RMLS operates a subscriber-based multiple listing service. To become a subscriber of RMLS, you must provide
information about yourself. Because RMLS wants to demonstrate its commitment to our subscribers’ privacy, we wish to
disclose our information practices in the following Privacy Policy. The privacy of your personal information is important
to RMLS, and we will use your information only in accordance with the terms of this Privacy Policy.
The RMLS Privacy Policy includes:
1. RMLS websites and systems that are covered by this policy
2. Identification of specific information that is collected from our subscribers
3. Identification of specific information that is collected from the public and documented in the RMLSweb system
4. How collected information is used
5. With whom the information may be shared
6. What choices are available to our subscribers regarding collection, use and distribution of the information
7. Identification of RMLS security procedures that are in place to protect the loss, misuse or alteration of information
under RMLS control
8. How to access, correct or update personal or property information with RMLS
Definitions:
“Personally identifiable information” is information about you that distinguishes who you are and is not otherwise publicly available.
“RMLS websites” include all areas (public and private) of the RMLS websites, including http://www.rmlsweb.com,
http://mobile.rmlsweb.com, http://www.rmls.com and all related testing and development databases.
A “Cookie” is a small amount of data, often including an anonymous unique identifier, transmitted to your browser from
a website, which includes information about you and your computer. “Cookies” are stored on your computer’s hard
drive. A “session cookie” is sent to the subscriber’s computer during the log-in process to RMLSweb when the username
and password is entered.
1. RMLS websites and systems covered by this privacy statement
This privacy statement covers the RMLS websites available to RMLS subscribers. Other computer systems are used
within RMLS to store information and provide services to our REALTOR® and appraiser subscribers and they include the
Abila NetForum System (membership, accounting, and support call tracking system) and the SentriLock SentriCard®
system (lockbox and access device information management). RMLS also posts data on other web internal systems to
distribute subscriber contact information to those websites authorized by the participant.
2. Identification of specific information that is collected from our subscribers
RMLS collects and stores subscriber information including name, office name and address, preferred mailing address,
phone numbers (office, home, cell, fax), email addresses, subscriber statuses (active, terminated, etc.), authorized level
of access (broker, agent, administrative assistant, etc.), designated broker name, payment history and methods, related
URLs, REALTOR® Association membership and designations, and passwords used to access the RMLSweb and key
management systems. This information is not released to any third party.
RMLS may also store records of attendance at RMLS training classes and technical information about our subscribers to
better assist them with hardware and/or software problems. If you send us correspondence, including emails and faxes,
RMLS may retain such information in the records of your account. RMLS may also retain customer service
correspondence and other correspondence from RMLS to you.
The RMLSweb system, which stores property information, also stores production rates of agents and offices.
RMLS also collects data from “cookies.” These cookies allow RMLS to recognize the same visitor viewing multiple pages
on RMLSweb during the same session. This avoids the need to logon multiple times and can provide a more customized
user experience. RMLS collects forensic access data on login sessions including, but not limited to, locations, time of day,
devices, browsers, operating systems, and networks to further protect your password, ensure that your login credentials
are validated, and secure your sensitive information. No personal information is retained on the cookies. The functions
performed on RMLSweb are also tracked to provide usage information and assist with development decisions.
Because of the way that World Wide Web communication standards work, when you arrive at or leave an RMLS website,
RMLS can receive the web address of the site that you came from or are going to. RMLS also collects information of
website pages visited while you are on any RMLS website, the type of browser you use and times you access our
website.
3. Identification of specific information that is collected from the public and other sources and documented in the
RMLSweb system
When a subscriber of RMLS enters a property into the MLS system, the content, including images associated with that
listing become part of the RMLS copyrighted compilation. The use of the content is governed by the RMLS Rules and
Regulations.
RMLS websites contain information about properties that are (or were) for sale or lease, in the process of being sold, or
have been sold. RMLS is the primary multiple listing service provider in the Portland, Oregon metro area, including Clark
County, Washington, and in Baker, Columbia, Coos, Curry, Douglas, Gilliam, Grant, Hood River, Josephine, Lane, Morrow,
Sherman, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wasco, Wheeler and Yamhill counties of Oregon, as well as Cowlitz, Klickitat,
Pacific and Skamania counties of Washington. The RMLS systems also contain property content from other areas.
