One final class. Decades of wisdom. A career worth celebrating.
Join us for Wisdom for Your Future, John Baker’s final WVMLS class, and learn from a respected real estate professional whose experience spans family business leadership, rentals, property management, and managing investments across state lines.
Following the 2.5-hour CE class, we will gather for a surprise retirement celebration in John’s honor.
Please keep the celebration confidential so we can make the moment truly special.
The integrity of WVMLS data is what makes our marketplace THE trusted resource for real estate professionals and consumers alike. To help everyone stay compliant and avoid common pitfalls, we are sharing a snapshot of the most frequent rules enforcement warnings issued in the month of September 2026.
By understanding where others have run into trouble, you can ensure your listings remain accurate, professional, and fine-free.
The Numbers at a Glance
Last month, the membership support team issued warnings across several categories. While many of these are simple clerical errors, they can have a significant impact on how other members search for and find your listings.
Top 3 Areas for Improvement
1. Geographic Accuracy (Wrong Area/Type)
With 9 recorded warnings, this remains our most common challenge. Whether it’s selecting "Polk County" instead of "Marion County" or marking Area 40 when it should be 50, these errors make it difficult for buyer’s agents to set up accurate automated searches for their clients. More importantly, misidentifying a property type such as Residence vs. Manufactured could result in real-world liability for both Members and the MLS.
Pro-Tip: Double-check your address against previous listings to verify the Area or use the Area Boundaries map here.
2. Listing Status Not Updated
We issued 6 warnings for Listings Statuses Not Updated.
Status Reminder: When a property goes under contract or sells, the status must be updated within the required timeframe (within two business days.)
3. Photo Violations
There were 6 warnings for Photo Violations
Be Aware Of New AI-Altered/Staging Rules: Photos staged with AI must only add furnishings or decor and must not depict improvements, finishes or features. Make sure to double check the image the AI outputs to ensure accuracy, also don't forget to watermark with "Virtually Staged" to stay compliant.
Why It Matters
When our data is clean, everyone wins. It means fewer phone calls to clarify details, better stats and more accurate "Hot Sheets," and a better experience for the clients we serve.
If you ever have a question about a specific rule or how to input a unique property, don't hesitate to reach out to WVMLS. We are here to help you get it right the first time!
Note: WVMLS has a “warn-on-first-offense” policy, but all of these would be finable offenses if repeated.
The following market statistics dashboards are part of the Market Stats Member Portal, a member benefit by WVMLS.
Free to all members!
Includes analytics, graphs, and charts based on your LOCAL market
Easy to use and share!
The Market Infographic provides a high-level one-month summary. This dashboard is filtered for residences under .5 acre in Marion, Linn, Benton, and Polk counties.
Filtered to the area of your client's listing or interest
Have the dashboard right in front of you as you make that call and pick your favorite statistic to share
Up your marketing game, and increase your social media engagement with market stats dashboards
The Market Review dashboard is a great one-page summary of the local market, providing 13-month trends for eight key metrics. This dashboard is filtered for residences under .5 acre in Marion, Linn, Benton, and Polk counties.
Filtered to the area of your client's listing or interest
Have the dashboard right in front of you as you make that call and pick your favorite statistic to share
Up your marketing game, and increase your social media engagement with market stats dashboards