Key Takeaways

It's not uncommon for local MLS policy to hold brokers accountable for

any agents with outstanding fees, with MLS suspension as a

consequence.

The local boards create MLS payment and suspension bylaws, which

are approved by NAR.

HiCentral MLS (a subsidiary of the Honolulu Board of Realtors) sends

initial subscription renewal notices 30 days before payment and

reminders along the way. After 45 days, a single late subscriber

payment can result in MLS suspension.

To avoid losing MLS access, brokers can keep track of agent payments

and, when online records are available, confirm them on their MLS

member website when yearly dues come around.

Celebrate your Tribe at Indie Broker SummitSave $50 when you register using code: INDIEWEEK

LEARN MORE

Hi, Caroline ∠

Technology Agent Marketing More ∠ EVENTS ∠ INMAN PRO MARKET INTEL

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A brokerage cut off from its MLS is like an office left dark by a lightning

storm — powerless until plugged back in.

But the typical real estate office presumably doesn’t operate in fear of an

MLS blackout. The country’s 800-plus MLSs, where brokers exchange

property details and hat-tip one another in the spirit of competitive

cooperation, pump the lifeblood driving movement in real estate deals.

So when principal broker of OahuRE.com, Bryn

Kaufman, received a certified letter from the

Honolulu Board of Realtors’ (HBR) HiCentral MLS

(HCMLS) stating that his firm had outstanding fees

and, gone unpaid, would result in suspension of

services, he was surprised by two things: the

potential penalty and the short notice.

“My first thought was, oh my god, this is like working

with the mafia,” he said.

Timeline of billing, payment and

notification

The best things in business aren’t free.

Everyone who uses the MLS pays a fee to gain access, including an office’s

broker, real estate agents and assistants, who customarily submit their

payments to the MLS separately.

HCMLS (a wholly-owned subsidiary of HBR) service subscriptions are

renewed annually.

Kaufman and his five agents pay their annual renewal dues to

HCMLS online via credit card. That subscription process was

working perfectly fine, until this year’s snafu.

On June 1, Kaufman and his five agents were billed for their yearly dues.

Kaufman made his payment on time and assumed that his agents had done

the same.

It was business as usual until July 7, when Kaufman received the certified

Bryn Kaufman

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letter dated July 1 in the mail from HCMLS stating that his firm had

“outstanding MLS fees and late fees owed for licensees and assistants” as

of June 30, 2016.

In addition, the MLS notified Kaufman that a $30 late fee had been

assessed for those who did not pay by the end of June.

Kaufman checked his office’s payment records online through

HCMLS (instructions for how to do this were laid out in the letter).

“Apparently, one of the agents on my team was late making their payment,”

he said. At this point, Kaufman sent an email to the agent with outstanding

dues and relayed the situation. “They said they just forgot.”

The amount in question was $450.

“Then, for some reason, I decided to read the rest of the letter, and almost

fell over when I read [that] in eight days, they will shut me down if [the

agent] does not pay,” he said.

Kaufman then paid the fee immediately using his credit card, and later

collected it from the agent to avoid further consequences.

Page 1 of 1

Bryn Kaufman: ‘I decided to readthe rest of the letter, and almost

CLICK TO TWEET

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Specifically, HCMLS wrote that the past-due amount must be received (not

postmarked) by July 15 — 45 days from the initial billing, and an eight-day

window since the letter arrived in Kaufman’s mailbox — or his office would

face MLS suspension, to include:

Loss of MLS access for all licensees and assistants affiliated with the firm

Withdrawal of OahuRE.com’s active listings and cancellation of its listing

data feed

An outstanding financial obligation to HBR, which in accordance to

HCMLS bylaws, could result in termination of the firm’s local board

membership

The letter outlined a reactivation option in the event that MLS services

were cancelled: a $100 reinstatement fee (applicable within 90 days of

suspension) or $250 reapplication fee with a new application (applicable

after 90 days from the date of suspension).

Kaufman said that HCMLS sends out individual bills and reminders to each

agent, so “we do not have to worry much about it, unless an agent does

not pay. This never happened to me as previously my agents always

remembered to pay, so this was a real shocker.”

HCMLS renewal messages and reminders

HBR CEO Suzanne Young elaborated on the initial renewal messages sent

to the principal broker and all subscribers (agents/licensees), which provide

a minimum of 30 days’ notice and are sent through the U.S. Postal Service.