Property records may include the owners’ name, address and phone numbers. Records may also include multiple
images, financial information such as annual property tax assessments, liens and mortgage balances. The RMLS systems
also contain public tax assessor information for parcels in many Oregon and Washington counties.
RMLS subscribers have the option to create a prospect or address book entry in the RMLSweb system, which by its
nature contains personally identifiable information on an individual who is not an RMLS subscriber. RMLS will not use
prospect information or sell or rent that information to third parties.
4. How collected information is used
When a subscriber of RMLS submits property listing content to RMLS, it becomes part of the RMLSweb listing database
compilation. All right, title and interest in every copy of the RMLS multiple listing compilation, or portion thereof,
including images created by RMLS is copyrighted by RMLS and shall remain at all times vested in RMLS. Copyright and
ownership interest in images submitted by RMLS subscribers for inclusion in the RMLSweb database remain with the
RMLS Participant on whose behalf the image was submitted. However, the RMLS Participant licenses RMLS to
reproduce, distribute and transform such images and place a copyright legend on each such image. Ownership of the
RMLS database compilation and each RMLS subscriber’s “fair use” thereof is governed by RMLS Rules and Regulations.
RMLS is a fee-based organization open to licensed real estate brokers, appraisers and affiliates who belong to a
REALTOR® Association. RMLS collects information about our subscribers in order to provide multiple listing services to
them. The computer systems that collect and store subscriber information are used for billing purposes, to create online rosters of active RMLS subscribers and to identify the listing and selling agents and offices in property transactions.
Subscriber information is used to notify subscribers of changes to the web site, provide updated information,
notification of upcoming subscriber events and to verify eligibility for subscribership. Technical information collected in
the call tracking system is used to determine product usage and issues, and to determine training needs and future
development efforts.
RMLS does not serve the public, but does provide the web site RMLS.com, which subscribers may use with their clients
(the public). RMLS.com is a public web site that provides photo(s) and some details about properties that are for sale.
Owner’s names are not provided. All information displayed on RMLS.com comes from content on RMLSweb.com.
From time to time RMLS may use subscriber’s email addresses, preferred mailing address or fax numbers to notify our
subscribers of technical problems, upcoming events, important issues and for collection of RMLS fees.
RMLS does not sell, provide or make available any subscribership lists to any third parties.
Website traffic information is used only to better understand our subscribers’ preferences and to manage the load on
our servers in order to improve system response time and provide a quality experience using the website.
Statistical analysis of the listing content is made available to the media and other interested parties. However, this
information does not disclose the principals or the brokers of individual transactions.
5. With whom the information may be shared
RMLS will disclose information about our subscribers or their companies if required to do so by law or legal process.
REALTOR® Associations and all RMLS subscribers have access to contact information for all RMLS subscribers through
RMLS.com and RMLSweb.com. Participant brokers can also access production rates of individual brokers and offices.
RMLS may elect to further distribute property information, including seller and agent contact data, to third parties for
Internet display or for licensing to obtain industry statistics and trends. Specific property records are made available to
the public only with the participant broker’s authorization and are required to operate according to the RMLS Internet
policy. We also license this content, in accordance with our Rules and Regulations, to third-party service providers of
Internet Data Exchange (IDX) and Virtual Office Websites (VOW), and Brokers with automated showing products and
other real estate tools. This content may include some personally identifiable information about the listing agent, such
as their name, photo and/or contact information.
RMLS shares aggregated statistical data with our business partners as well as for public relations. For example, we may
disclose that a specific percentage of our subscribers live in a particular county. However, this aggregated information is
not tied to personally identifiable information.
RMLS may disclose the information we collect, as described above, to companies that perform marketing services on our
behalf. Those companies are subject to confidentiality agreements with us as well as other legal restrictions that prohibit
them from using the information except to market the specified RMLS-related products or services, unless there is
specific permission for other uses.
RMLS also shares personally identifiable information with the REALTOR® Associations whom we serve. This is done in
order to verify your information and your standing in the Association, which may directly affect your RMLS
subscribership. These Associations may use this information to market other products and services which may be of
interest to you.
