Category: MLS

California Assembly Bill 723 (AB 723) is intended to ensure that listing photos accurately represent the true appearance of a property and do not mislead buyers. The law does not prohibit photo editing; rather, it requires disclosure when images have been altered and the inclusion of unedited photos to clearly distinguish original from modified images.

Read more.

To improve search functionality and provide a more consistent experience for MLS subscribers, the following updates will take effect on February 10, 2026:

• Character limit to Driving Directions will be increased from 50 to 100
• Character limit to Public Remarks will be increased to 2,500
• Number of listing photo will be increased from 60 to 99
• Feature categories of Water and Sewer will be separated to its own category
• Add “Taxiway Properties” as a selectable value in:X – Lot Description (Residential Class)H – Lot Description (Lots & Land Class)
• Add “Aircraft Hangar” as a selectable value in:N – Garage/Parking (Residential Class)

On December 9, when you log in to Paragon, you’ll be asked to review and accept the End-User License Agreement (EULA).

To accept:

• Type your name exactly as it appears on the EULA screen.
  (Make sure to match upper and lowercase letters — it’s case-sensitive.)
• After signing, you’ll automatically return to Paragon and receive a copy of the agreement.

Each year, the MLS must renew its registration with the U.S. Copyright Office to protect the listing data.
As part of this process, every MLS user must renew their EULA annually.

If you have any questions, contact MLS Support at 925.730.7100 or mlsservices@bayeast.org.

Paragon will not be available on Wednesday, November 12th between midnight – 2:00 AM (PST) for about an hour.

We’ve updated several MLS Rules for improved clarity and compliance, including Multiple Listing Options for Sellers, Coming Soon Listings, and Citable Infractions.

Please review the full updates here.

For any questions, please contact compliance@bayeast.org

To improve search functionality and provide a more consistent experience for MLS subscribers, the following updates will take effect on August 25, 2025:

• District/Neighborhood/Sub Field Requirement: Currently required for Residential and Lease Rental listings, this field will now be required for all property classes for consistency.
• New Building Type Option: “Detached Leased Land” will be added as an option in the Building Type field for the Residential property class.
• New Utility Feature: For the Lots and Land property class, “Septic System” will be added to the Utility on Site feature category.
• New Terms Option: “Potential Loan Rate Buydown” will be added to the Terms feature category.

These changes are designed to help you enter listings more accurately and make property searches more precise for all users.

Paragon MLS will install release 12.2/12.3 on Tuesday, August 26. The downtime deployment will begin at 8pm on Tuesday August 26, and will be complete by Wednesday, August 27 at 3am. Paragon will be unavailable during this time. 

Share Multiple Listings via Email (Collaboration Center)

We’ve enhanced the listing sharing experience in the Collaboration Center. Buyers can now select and share multiple listings (up to 6) in a single email — making it easier for recipients to view and compare options all in one place.

New Manual Share Email Template (Collaboration Center)

The latest update introduces a refreshed email template that makes shared listings clearer, more personal, and easier to act on.

Media Gallery View

A new Media Gallery has been added to Paragon Connect, offering a streamlined, full-page view of all listing media in one convenient place. This updated experience replaces the old, tabbed layout on the listing detail page and now allows you to quickly access photos, videos, documents, and maps—even from the thumbnail view. Previously, tapping a listing would only open the photo gallery—now it opens the full media gallery, giving you a more complete view of the property’s media content right from the start. The gallery opens in a full-page modal.

Radius Distance Label on Map

Users can now get instant visual feedback when creating custom search areas on the map in both Paragon Connect and Collaboration Center by displaying the radius size after drawing a radius shape. This enhancement helps users better understand the area they’ve selected and improves overall map usability.

Review all of the enhancements here.  Questions, please call our MLS Tech Support at 925.730.7100.

We’ve updated several MLS Rules for improved clarity and compliance, including Coming Soon listings, sales reporting, photo policies, and public remarks. Please review the full updates below:

MLS Rule Update – Effective 8/18/2025

Red = Add, Blue = Remove, Green = Reason for the change

Updated the rule language for improved clarity and to ensure consistent interpretation across all users.
MLS Rule Section 10.1.1 Coming Soon Listings. It shall be the responsibility of the Broker Participant (Section 4.1.1) and Real Estate Subscriber (Section 4.2.1) to follow said rules when placing a property in the Coming Soon section of the multiple listing service (MLS). Broker Participant and Real Estate Subscriber shall only place a property in the Coming Soon section of the MLS if the Participant/Subscriber has met necessary criteria for MLS input as described in Sections 7.5, 7.6, and 8.1.

Important information surrounding Coming Soon Listings:
1. It is optional to place your listing into the Coming Soon Status.
2. Listing agent must have a signed written listing agreement in place to enter a “Coming Soon” listing which explains the limitations of the “Coming Soon” status.
3. Coming Soon listings will be viewable to all MLS Participants.
4. Coming Soon listings will not be syndicated out to other websites.
5. Coming Soon listings are included in the VOW data feed but will not be included in the IDX and data feeds.
6. Coming Soon listings are not allowed to be placed into open houses or broker tour modules within the MLS.
7. Coming Soon listings are only searchable within the Paragon MLS.
8. Once a listing has been moved from Coming Soon to Active status by the agent, it cannot revert to Coming Soon with that same broker. Once an agent changes a listing from Coming Soon to New/Active status, it cannot be reverted to Coming Soon Status.
9. Days on Market (DOM) re-sets when status is changed to New/Active
10. Agent showing is allowed
11. Once Coming Soon status is entered, public marketing is allowed.
12. Upon request, all Paragon MLS Coming Soon data can be in Broker back-office data feeds. However, Coming Soon listings may not be displayed or integrated into any public-facing products or websites, except for listings belonging to the listing brokerage.
13. Photos are optional.