Moreover, “reminders are sent via various email communications, including

weekly e-news and personalized emails, as well as notices posted to our

MLS service welcome screen and our member website,” Young said.

The certified letter is sent during the “15-day grace period” and “courtesy

fell over.’

HCMLS payment reminders aresent via personal emails andweekly e-news.

CLICK TO TWEET

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calls are made to the participants” before suspension occurs to address

outstanding fees, allowing for a total of 45 days before a firm loses access.

In addition, when brokers join the MLS, they complete an application

wherein they agree to understanding that “my office’s MLS services shall

be suspended for failure to pay MLS dues, fees, fines, or other MLS

assessments within 45 days of the billing date,” and that the suspension

won’t be lifted until the amounts are paid in full (including the reinstatement

fee), to include the removal of all an office’s active listings.

Let bylaws be bylaws?

Local association HBR reports having 6,000-plus members, and according

to HBR’s website, HiCentral.com, “access to the HBR Multiple Listing

Service is available to members who are Realtors or Realtor-associates and

are affiliated with a firm that also subscribes to the MLS.”

Like 45 percent of the respondents to Inman’s Realtor association survey in

July who said their No. 1 reason for joining an association was “I needed

access to the MLS and I can’t join the MLS without belonging to the

association,” Kaufman believes “the big benefit of the Board is the data

they have in the MLS.”

So who are the MLS money-collection rule makers? The local boards, and

in this case, HBR.

That means the timeframe for payment of MLS fees and the consequences

for nonpayment are established locally and are not mandated by the

National Association of Realtors (NAR).

However, Young explained, the bylaws and rules and regulations that

govern HBR are approved by NAR.

According to NAR’s Board Policy team: “While the timeframes for payment

of MLS fees may vary in each MLS, imposition of late fees, suspension or

termination of MLS privileges, and reinstatement fees are not uncommon

consequences for failure to pay MLS fees within the established

timeframes.”

The local boards create MLSpayment bylaws, which areapproved by NAR.

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Kevin Milligan, NAR’s vice president of Board Policy, added that while NAR

can’t speak to the internal customs firms have for paying MLS fees, “from

our understanding, it is not uncommon for MLSs to hold the participant

(broker-principal) ultimately responsible for any delinquent MLS fees.”

Although an MLS could, at its discretion, make individual subscribers

exclusively responsible for payment of MLS fees, Milligan says he suspects

that’s the exception.

The Chief Strategy Officer and General Counsel for eXp World Holdings

Russ Cofano, who has 25 years of executive-level experience in

technology, association, MLS, brokerage and law, confirmed that this type

of policy is “not uncommon.”

“This is similar to how NAR collects dues in that the member broker is

essentially financially responsible for dues for all licensees in the broker’s

office, but gets ‘credit’ for dues actually collected from the individual

agents,” he said. “There are some MLSs, however, that direct bill the

subscriber and if they don’t pay, they just shut them off. In those MLSs, the

broker is not responsible for the unpaid fees.”

A plea to uncross the wires

In addition to what Kaufman views as a crime-punishment injustice, his

concern about communication — or lack thereof — is also at the heart of

what happened.

Not long before he received the certified letter, Kaufman had been on a

two-week vacation. Luckily, he said, he was on the island the day it arrived,

but if the sequence of events had unfolded a bit earlier, it’s possible that his

office would have been effectively shut down while he was away.

On July 7, Kaufman sent an email to HBR president Kalama Kim inquiring

whether he had correctly understood the terms of the certified letter. Kim

said that he, too, had received the notice, and believed Kaufman had the

details straight. He then directed Kaufman to contact Donna Asino, Director

of MLS for HiCentral, for additional details.

Kaufman took him up on that. He sent an email the same day to Asino

asking if the policy had been reviewed recently, an excerpt of which is

below:

“I can totally understand if someone does not pay on time assessing them

a penalty, and after a warning they are no longer a member of HBR and

lose their MLS access. However, to suspend an entire company, to cut off

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everyone’s ability to make money to support their family, just because one

bad apple did not pay their dues, it just seems too extreme.

“Sometimes it feels like the Board makes rules without listening to the

public and without taking input from their members. Decisions are made

without regard to how it could change people’s lives.”

Kaufman says he checked his inbox for a response from Asino but couldn’t

find one, and he doesn’t believe she sent one.

