Important Dates

Visit the NAR Settlement News & Updates page.

MLS Field & Policy Changes Take Effect on August 16, 2024

Fields for Subagent and Buyer Agent Commission will be removed.

• For properties with an accepted offer prior to August 17, the commission listed in the SCWMLS will be required to be paid under current rules. We recommend printing the MLS full detail report for these properties before noon on August 16 to document the commission offered at the time of acceptance.
• Have a written commission agreement in place for transactions in progress without an accepted offer.

Yes/No questions for Variable Commission and Subject to Policy Letter will be removed.

• Existing policy letters must be removed from the MLS.

References to commission within remarks have been removed for active, pending, and delayed listings.

• References to commission in any MLS remarks field will be blocked going forward.

Starting August 17th, agents working with a buyer must enter into a written agreement prior to touring a listed property with that buyer.

• In ShowingTime, agents will be required to affirm a written agreement will be in place before entering a property for which a showing is scheduled.
• NAR has tasked the MLS with ensuring agreements are secured before each showing. The SCWMLS reserves the right to request copies of such agreements, and members must submit them immediately upon request.

How to Communicate Seller Concessions in the MLS

Communicating seller concessions within the MLS is allowed and remains a valuable marketing tool following the NAR settlement changes that will be implemented on August 16th. Here are the directives to follow to maximize transparency and correctly communicate seller concessions within the MLS:

• Concessions communicated via the MLS are not a replacement for communicating offers of compensation.
• Do not include concessions that are limited to or conditioned on payment to a cooperating/buyer broker in the MLS.
• Enter concessions in the public or private MLS remarks fields. For transparency, we recommend including concessions within the public remarks.
• Concessions must be entered as a dollar amount. Percentages are not allowed.
• Concessions should be specific as to what the concession is for (i.e. roof repair, carpet allowance, closing costs).

As SCWMLS is responsible for ensuring compliance with the NAR settlement, we reserve the right to add further direction on concessions, including “zero-tolerance” policy adjustments for misuse or creative interpretations.  Remember: We are all in this together.

Updated SCWMLS Profile Sheets

Updated profile sheets which reflect upcoming database changes can be found here. 

Please note: it may be a while before these forms are updated within ZipForms. They are unfortunately experiencing a backlog, as the whole country is making changes to their forms. 

New SCWMLS Handbook Released

The SCWMLS Handbook has been updated to reflect the latest MLS policy updates.