Rental Beast "Apply Now" Tool Is Right Around the Corner

Rental agents will soon have access to a much-requested feature in Pinergy: Rental Beast’s “Apply Now” tool! “Apply Now” starts an application process for your rental client who will receive an email invitation to complete the application. Applicants can reuse applications for other properties, add cosigners to applications, and view application statuses by logging in to their accounts. Landlords get access to the application information and, where available, criminal background checks, credit reports, and eviction history. You’ll see the new button in Pinergy’s Quick Links section of the Home page as well as in Pinergy’s Tools and in listing details where applicable. Rental Beast will be free for agents to use, with prospective tenants paying an application fee. Many top agents view and use rentals as a way to connect with future buyers; Rental Beast has made it easier with “Apply Now.” Click HERE to learn more about "Apply Now," and look for more updates in your email and on the Pinergy homepage in the coming weeks!
MLS PIN's New "Rules at a Glance" Flyer
Rules Never Looked So Good 

MLS PIN Rules and Regulations exist to level the playing field and to ensure the cooperation that drives the real estate industry, but the complete document of rules is a lot of information to traverse, even with our website’s helpful Search Rules & Regulations feature. That’s why we’ve come up with a handy flyer, “MLS PIN Rules at a Glance,” that breaks down the most important rules you’ll need to know on a day-to-day basis. There’s information on submitting listings, deadlines for filing, the Coming Soon status, contact information, adding photos, and status changes, plus a summary of all Pinergy statuses, property types, and listing types. Keep it handy for those times when you need to know status change deadlines, when and how to display your contact information, and much more. 
How Did the MA Housing Market Do in 2020?
Data and Charts Show Massachusetts Housing Market Strength 

Last year was not kind to many industries, but fortunately, real estate proved to be very resilient in 2020. Get the actual numbers in MLS PIN’s Annual Report on the Massachusetts Housing Market (check last month's email, or click HERE to view and download it now). Colorful charts and useful statistics tell the full story; download the report to get a market overview, property type review, price range review, bedroom count review, county-by-county area overviews and area historical prices, and more, plus get a glimpse of how the market may fare in 2021.
Pinergy's Contact Manager and Listings Manager Receive Smartphone Updates

Pinergy’s Contact Manager and Listings Manager have been updated to work better with smartphones. Now you can use your smartphone to effectively add new Contacts, modify existing Contacts, add and modify Contact searches, and view property matches. You can edit your listings, add open houses and broker tours, and even upload listing photos—right from your smartphone! You still can use other devices to manage your Contacts and listings. We simply made it easier to manage them while you’re on the go!
Pinergy Mobile Retiring in May
Here's What Is Replacing It 

Pinergy Mobile, developed by MLS PIN in 2014 exclusively for mobile devices, will retire effective mid-May 2021. Over the past few years, we have been focused on redesigning Pinergy to be responsive for all screen sizes, and Pinergy’s Home, Search, Search Results, Contact Manager, and Listings Manager will work similarly on all screens, ending the need for a separate mobile product. After its retirement, Pinergy Mobile sign-in requests will be redirected automatically to Pinergy, but you don’t have to wait to use Pinergy with your mobile device. You may visit mlspin.com or type pinergy.mlspin.com into the address bar of your mobile device’s browser to sign in to Pinergy now! Remember, too, that you may continue to use apps like Homesnap Pro (included with your MLS PIN subscription). Homesnap Pro features modern search capabilities, a safety timer, the ability to walk property lines using augmented reality, machine-learning-powered “Likelihood to List” scores, and more. Detailed instructions for setting up Homesnap Pro are HERE. With responsive Pinergy and Homesnap Pro, we’ve got you covered as you search and connect with customers!
Opt IN to the Broker Public Portal
Get Free Leads for Your Listings 

MLS PIN, along with MLSs representing more than one million agents across the country, is a part of the Broker Public Portal, a nationwide industry initiative to provide consumers with a search experience that features real-time MLS data and follows Fair Display Guidelines. When consumers see listings on Homesnap.com, the public-facing brand of the Broker Public Portal, they are connected directly to the listing agents at no charge to anyone. IMPORTANT: MLS PIN Brokers or Office Managers must OPT IN (for free) to make their offices’ listings available to consumers searching the Broker Public Portal via Homesnap. To opt in, the Participant/Office Manager will use Pinergy’s Syndication tool to select offices for syndication to Broker Public Portal with Homesnap. You may check out the Homesnap portal HERE (it also appears as FIND A HOME on mlspin.com).
Homesnap Supports Multi-Area Searches!