Asino did not reply to a request for comment. However, Young added in a

statement to Inman: “Participants are ultimately financially responsible for

the payment of the MLS renewal fees. We allow participants to set up their

own office policies to ensure that the financial obligations of all their

subscribers are met in a timely manner to avoid suspension.

“Participants have access online 24/7 to identify the outstanding balance of

their firm.

“Again, we value the importance of the MLS service to our participants and

subscribers and ensure that every opportunity is provided to them before

we would take the step of suspending their firm’s service.”

In the Inman reader Realtor association survey, a broker-owner expressed

a desire for higher communication standards: “Our particular association

could improve its focus on customer service and putting members first —

catering to members and better meeting their needs — including

communication. Better organization and advance planning, too.”

What’s to learn?

With HCMLS, regular dues come around just once per year for Kaufman’s

team, though he alone does pay a monthly fee for data access. He has a

more vigilant plan in place to make sure the possibility of MLS suspension

never happens again.

“Next time they bill us, I will remind my agents that … they will shut us down

A broker-owner expressed adesire for higher MLScommunication standards in anInman survey.

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and put everyone out of business if not paid on time.

“Then I will diligently track their payments, and once everyone says they

are paid, I will double check it with the online records to make sure.”

Email Caroline Feeney

Connect with me on Facebook | Twitter

Article image credited to Hamik / Shutterstock.com

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22 Comments Sort by

Mike Bowler Sr · CEO & Founder at PRETECIf you have an all REALTOR Association then Associations have to hold just theREALTOR liable for payments, not the Broker. We changed that several years backafter getting stuck with MIO agents.

Like · Reply · 3 · Sep 16, 2016 4:15am

Bryn Kaufman · Owner at OahuRE.comMike, I hope the CEO of the Board gives your comment some thought. Thisis what I am saying to them, but so far they are not listening.

Like · Reply · 2 · Sep 16, 2016 10:50am

Susan McLaughlin · Realtor at Keller Williams Realty, Inc.He has only five agents, this would be a big tracking job for a large office! It seemsthat the individual should get dropped, not the whole office.

Like · Reply · 7 · Sep 16, 2016 4:18am

Adam Conrad · Duncansville, PennsylvaniaWe belong to a number of MLS's and the policies vary widely. Some say the 'broker isthe participant' and bill us monthly for each agent - then we have to collect from everyagent. We also have MLS's who deal directly with the agent - and as a broker I justlove that method. The interesting situation is that we have relatively small MLS's whoare able to administratively deal with the agent directly and others who say it's toomuch work to deal with individual agents. When the MLS bills us directly we becomethe bill collector and we developed policies to make sure the agents pay. It's extrawork but the consequences described in the article are real - and the penalties arehigh. We have one MLS which charges 10% is 1 day late with 15 day terms!

Like · Reply · 2 · Sep 16, 2016 4:22am

Eric Recktenwald · Broker Associate at RE/MAX Capital CityIf a Broker is Truly RESPONSIBLE for the actions of their agents then this policyshould not be an issue. Easy enough for the Broker to make their own policy thatsays if the agent doesn't pay on time they are suspended. There are too many largeBrokers that pay no attention to what their individual agents are doing. If they can'tkeep track of them, maybe they have too many agents. Of course this could all befixed by single agent licensing too.

Like · Reply · 5 · Sep 16, 2016 5:07am

Bryn Kaufman · Owner at OahuRE.comEric, the problem is they are not just going after the Broker, they are goingafter your entire family, another words all the other agents that have noresponsibility at all for other agents in that firm.Like · Reply · Sep 16, 2016 10:48am

Eric Recktenwald · Broker Associate at RE/MAX Capital CityBryn Kaufman I get it ... the whole group is being punished for the actions ofone. However, the bottom line still is that the Broker MUST be responsible forhis agents. There is a lead-up time for renewals on each agent and if theBroker does not manage the actions of each agent, in my view, they shouldbe shut down. We have far too many Brokers that operate on a policy ofletting any agent who can fog a mirror hand their license. It usually ends upbeing the same agents that do a deal or two a year and do nothing butmuddy the water for the professionals out there. On the flip side I would bevery unhappy with a policy at our board that shut down the entire Brokerage

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if one agent did not pay on time in our company. As I said before this couldall be averted by single licensing.