Why the change: Added a 30-day deadline for entering Comparable (Comps) Listings to promote timely and accurate market data.
MLS Rule Section 10.2 Reporting of Sales. Listings with accepted offers shall be reported to the MLS or input into the MLS database as “pending” within 3 days of the acceptance, by the listing broker unless the negotiations were carried on under Section 9.1 (a) or (b), in which case, the buyer broker shall notify the listing broker of the “pending” status within 3 days after acceptance, whereby the listing broker shall then report or input the status change to the MLS within 3 days after receiving notice from the buyer broker. The listing shall be published on the MLS as pending with no price or terms prior to the final closing. Upon final closing, the listing broker shall report or input the listing in the MLS as “sold” within 3 days after the final closing date unless the negotiations were carried on under Section 9.1 (a) or (b), in which case, the buyer broker shall notify the listing broker of the “sold” status and selling price within 3 days after the final closing date, whereby the listing broker shall then report or input the status change and selling price within 3 days after receiving notice from the buyer broker. Listings that were not input into the MLS as a result of the seller’s instructions may be input into the MLS “sold” data at the listing broker’s option within 30 days after the closing date. If a listing is entered for comparison purposes only, then “For Comp Purposes Only” shall appear in the first line of confidential remarks. 

Why the change: Refined the rule language for greater clarity and to better align with current practices regarding photo use.
11.5 Photographs on the MLS.
a) By submitting photographs to the MLS, the participant and/or subscriber represents and warrants that he or she either owns the right to reproduce and display such photographs or has procured such rights from the appropriate party and has the authority to grant and hereby grants the MLS and the other Participants and Subscribers the right to reproduce and display the photographs in accordance with these rules and regulations. Use of photographs by a subsequent listing agent requires prior written authorization from the originating listing agent or appropriate party with the legal right to reproduce and display such photographs. Except by the MLS for purposes of protecting its rights under Section 11.6, branding of photographs, virtual tours, or any other photographic representation with any information or additional images is prohibited. However, branded virtual tours will be permitted in the Branded Virtual Tour field for the sole purpose of transmittal to 3rd party vendors only. Upon notification to the Participant and/or Subscriber, MLS has the right to remove any photo found to be out of compliance with the MLS Rules.

b) At least one (1) photo or graphic image of the front exterior of the property accurately displaying the listed property (except where sellers expressly direct in writing that photographs of their property are not to appear in MLS compilations) is required to be posted on the MLS within 1 day of the listing in all categories other than business opportunity, Lots and Land property types and Coming Soon 25 status.

c) To maintain the accuracy and efficiency of the MLS, the MLS will no longer remove photos from sold, Expired, Hold, or Cancelled listings. Alternately, to meet the requests from home buyers and sellers, the MLS will mark the requested photos as private upon written request from the Listing Broker.

Why the change: Removed restrictions on financing language to allow agents more flexibility in providing relevant property details.
12.5.1 Public Remarks Restrictions and Requirements

a. Information in the public remarks shall only relate to the marketing, description, and condition of the property.

b. No contact information is permitted, including names, phone or fax numbers, email addresses or branded website addresses (including branded virtual tours and branded transaction tracking URLs).

c. No showing instructions are permitted, including references to lockbox, alarm, gate or other security codes.

d. No information directed toward real estate agents or brokers, may be shown in public remarks.

e. Listing Content and Fair Housing Laws. All listing information, including all remarks, submitted to the MLS must be in compliance with fair housing laws. The MLS monitors listing content and employs a process for identifying potential violations of fair housing laws. Should potential fair housing law violations be identified, Participants and Subscribers will be advised to immediately remove or correct such potential violations. Failure to remove or correct may subject Participants and Subscribers to discipline and/or subject the listing to immediate removal from display.

f. Seller credits, incentives, or concessions to a buyer are permitted in the Public or Confidential Remarks fields, provided that:

• The remarks specifically identify the intended use of the credits, incentives, or concessions.
• The remarks do not include a dollar amount or percentage.
• The credits, incentives, or concessions are not offered for payment, directly or indirectly, of buyer broker compensation.
• The remarks are otherwise compliant with all MLS Rules.
• For additional information, contact the listing agent.

g. Any compensation or commission information is prohibited.

h. No occupancy information is permitted (for example, whether the property is owner-occupied, tenant-occupied, or vacant). However, a statement that the property shall be delivered vacant is not a violation.

Why the change: Added language to improve understanding and ensure proper handling of photos marked as private in IDX displays.
12.16s Photos: Photos designated as ‘private’ in the MLS are excluded from public display. Displaying such photos on IDX websites is strictly prohibited.