<computerusers>
Mar 2003
Computer Answers, Tips & Information
- Jeff Hudson, YCAR Computer
Coordinator
RAPATTONI MLS
DATA INPUT ESSENTIALS
Cloning - Before you enter your new listing, do an Address Search for any previous
Sold, Expired or Withdrawn record of the property that might exist in the system. Why? Because you can "clone" any previous listing, which will copy previous listing information to a new MLS number. Be sure to scan all transferred data and make the appropriate updates before clicking
Submit.
Save Your Input - Click the Save buttons as you enter data. This will save your listing data as incomplete. You will find
Save buttons as you work down the input form, located on each brown category header. Don't click the
Save Listing As Incomplete and Exit button, unless you intend to quit the input mode.
Revise Criteria Button - If you submit your data input form and find that you must return to the form to enter required information, be sure to use the
Revise Criteria button, NOT the browser's Back button, or risk losing everything that you entered!
Validate Addresses - Obtain correct addressing and map coordinates for any address at the following url…
www.centrus.com/centrusdemos/demopage.aspx
(enter Address and either City & State, or the Zip)
You can fix incorrect listing maps by entering the correct coordinates into the longitude and
latitude fields on the Listing Information revision form. (WARNING: Longitude is a negative number, i.e. -80.5787)
Obtain Access Rights - Don't have CRISMLS Data Input rights? See your Broker.
Expired Listing Re-activation - To reactivate a listing that has not been renewed within 10 days after it's expiration date, you will have to clone the expired listing information to a new MLS# with the new listing and expiration dates.
Status Information - Price and Status can only be changed using the
Status Information revision form.
Also use this form to enter Sold, Pending, Contingent, Withdrawn listings. Be sure to change the
Status first before entering other criteria. For example, to reactivate an expired listing, within 10 days after the expiration date, change the
Status to Active first, then enter the new expiration date and Submit.
Additional Information - You can enter additional information on any property feature by using the Comment field to the right of each feature. This additional information will print out on detailed reports. Comment data is NOT searchable criteria, however.
Property Photos - Uploading image files that are too large may generate error messages. Use a photo editing program, such as Adobe PhotoShop, to first reset the resolution to 72 to 100 pixels per inch. Then re-size your landscape JPEG (*.jpg) images to 400 pixels Wide.
Copy Pictures - On the Revise Listing page there is an option to Copy Pictures from another Listing #. This feature is great for multiple similar listings that might use the same property photo or floor plan. Also good for
re-listings of the same property.
Delete a Listing - ONLY CRISMLS Staff can delete a listing. Get a delete request form at
www.ycar.org/forms
Remarks Fields - Disable the text counter to speed up on-line text entry in the
Marketing Remarks, Agent-Only Remarks and Directions To Property fields. Maximum character limits still apply. Tip: compose your remarks off-line in Notepad or Wordpad. If you use MS-Word, you can perform a spell check and a character count.
(click Tools | Word Count)
Attach Pertinent Documents - Attach documents such as a Property disclosure, Lead Base Paint disclosure or Home Inspection report to your listings and make it easier for other agents to put a purchase offer together. On the
Revise Listing page there is an option to Attach External Documents. Select the document type to obtain a fax cover page customized for that document and listing only. Print the fax cover page and fax it along with the document to the provided toll-free number. Tip: Photocopy the back side of a two-sided document to include with your fax.
AREA CODES LOOKUP METHOD
When you click the blue Select Areas hyperlink under "Areas" on any Rapattoni MLS Search form you will generate a new window which allows a search of
Area Descriptions and Area Codes. For example, to list all codes for Mahoning, first select ˛ Code to "Search by:", then type MAH in the
"criteria to refine" field. Click the Search button to get all codes beginning with MAH.
EDUCATIONAL OFFERINGS
For details, dates and registration forms for seminars and classes offered by YCAR and other outside sources, go to…
www.ycar.org/education