Like · Reply · 3 · Sep 16, 2016 2:42pm

Creed Smith · Works at QValue.netQuote “My first thought was, oh my god, this is like working with the mafia,” he said.

Yep, my MLS, which I pay about $400 per month for full download to a private serverdid not even give me a notice. When my credit card, automatically billed, expired theysimply shut down my whole system without notice.

This is what happens when baby-tyrants run a monopoly (each MLS typically coversa single metro area--with a little overlap at times).

Like · Reply · 6 · Sep 16, 2016 5:34am

Larry Mayall · Jack Welch Management InstituteCreed, I penned a sarcastic comment to those above and below but thentook a deep breath and deleted. The real problem is the lack of brainpower,or maybe it is falure to use brainpower.Like · Reply · Sep 16, 2016 7:17pm

Ken Smith · Owner/Broker at Ken Smith PropertiesSometimes you just gotta thin the herd.Like · Reply · Sep 16, 2016 5:46am

Bruce Ailion · Associate Broker at RE/MAX Town & CountryOne of the largest industry problems responsible brokers and agents face is thefailure of many brokers understanding the people they accept as agents are their sub-agent.

A broker is or should be responsible and accountable for those acting on their behalf!.Perhaps 1/3 to 1/2 of all agents would have nowhere to hang a license if their brokersheld them accountable, demanded they remained educated and insisted on minimumproduction standards.

We ask why did this agent who had not paid his MLS fee and jeopardize the office?The most likely answer is he did not have the money to pay the bill. The reason hedid not have the money, he had no production. The reason he had no production hewas not working and did not suffer from having his key turned off and stiffing the MLSfor fees.

Why blame the MLS instead of firing that agent? Deadwood benefits no one, and Iapplaud the MLS for holding the broker accountable?

Like · Reply · 7 · Sep 16, 2016 6:16am

Bonnie Larkins Fleishman · Associate Broker/Realtor at RE/MAX LeadingEdgePerhaps the agent was so busy, and has a family that she forgot about anannual bill. To assume it's because that agent was a non producer is verynegative. I am so innundated with emails and junk mail it would be easy tomiss something. I am all for an individual agent to lose their privileges forbeing careless, but not an entire office. Doesn't seem fair that an agent hasto worry about the other agents payments when working for a firm. Theyhave no control over that.Like · Reply · Sep 16, 2016 6:56am

Michael Tessaro · Realtor since 1984. at Intero Real Estate ServicesBonnie Larkins Fleishman The broker has the responsibility for oversight ofeverything the agent does so making sure they pay their fees is and shouldbe one of the responsibilities...they choose to be the Broker set up policy andprocedures to make sure nothing falls through the cracks and the agents pay

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procedures to make sure nothing falls through the cracks and the agents paytheir bills. Being to busy isn't a good excuse if you are that busy hire help tomake sure you stay on top of your game. As you know some people arealways late because that is who they are which is OK but don't blame othersand be prepared to pay all your late fees. Agents are like trying to hurd catsthats why I have decided never to have anyone work for me exceptassostants. Best wishes to all

Like · Reply · 2 · Sep 16, 2016 8:07am

Bryn Kaufman · Owner at OahuRE.comBruce, in this case your negative assumption is wrong. Bonnie is right, theagent was very busy with family and work and simply forgot.

Michael, perhaps the Broker should be penalized too if one of their agentsdoes not pay their fee on time, but that is not the case here. For example, ifthe firm has 200 hundreds agents, why should 199 agents take be heldresponsible for one agent's actions. They are not the Broker, so why are theybeing held responsible? Why cut off their business simply because one agentforgot to pay?

I agree there is no good excuse to not pay your fee, but things happen.Like · Reply · Sep 16, 2016 10:37am

Show 4 more replies in this thread

Deric A. Rangell · California State University, Long BeachI'll do you one better. Try the rule that states, if the mls is liable for any reason, theextent of damages one can claim against the mls is the COST of a member fee. So ifwe mess up, they can fine us and penalize members, but if they mess up the worstthat can happen to them is the give your money back for your membership fees. (Thatruling came out of appeal court ruling they lost).

