Click here for a detailed comparison of the rules that will come into effect on July 15, 2025. A summary of the amendments is outlined below.
Part I 4.02 – Reporting of Sales
Updated to clarify that listing agents that have properties in pending status need to ensure that those listings are updated as the offer progresses, whether it’s:
- Marking it as sold and reporting the sale price
- Marking it as active if conditions are not waived
- Updating the pending date if condition due dates are amended
Current data is critical for members to support their clients so they can provide advice and insight on selling and purchasing decisions. Accuracy of listings is a foundational pillar of the MLS® System and this amendment parses out the different time-sensitive changes that are necessary to maintain listing accuracy related to a conditional sale.
Part I 4.05 – Acceptable Use
Two new rules were added to this section.
Property use
This was added to the rules to reinforce the expectation that members can only access a property for the reason they’ve requested. For example, if a member requests a showing, the seller and their agent are allowing their property to be shown. It’s deceitful if an agent films a social reel or brings in a videographer and records a promo video instead of showing the property.
Members hold a position of trust with the public, literally handing over the keys to their front door, and expect their property to be treated with respect. It’s unacceptable to take advantage of that trust and use a property for a purpose that the seller doesn’t know about.
CREB® Campus use
A new rule was included to brings attention to members’ responsibility to use the CREB® Campus in accordance with the Campus Code of Conduct to create a respectful and professional environment for members, tenants, guests and staff.
Part I 5.01 – Member Communication
When permission is needed
Members need to be able to reach out to each other to get permission to send information or ask them to subscribe for ongoing information, which is clarified in this amendment.
Additionally, it’s important that members can campaign if they are running for a CREB® director or other elected positions in organized real estate. Given that the voters are comprised of our members, the rules have been updated to ensure that nominees can provide fellow members with information in an effort secure votes and encourage participation in board elections. Nominees are still required to cease campaign communications if a recipient requests to be removed from further campaign messaging.
True identity and professional communication
Modernization was necessary to clarify that members need to be forthcoming about who a message is from and avoid misleading others about who the “sender” is. Transparency is helpful for recipients to evaluate information they’re getting and supports creating psychologically safe spaces. Additionally, these updates were made to reinforce the importance of professionalism in our messaging and interaction with others. Members, CREB® leaders and staff, and other industry professionals deserve to be treated with dignity to encourage constructive conversations.
Part I 5.02 – Communicating in Good Faith
Members are required to be transparent when requesting access to a property. The introduction of this rule outlines the expectation that appointment requests include the genuine reason for the appointment to ensure sellers knows why another member will be entering their property.
Sellers have been getting unexpected surprises during “showings”, discovering that there wasn’t a showing at all. This includes agents accessing properties for promotional purposes that the homeowner didn’t know about, which leaves them feeling deceived. When booking appointments, being upfront about why an agent wants to go into their home, onto their land or to visit a commercial space is critical.
Part I 5.03 – Transmission of Original Material
This is a new rule to support having the necessary permission before using someone else’s material. This rule is focused on non-MLS® System material and supports the professional expectation that members are sharing, using or reposting content when they have approval from the person who owns the material, or confirmation that no copyright exists.
Members spend time, creative resources and money to deliver unique content through online and print materials. As the creator of that material (and copyright owner), members should be aware of where they distribute their content and, in the case of online publication, how platforms facilitate content sharing (i.e. internal share or repost features). Other members who want to use that material should be considerate of how they transmit any material that doesn’t belong to them. If removing material from (i.e. copy/paste/save), or distributing a link to material, you’ll want to get permission first.
Part I 5.04 – Transmission of Altered Material
This new rule is designed to make sure that members have the necessary permission if they want to send out someone else’s material after making modifications to it. It helps to preserve the integrity of content and reinforces that members need to respect other people’s material, in part, as a professional courtesy.
We’re in the age of AI where making alteration to materials is easy, even if it’s not allowed. Asking permission before adjusting someone else’s original material (and then using it), is a responsible step that preserves one’s professional reputation and is respectful to the member who invested in the creation of the original material. This helps keep everyone onside with copyright expectations and reinforces building professional relationships when taking inspiration from someone else’s material before modifying and transmitting it.
Over the next couple weeks, we’ll be taking a closer look at how these changes may impact your business practices. Stay tuned for more details.
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