Agents and consumers using Homesnap on their desktops or mobile devices can search multiple areas in a single search. It’s easy to do. Tap in the search bar, and select your first search area  (school district, neighborhood, town, zip code, street name). Tap in the search bar again, and select another search area. As long as your areas are less than 60 miles apart, the map will zoom out to display them both. Add another area if you’d like! You can search up to 5 areas at a time, and you can save your searches, too. What’s more, you can set your saved searches to email you automatically (immediately or daily) when the search results change! Remember, Homesnap Pro is included with your MLS PIN subscription, so register today if you haven’t already!
Advanced Homesnap Pro Webinar Covers Lead Prospecting and More (March 25)

If you’re using Homesnap Pro only to search for homes, you’re missing out on a lot of useful features. With this in mind, the makers of Homesnap are hosting a new webinar, “Prospecting for Seller Leads,” on March 25 at 10 a.m. (register HERE). You’ll learn advanced business-building features like using Property Heatmaps to find your next listing, creating videos using Homesnap Stories, using their Net Sheet Calculator, saving Homeowner Profiles, and more. This webinar is interactive, so be sure to install the Homesnap app from the App Store (iPhone) or Play Store (Android) and register using your MLS PIN Agent ID. Homesnap is the real estate industry's national search portal and the public-facing brand of the Broker Public Portal.
RPR's New Brand and Website Is Now Live!

RPR recently turned the key on their new website, and the results were definitely worth the wait (view a pre-recorded introductory webinar HERE or visit their Learning Center). The new site is clean and modern, and it features streamlined searching, a new property layout, new shortcuts, easier access to saved properties and searches, improved map features, better integration between residential and commercial features, and more. Remember, RPR is free for all REALTORS®: you can access it via Pinergy’s Quick Links, Pinergy’s Tools, and the tops of individual listing detail reports. 
Everything You Need to Know About Pinergy's "Coming Soon" Status

Pinergy’s Coming Soon status allows a property to be posted for pre-marketing to MLS PIN Subscribers for up to 21 days with no showings permitted until the listing posts with the New status. But how does it work? There are two helpful flyers to answer that question: “A Step-by-Step Guide to the Coming Soon Status in Pinergy” illustrates the steps Participants/Managers use to allow their offices to post Coming Soon listings, shows Agents how to enter a property as Coming Soon, and includes FAQs. “Coming Soon Listing Status Fact Sheet” breaks down what “Coming Soon” means and highlights the specific rules and deadlines that apply to this status. Still have questions? Our Quality Assurance department has your answers; you can reach them at qa@mlspin.com. 
Real Estate Teams and Massachusetts Law
Board of Registration's FAQ Provides Guidance 

According to the Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons, some key guidelines must be followed regarding real estate teams. How must the principal broker handle supervision, money handling, and payment of commissions? What must be included in team advertisements? What terms should not be included in a real estate team’s name (hint: “real estate” is one of them)? These topics (and more) are addressed in the Board’s Frequently Asked Questions: Real Estate Teams. If you are part of a real estate team, please review the FAQ. If changes with your team need to be made in the MLS, please complete and return the Team ID Change Form.
Spring Is in the Air
Showings and the Ongoing COVID-19 State of Emergency 

As a reminder, in response to the COVID-19 state of emergency in March 2020, MLS PIN temporarily lifted the requirement that an “active” listing in the database be available for showings. A year later, while there is hope on the horizon for an end to the pandemic, the state of emergency remains in effect for now; and with it, so does the temporary allowance for an “active” listing to be unavailable for showings. This temporary allowance is subject to two requirements. First, there should be a clear disclosure on the MLS listing sheet if the property is unavailable for showings. Second, the property must be on the market and available for sale in order to be in an “active” status. We hope that all of you and your clients remain safe and healthy as the Spring season begins!
Employee Spotlight
Julie Mullin, HR Business Partner 

Although we feel like she’s been here much longer, Julie Mullin is actually one of our more recent hires. She joined the MLS PIN family in August 2018 and was soon promoted to her current position as MLS PIN’s HR Business Partner. Before joining MLS PIN, Julie worked 18 years for UPS, ending her tenure there as HR Supervisor. These days, she “delivers” solutions for MLS PIN, communicating and coordinating company policies, employee training, practices, and procedures, and she handles benefits and payroll administration, recruitment, wellness programs, and coordinating performance reviews. Julie has been busy during quarantine; she completed the HR Certificate Series in January this year and is helping with the process to reopen our corporate headquarters, with an eye towards safety and ever-changing guidelines. Late last year, Julie worked on creating holiday baskets for all MLS PIN employees, and she was part of the team that surprised us all by hand-delivering them to our steps. Her family life is rich, with one son graduating from college and another getting married in June. When not finding HR solutions for us at work, Julie enjoys skiing, family time, and singing Karaoke. Here’s hoping we all see her soon (other than on Zoom), perhaps even on the Karaoke stage, as soon as it’s safe.