Like · Reply · 2 · Sep 16, 2016 6:29am · Edited

Mike Stott · Chief of Energy at Northwest Atlanta PropertiesWhy is this news? Those have been the rules for over 35 years. Its no shock orsurprise or unexpected. To correlate this experience with being shaken down by themafia is truly just someone trying to get his name in the news. He had 45 days torectify the situation. Why is that too short a period? If someone doesnt like the rules Iknow for a fact that the Honolulu Board and MLS is constantly looking for input andvolunteers to make the system bettr for everyone. I fail to see why this is worthy ofany attention. There was no harm caused to anyone or company.

Like · Reply · 11 · Sep 16, 2016 9:09am · Edited

Bryn Kaufman · Owner at OahuRE.comMike, just because something goes on for 35 years does not make it right.Slavery went on for hundreds of years, but you can't just say it is OKbecause it went on for so long.

The reason this is news is the relationship between the MLS and theirmembers is very important. You are now a coach, so you do not have toworry about MLS rules, but you should still be sympethetic to what activeagents have to deal with.

Also, this is not about the notifications nor the warning period, it is aboutshutting down everyone, putting everyone out of business, simply becauseone agent forgot to pay. It is... See More

Like · Reply · 1 · Sep 16, 2016 10:31am

Michael Tessaro · Realtor since 1984. at Intero Real Estate ServicesBryn Kaufman Mike is still an ACTIVE listing and selling agent and bas

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Bryn Kaufman Mike is still an ACTIVE listing and selling agent and basothers who work on his team if i am not mistakenLike · Reply · Sep 16, 2016 12:08pm

Mike Stott · Chief of Energy at Northwest Atlanta PropertiesBryn Kaufman Oh come on Bryn - I still sell 40 to 50 homes a year in Atlanta- and was very involved in Honolulu for 25 years - no one poked at the MLSsystem more than I did - ask about rules they made specifically to combatprogressive marketing I did. To compare this to the mafia and now slavery isludicrous and harmful to the industry. Your comments are meant to drawattention to you not to the potential issues. If you dont like the rule, do thework required to get it changed. Get on the MLS committee. Start a petition.It may take time and not be easy. If its important spearhead the... See More

Like · Reply · 3 · Sep 16, 2016 1:33pm

Show 6 more replies in this thread

Bo Bromhal · Raleigh, North CarolinaBig non-story and cut and dried. The broker is indeed responsible in many ways forthose he/she supervise. He shouldn't express any shock. In the NC Triangle MLS, theBIC is also responsible for the fines that are levied aganst individual brokers. Now,Creed Smith below gets some sympathy, because there was in essence no graceperiod. Anybody that is concerned, set up this critical business expense on anautopay solution, and you'll never have to worry - unless like Creed your card expires.I just had my business card reissued because fraud was detected, and without failevery single payee has contacted me by phone or email to update the card.

Like · Reply · 6 · Sep 16, 2016 7:13am

Ron Jasgur · Commerce Township, MichiganBottom line, pay the bill. The MLS's I'm aware of do a pretty good job of letting youknow when bills are due and when you're approaching the date of losing access.Terminate the agents who jeopardize your livelihood if they can't/won't/don't pay theirRealtor-related bills on time. It's a headache, it's a time-suck and the financial penaltyis the icing on the cake. Can't believe this is an issue....especially with an office of 5agents.

Like · Reply · 5 · Sep 16, 2016 7:18am

Steven Crossland · The University of Texas at AustinNot News. Article could just as well been titled "Broker fails to ensure Agent MLSDues are Paid". Good grief.

Like · Reply · 9 · Sep 16, 2016 7:32am

Erez YonatanThis is a Joke.The MLS acts like a Sicilian Mafia. It is a monopoly! it is a moneymachine on the back of very hard working agents who are being punished again andagain.Why in the world real estate agents need the MLS?Well they don't ! All theserules and regulations who really need them?There are plenty of beautiful portals outthere that agents can list without all these stupid laws and being punished.Real estateagents do not need the MLS for their listing exposure and definitely not to secure theircommission.The MLS is the #1 responsible to sell listing data to big aggregators andturn this industry to a flea market and this is how we all look in the eyes of theconsumer.

Like · Reply · 3 · Sep 16, 2016 8:12am

Steve ByrdErez, you're clueless.Like · Reply · Sep 20, 2016 10:18am

Erez YonatanSteve Byrd I would not be surprised if you will vote for Hillary

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Steve Byrd I would not be surprised if you will vote for HillaryLike · Reply · Sep 20, 2016 4:48pm

Kenneth JennyOne day the industry might wake-up to the fact that "the industry is here to serve theMLS." It is either the MLS's way, or the highway. There is no choice for the brokerother than the MLS when it comes to data management services and that my friends,is the case with every service that is an absolute, entitled monopoly. By law thebroker has little control over agents as independent contractors so note to the MLS -you have empowered each member / agent equally - so now you deal with them.

