The Basics
1. What are Registered listings?
CRMLS Rule 7.8 (“Mandatory Delivery of Listing Agreement”) requires listing brokers to submit their listings to the MLS within two (2) days of the listing contract’s effective date. To comply with this rule, brokers must complete one of the following steps: either (a) update the listing status to Active or Coming Soon, or (b) file an exclusion/waiver form (such as the C.A.R. MLSA) to notify the MLS of the exclusion per the seller’s instructions.
The CRMLS Registered process enables agents and brokers to exclude listings from the MLS while complying with Rule 7.8 thereby eliminating the previous requirement to submit exclusion forms at the same time.
CRMLS first introduced the Registered process in August 2020 for Matrix users only. In November 2021, the registered process became available to all users with access to the CRMLS dashboard. Registered listings now function the same as excluded listings – the MLS neither displays nor distributes them.
Only the listing agent, co-listing agent, office manager, co-listing office manager, listing broker,
co-listing broker, association/board staff, and CRMLS staff have access to view and edit registered listings.
2. What information do I need to enter when I register a listing?
You must enter the following:
- 1. Property Address
- List Price
- Effective date (List Contract Date)
- Expiration date
- The date in which marketing will begin (Start Marketing Date)
Special conditions apply when entering the Start Marketing date. Refer to Question 6 for more details. To access our Knowledgebase article on how to register listings in CRMLS, click here.
3. When do I need to register a listing agreement?
Per Rule 7.8, you must register any listing not put into the MLS (usually in a Coming Soon or Active status) within two (2) days of the effective date of any Exclusive Right to Sell/Lease or Seller-Reserved listing agreement. This rule applies to one-to-four unit residential properties and vacant lots.
4. What is the effective date of a listing agreement?
The effective date of a listing agreement is either:
- The beginning date of the listing period, OR
- The date of the last necessary signature(s) on the listing agreement;
Note: The effective date of the listing agreement is whichever of the above options occur LATER.
5. What form is required for excluded listings?
If your seller chooses to keep their listing off the MLS, CRMLS Rule 7.9.1 requires their written, compliant instruction. You may use the C.A.R. Multiple Listing Service Addendum (“MLSA”) or an equivalent form.
Note: You do not need to submit your exclusion form unless CRMLS Compliance requests it.
6. What do I enter in the “Start Marketing Date” field?
The Start Marketing date is the first day you publicly market a property. It should be the same date you use in Paragraph 3.D(2) of the C.A.R. Form MLSA, or as otherwise specified in your exclusion form. On the Start Marketing date, you must update the listing status to Active, Coming Soon, Active Under Contract, etc
Note: If a seller instructs you not to market a property, confirm you have a seller-signed exclusion form when you register the listing. This removes your ability to enter a Start Marketing date, leaving the field blank.
7. What do I do if the seller excludes the listing from the MLS for the entire listing agreement period?
You must still register the listing within two (2) days of the effective date of the agreement. Special conditions apply when entering the Start Marketing date. Refer to Question 6 for more details.
8. If I submitted an exclusion form via CRMLS.org prior to the date I gained access to the registered process, do I still need to register the listing with CRMLS?
Although CRMLS does not require it, you may still register the listing at the broker’s discretion. You are only required to register agreements that are effective on or after the date you have gained access to the Registered process.
9. Can I register a listing if the listing agreement is not yet effective?
No. You must have an effective exclusive right to sell or lease or a seller-reserved listing agreement in place to register a listing.
Registered Listings and Marketing
10. Can I publicly market a registered listing?
No. MLS rules prohibit public marketing for any property not available in the MLS for cooperation. Because Registered listings are not Active or Coming Soon, they fall under the Clear Cooperation Policy as stated in CRMLS Rule 7.9, even if they may be listed in the MLS later. If you publicly market a Registered listing, you must change its status to Active or Coming Soon within one (1) business day. For more information regarding the Clear Cooperation Policy, click here.
11. When I have a Registered Listing Agreement, can I market the property to agents working under the same DRE broker license number as me?
Yes, the Clear Cooperation Policy allows for an exception for in-office communications. If the listing broker’s office has buyer interest from an existing client who is not a member of the public, only agents who are directly affiliated with the listing broker’s specific DRE license number are permitted to market or show the property to that client. CRMLS Rule 7.9 defines an existing client as any “individual or entity that has signed, within the previous year, a Disclosure Regarding Real Estate Agency Relationship form in compliance with CA Civil Code section 2079.16 that identifies the Listing Broker.” In summary, this permission applies exclusively to agents listed under the broker’s
DRE license number, not all agents under the broad banner of a real estate franchise. For more information regarding the Clear Cooperation Policy, click here.
12. Can I or anyone within my brokerage show a registered property?
Yes, but this is subject to the same limitations outlined in Question 11.
