Bright MLS Delays Enforcement of Off MLS Policy to February 2020
As you know, on October 16th, we received official notification that Bright MLS announced a new policy requiring agents to submit a listing within 1 business day of marketing to the public. As reported last month, DAAR wrote a letter to the Bright MLS Board of Directors on Friday, October 25th requesting a delayed enactment date on fines until January 1st, 2020.
We are pleased to report that on Monday, November 25th, Bright MLS notified subscribers that they will not issue fines until Saturday, February 1st, 2020 to allow more time for training and communication on the new policy. In a letter to DAAR last month, Bright indicated that they are incorporating substantial flexibility and a spirit of cooperation with respect to the enforcement of the off MLS policy. The intention of the penalty is to not impact practitioners who have made an honest mistake or are victims of circumstance. In fact, when fines begin, the first communication will be a warning sent with an explanation of the policy and an opportunity provided to enter the listing quickly before any fines are assessed. In addition, Bright MLS has an active and forgiving appeal process, which will be particularly forgiving during the initial several months following the penalty going active.
The DAAR Board of Directors will monitor and communicate with Bright MLS as they further explore additional improvements to this policy. DAAR has also asked for consideration of incorporating a “Private Agent-only Network (PAN)” status within Bright MLS, to strike a balance between the needs of agents, clients and the marketplace. Modeled after the Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED)’s private listing network, or PLN (view PLN Overview and FAQs), the Bright MLS PAN status would promote cooperation and compensation among all participants while still allowing participants to pre‐market their listings in the best interests of their listing clients.
Please reach out to Phyllis Stakem, 2019 President, at president@dullesarea.com or Christine Windle, CEO, cwindle@dullesarea.com, 571-291-9803 if you have any questions. Thank you.