I noticed the NWMLS announcements this weekend welcoming new Olympia and Thurston County members to the NWMLS ... and announcing the new Olympia Satellite Office. I wasn't really surprised, but didn't expect this to happen at this time. This is similar to what happened with the ole Tacoma-Pierce County MLS.
Staff from the Olympic Multiple Listing Service (OMLS) are now NWMLS employees and will continue operating the office at 556 Lilly Road SE, Suite D in Olympia as the new satellite.
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So noted with a wry smile from Clark County, Washington where NWMLS has an office, yet RMLS is still the dominant provider of MLS services.
John
John ... you're echoing statements made by previous TPCAR-MLS and OMLS members. In the end, their decision to join NWMLS was made for pure business reasons and it has improved REALTOR relations with NWMLS.
RMLS is indeed the dominant organization in your corner of Washington but contributions to your market's wellbeing by NWMLS members are increasing daily. NWMLS REALTORS have found a more unified voice and tremendous influence regarding MLS operations. I don't expect RMLS or NWMLS to give up until a mutually beneficial relationship is defined.
Larry,
Two more thoughts to share:
1) Many of us would welcome NWMLS changing their expansion policy for an area such as Clark County, to allow the broker and any interested agents under that broker to subscribe to NWMLS, instead of forcing the entire office to subscribe to NWMLS. If NWMLS is a better Service, the Law of Attraction would not be denied, NWMLS would win and fewer hard feelings would ensue.
2) A measurable number of Oregon-based real estate brokers (all Oregon agents are brokers now) also have a Washington license (the Washington requirements to obtain a license are much less onerous to fulfill, as I understand it). There are also a modest number of Clark County agents that are Oregon brokers. The folks in this item most likely don't want to have two MLS systems to fuss with day in and day out.
I hope the transition goes smoothly for our peers in Oly town.
John
John,
Less than 100% agent participation enables abuse so it's a safe bet the NWMLS will never allow that. Plus, the dust hasn't settled with recent DOJ/MLS related court decisions ... I don't think NWMLS wants to deal with OR laws ... so dual WA/OR licensed agents shouldn't be a major consideration (yet).
But ... seems to me that there are some workable issues that should be pursued to help foster better NWMLS - RMLS relations. Significant things like sharing keybox access and not requiring NWMLS boxes on their listings. Also ... sharing listing data would allow brokers to choose without having to think about the overhead of dual membership.
The OMLS transition has been ongoing for some time, beginning with them outsourcing their data management with NWMLS. I think one of the last details was ensuring the old MLS staff had jobs with NWMLS and weren't just kicked to the curb.
So far the change-over has been smooth. The old OMLS staff is now manning the NWMLS satellite office and is available for help and questions. The only OMLS forms we used to use where page one of the Listing Agreement and the Status Change Order Form. A big change is the strict NWMLS code on serving alcohol at brokers open houses. Now that's just not right.
Sandy
Thanks Sandy ... I understand reasoning behind the NWMLS "no alcholol" rule but there are many listings that just scream for a wine tasting ... like upper end homes with built-in wine cellar/tasting rooms. If you guys can get this on the Board's agenda I'll support change.
Larry, Thanks for offering your support.
Sandy
We've made numerous adjustments to web programming to accommodate OMLS listing. Hope this will be the end for that kind of thing.