Like · Reply · 2 · Sep 16, 2016 8:49am

Paul Stonkus · Broker/Owner/Realtor at EXIT ELITE Realty,No surprise here for me. Our MLS operates similarly, is not affiliated with ourlocal/state Realtor Board, and if any agent in our office has not paid- even a day overdue, there is a big red banner on the MLS online site open page when it is accessedby the overdue agent and office principals, admins, etc. It's IMPOSSIBLE to miss this.Our MLS would NEVER wait six months to act on shutting off the entire office- 30-60days if LUCKY. It's what is agreed to when joining- what's to discuss? It's a businesslike any other...

Like · Reply · 3 · Sep 16, 2016 10:42am

Chris Hartman · Business Systems Analyst at American AirlinesWhat a racket. Why not just shut off the delinquent agent instead of punishing thewhole office?

Like · Reply · 1 · Sep 16, 2016 11:35am

Daniel BeirneIf I worked at Zillow I would see an opportunity here.

Like · Reply · 2 · Sep 16, 2016 12:15pm

James Wayne Drew Jr. · Creative Director at Knaak KnaakPlease, go work for Zillow. We need more people outside the real estate"establishment" who see opportunities to take the whole corrupt thing apart.Each MLS acts like an oligarchy instead of a business now. They have fartoo much power.

Like · Reply · 2 · Sep 16, 2016 12:30pm

James Wayne Drew Jr. · Creative Director at Knaak KnaakI think I would like to meet you for coffee, Bryn Kaufman. Your reputationprecedes you.

Like · Reply · 1 · Sep 16, 2016 1:00pm

Bryn Kaufman · Owner at OahuRE.comJames Wayne Drew Jr., LOL, my reputation at my local Board of Realtors isnot very good, but my reputation with the public, those that I serve, is good!

I believe I have helped bring about a number of positive changes with ourlocal Board, and perhaps they will change this rule too, which would benefitall other agents and the public.Like · Reply · Sep 16, 2016 1:49pm

Show 1 more reply in this thread

Andy Alford · Realtor at Keller Williams RealtySize of the MLS shoudn't affect how the fees are collected. MRIS, the MLS thatserves a huge swath of the East coast from Maryland through DC & into Virginia,collects from individual agents. If agent doesn't pay, he/she gets cut off. The rest ofthe brokerage isn't affected. Reinstatement requires a penalty fee plus broker mustapprove agent's request to rejoin.

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approve agent's request to rejoin.

MRIS is pretty customer friendly, but monopoly power often leads to the monopolyacting like a petty tyrant. Appears that HCMLS is interested only in grubbing itsmoney without a care for other agents who pay on time, brokers trying to run theirbusinesses, or. most importantly, home owners whose listings get pulled.

As an industry, we're supposed to be all about service and responsibility to the public.How is the public served when HCMLS drops an entire brokerage's lisings for oneagent's nonpayment? Get a bunch of sellers in a room & have the CEO of HCMLS tryto explain how their rules put the public first.

Like · Reply · 1 · Sep 16, 2016 12:23pm

Bryn Kaufman · Owner at OahuRE.comWell said Andy.

Many of the decisions the board makes do not put the public first.Like · Reply · Sep 17, 2016 1:04pm · Edited

Hank Miller Team/Harry Norman RealtorsAnd who among us is surprised by the extortion? It's endorosed of course by NAR.

In Atlanta, we have two to kick up to. FMLS is "broker owned" so after the agents getshaken down the brokers get a monthly divedend. One of the perks and a nicevariation for income redistribution. So in addition to paying monthly company "fees"we enjoy two MLS charges and more going into the company coffers.

Good work if you can get it.

Like · Reply · 1 · Sep 16, 2016 1:58pm

Ann Sartainwe pay the company for our dues monthly, and the annual fee must be paid or ourlicense is sent back in to the state. most of our local offices operate this way, makes itfair, but if someone is late paying the office dues, the broker is well aware, we nolonger have some people due to this, but the company is not in "problem" status.

Like · Reply · 1 · Sep 16, 2016 2:48pm

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