13. What does CRMLS consider public marketing?
Marketing and advertising include, but are not limited to, any information about the property or its availability for sale. Listings can be marketed on signs, websites, social media, and brokerage- or franchise-operated websites. They may also appear in communications (verbal or written) through multi-brokerage or franchise listing-sharing networks, on flyers or written materials, in publicly available applications, or at open houses or showings. For more information regarding the Clear Cooperation Policy, click here.
14. If a broker cannot publicly market a Registered listing, how can the listing go straight from Registered to Active Under Contract or Pending status?
If a broker has a Registered listing and then enters a contract with one of their existing clients, they can move the property from Registered to Pending. CRMLS Rule 7.9 defines the existing client as any “individual or entity that has signed, within the previous year, a Disclosure Regarding Real Estate Agency Relationship form in compliance with CA Civil Code section 2079.16 that identifies the Listing Broker.” In this case, the broker has done no public marketing.
Entering and Modifying a Registered Listing
15. How do I register a listing agreement? For step-by-step instructions, click here.
16. What if I made a mistake? Edit a Registered listing by following the steps here. If the property type is inaccurate, you must create a new Registered listing. For help removing an incorrect listing, contact your local association/board or CRMLS Compliance so our staff can assist you. Click here for live assistance from a Compliance Analyst, Monday through Friday, within the windows: 8:30 AM - 12:05 PM and 1:15 PM - 4:00 PM. You may also login to your REcore dashboard to submit a support ticket.
17. Is it possible to modify the Start Marketing date after registering a listing agreement?
Yes. The listing agent, co-listing agent, office manager, co-listing office manager, listing broker, and co-listing broker may extend or shorten the Start Marketing date after submission, provided the listing has not yet been sent to the MLS.
18. How do I extend the original Start Marketing date?
Sellers must sign a new or amended exclusion form (such as the C.A.R. form MLSA) specifying the new Start Marketing date, which must be before the original date. You can modify the Registered listing’s Start Marketing date within two (2) days of any changes to the exclusion form.
For example, if the original Start Marketing Date is 9/1/2025, and more time is needed, the seller must sign a new MLSA or an equivalent form or amend their existing form before 9/1/2025. This ensures that the new Start Marketing date is recorded before the original date.
19. My seller accepted an offer on their Registered listing. What do I do now?
If the seller wants to keep the property off the MLS until the Start Marketing date, keep the listing in Registered status until the Start Marketing date. On the Start Marketing date, change the listing from Registered to Active or Coming Soon. You may then update it to Pending or Active Under Contract.
If the seller wants the listing off the MLS before the Start Marketing date, first get their written authorization then update the listing to Active or Coming Soon. Once the status is no longer Registered, you can proceed to update it to Pending or Active Under Contract as per usual For step-by-step instructions on how to update a Registered listing to Active or Coming Soon, click here.
20. My Registered listing sold. What do I do now?
If a property with a Registered listing contract sells, you may enter it into the MLS as a comparable sale at the broker’s discretion. You can also update the listing from Registered to Active, Coming Soon, or Closed status. If you choose to enter it as a comparable sale, you must do so within two (2) days of the Close of Escrow date. For instructions on how to update the Registered listing to Active or Coming Soon, click here.
21. Can I extend the expiration date after I register a listing agreement?
Yes. The listing agent, co-listing agent, office manager, co-listing office manager, listing broker, and co-listing broker can extend the expiration date on a Registered listing.
22. Can I shorten the expiration date after I register a listing agreement?
Yes. However, only the office manager, co-listing office manager, listing broker, and co-listing broker can make this change.
23. How do I access my Registered listings?
For step-by-step instructions, click here.
24. How do I update a Registered listing to Active or Coming Soon?
Send Registered listings from the Registered listing service directly to your CRMLS Matrix, Paragon, or Flexmls account. Once you send a listing, it will get an MLS# and be saved as “Incomplete.” To update its status to Active or Coming Soon, locate its listing ID in the drop-down menu, select the ID number, and fill out the required fields under each tab. When finished, submit the listing.
25. Are there any restrictions on moving a listing from Registered to Coming Soon or Active status?
No. You can move a listing from Registered to Coming Soon or Active status at the discretion of the listing broker. If you enter the listing before the Start Marketing date, you must obtain written
authorization from the seller. However, you do not need to provide that documentation to the MLS unless CRMLS Compliance requests it.
26. Do I need to include a photograph with a Registered listing?
No. However, if you update a Registered listing to Coming Soon or Active, you must upload at least one (1) photograph featuring a substantial portion of the structure’s exterior within two (2) calendar days.
27. What is the difference between Registered and Coming Soon?
Click here to learn the key differences between Registered and the Coming Soon status.
To access the CRMLS Rules and Policies, click here.