RMLS gives access to personally identifiable information to those employees who need that information to provide
products or services to you, or in order to do their jobs, such as fulfill customer service requests. We require our
employees to protect the privacy of information about our customers.
If you are a registered RMLS user, your name, office, office address and office phone/fax numbers are displayed to other
RMLS subscribers when they perform a roster search using an RMLS product. If you are a Participant Broker/Owner, you
may have access to or we may notify you of other personally identifiable information for each agent in your office, such
as their individual RMLS account information, fees paid or owned, rules violations, etc.
6. What choices are available to our subscribers regarding collection, use and distribution of the information
By nature of the RMLS Rules and Regulations and the RMLS Subscriber and Participant Agreements, subscribers agree to
receive faxes, emails or other communications from RMLS. One of the purposes of the MLS is to facilitate the offer of
cooperation among practitioners to market properties. To fulfill this objective, it is necessary to associate each property
listed in the system with a listing broker and participant who is offering the property for sale so that they may be
contacted with potential buyers or other issues related to the sale of the property. The listing broker is also required to
enter the seller’s name in the property listing unless the seller specifically requests in writing that the listing does not
include the name and contact information of the seller
RMLS is a subscriber-based organization with subscribers billed quarterly. For that reason, it is necessary to maintain
current contact information on each subscriber.
7. Identification of RMLS security procedures that are in place to protect the loss, misuse or alternation of information
under RMLS control
RMLS hosts most of the systems containing personal and property information. Those systems that are not located in
the RMLS facilities are hosted by authorized entities that have executed an agreement with RMLS specifically restricting
further distribution of content. RMLS proactively audits the authorized websites receiving authorized RMLS content for
compliance, searches for Internet data to discover unauthorized displays of RMLS content and has and will continue to
legally pursue misuse of RMLS content.
RMLS employs security practices, including firewalls, virus protection and disaster recovery planning. Vendor
recommended patches are installed in a regular and timely manner. Physical access to the computer room is restricted
to authorized personnel. Regular data backups and off-site storage practices are followed. A separate facility is retained
with redundant hardware to continue services in the event of a disaster.
We restrict access to your personally identifiable information to employees who need to know that information in order
to provide products or services to you. We enforce physical and electronic measures to guard your non-public personally
identifiable information.
The security of your RMLS account also relies on the safeguarding your RMLS passwords. If you do share your password
with a third party for any reason other than authorized by RMLS rules, you will be in violation of the RMLS Rules and
Regulations; the third party will have access to your account and your personal information, and you may be responsible
for actions taken using your password, as well as sanctions from RMLS, including possible fines and suspension of
services. If you believe someone else has obtained access to your password, please change your password right away.
You may receive communications from RMLS regarding possible misuse of your password.
8. How to correct or update personal or property information with RMLS
RMLS subscribers can change property information on any property record associated with their subscriber
identification code, for ongoing transactions. Authorized personal assistants can modify any property record associated
with their broker employer. Authorized assistants of a Participant Broker can modify any property record associated
with the firm of the Participant Broker. Additionally, RMLS subscribers can request that RMLS staff modify a property
record that the subscriber could have or were unable to modify, when written proof of the sellers request for a change is
sent to RMLS.
Personal subscriber information can be changed by written notification to RMLS. Subscribers changing offices require
the approval of Participant Brokers from both the previous and future firms.
From time to time, RMLS may elect to add new features to products and services provided by RMLS or their authorized
providers. This policy may be revised as we incorporate suggestions from our subscribers and introduce new services
and features into the marketplace.
The RMLS websites include links to some third-party websites. These sites are governed by their own privacy statements,
and RMLS is not responsible for their operations, including but not limited to their information practices. Users
submitting information to or through these third-party websites should review the privacy statement of these sites
before providing them with personally identifiable information.
If you are no longer an RMLS subscriber, we will note your account in our database as “Terminated”, but will keep your
account information in our database.
For more information about this Privacy Statement, contact RMLS:
RMLS Corporate Office -- 503-236-7657
16101 SW 72nd Avenue, Suite 200
Portland, OR 97224