Q1:       I am new to the MLS. What software will I
need?

A1:       The Rapattoni MLS system is Internet based and
does not require any software to operate. However, in order for the Rapattoni system to work at its optimum, it must be accessed through Internet Explorer. Other browsers such as Mozilla, Opera, Firefox, etc. may limit navigation throughout the site,
as they may not display drop-down menus.

Q2:       I use a MAC. Is it possible to access the Rap-
attoni system?

A2:       By running a simple one-time installation, Mac users can access the MLS using a Macintosh OSX computer and the associated Safari browser. Go to
http://www.rapattoni.com/citrix and click on About
this Site for details and complete instructions.

Q3:       What is the site address (URL) for the Rapattoni MLS system?

A3:       The site address is http://norcalmls.rapmls.com.

Q4:       Do I have to type in the URL each time I want to access the Rapattoni MLS system?

A4:       No, you can save the URL to your Favorites, create and save a Shortcut on your desktop, or make the BAREIS MLS your Home Page so that every time you open Internet Explorer it will open directly to it.

Q5:       How do I log on?

A5:       To log on to Rapattoni you must enter your Agent ID (example: B0666) and your Password (example: toppro11) into the appropriate fields and click Submit. Passwords are case sensitive and if you’ve changed your password on Rapattoni using upper and lower case letters, then it must be entered the same way (example: TopPro11). Please note, if you use upper case letters in your password and have Caps Lock on, you will receive a message when logging on stating that you may want to press Caps Lock to turn it off. If your password is entirely in upper case letters, then you can ignore this message.

Q6:       How do I properly log off from Rapattoni?

A6:       To log off, or exit the program, click the LOG OFF tab in the upper right area of your screen.

Q7:       What if I forget my password?

A7:       If you forget your password, click on the Forgot Your Password? link on the log on page. You will be asked to enter your Agent ID and your password will be sent to your e-mail address on file in a few minutes. If you do not have an e-mail address entered in your Agent information, this feature will not work and you will have to contact BAREIS staff for help. BAREIS will not give out passwords over the
phone, but will e-mail your password to your broker.

Q8:       How do I change my password, e-mail address, or contact phone numbers?

A8:       To change your password or e-mail address, click on ADMIN and Modify Your Profile from the drop-down menu. After making your revisions, click Save Changes at the bottom of the page. Any changes you make will take effect immediately. Note: Passwords are case sensitive. However they are entered and saved is how they will need to be entered when logging on.

            To change your phone number click on ADMIN and Modify Your Profile from the drop-down menu. Next click on the link Manage Contact Phones. On the Manage Contact Phones screen check the Delete box to the far right of the phone number you wish to change (In order to change a phone number you must first delete it and then add it back in) and then click Delete. Next, go to the upper left of the screen and type in the new phone number in the Additional Phone Information field (be sure to include the area code). After typing in the new phone number, select the Phone Type (Cell, Home, Home Office) and then click on Add. Under Select Contact Phone Numbers you can choose whether you want your phone numbers to display labeled with Cell, Home, Home Office or as Primary, Secondary, Other. Once you’ve completed making your changes click on Save, it will take you back to the Agent Profile screen where you must also click on Save Changes (lower right corner of the screen).

Q9:       How do I modify my Agent information?

A9:       To modify your Agent Information, click on ADMIN and choose Modify Your Profile from the drop-down menu. Once your modifications are made, click Save
Changes at the bottom of the page. Your changes
will automatically be saved.

Q10:     When looking at the Rapattoni screen, some of the fields are grayed out so I cannot access
them. Why?

A10:     This means that either this function isn’t available or
certain criteria haven’t been met to enable this button. This could also mean that your access rights in the system do not allow you to access this function.

Q11:     Why do some fields on my screen overlap?

A11:     You may need to adjust your screen resolution on your monitor to 1024 by 768 pixels. To do this click
on Start > Settings > Control Panel > Display >
Settings, check the numbers under Screen resolution and adjust if necessary.

Q12:     When entering a new listing or conducting a
search, I am unable to use the drop-down menus or the eyeglass icon to make my choices. Why?

A12:     The Rapattoni system must be accessed through
Internet Explorer. Other browsers such as Mozilla,
Opera, Firefox, etc. may limit navigation throughout
the site, as they may not display drop-down menus. It could also be due to either a pop-up blocking program or security related software that is installed on your computer. Please disable your pop-up blocking program and then retry using the drop-down menus or eyeglass icon. If disabling the pop-up block solved the problem, you will need to access the pop-up blocker program and allow the norcalmls.rapmls.com site as a trusted site. 

Q13:     How do I get tax information?

A13:     To search the tax records, click on TAX and select Tax Search from the drop-down menu. Tax
records for specific properties can be accessed by
clicking on the tax link icon (looks like a scroll) on
search results or listing displays.

Q14:     I search the same criteria over and over. Is there a way to save my search?

A14:     You can save an unlimited number of searches. To
save a search, select the type of search you wish to
use from the SEARCH drop-down menu. Fill in your
criteria. Before starting the search or after viewing the search, click on the plus sign (+) to open the Options Pane on the right side of the screen. Type a name for the search (up to 20 characters) in the Save as a Saved Search field and click the Save button. The next time you click on the SEARCH menu, click on Saved Searches in the drop-down menu and a pop-up window containing your Saved Searches will open for you to choose your search.

Q15:     I’m having trouble displaying reports. Why?

A15:     This could be due to a number of issues. If you're not using Internet Explorer you may have problems viewing reports. It could also be due to a conflict with a pop-up blocker. To view information on pop-up blockers, please click on the following link Pop-Up Blocker Info. If you continue to have problems, contact the Rapattoni Call Center.

Q16:     How do I include additional features in my
search criteria?

A16:     The Additional Criteria button displays on each of
the searches and lets you select amenities for your
search. (Please note that the Additional Criteria
option cannot be used when selecting more than one
property type.) First specify the basic criteria you
want for your search such as Property Type, Price,
Status, etc., and then click the Additional Criteria
tab if you wish to specify amenities.

Q17:     After conducting a search, why are some prices in black, some in red and some in green?

A17:     In search results prices in red indicate a price increase, prices in green indicate a price decrease,
and prices in black indicate there were no price
changes to the list price.

Q18:     On search results, why do some addresses
appear in different colors?

A18:     In search results, addresses in blue indicate listings be longing to your office. Addresses in brown,
indicate listings belonging to your company.

Q19:     Whenever my search results appear, I get too
little/too much information. How can I change the search results display?

A19:     You can change the format of your search results by
selecting another display format from the Display field above your search results. Click on the down arrow to view the choices in the drop-down menu, click on the format of your choice and then click GO.
You can also set Your Preferences to always display a specific format by clicking on ADMIN, select Your
Preferences from the drop-down menu. Next, click
on the Searching Defaults tab, and then choose
the Search Results Display Format you prefer
from the drop-down menu on the right (click on the
down arrow to display the full drop-down menu), and
then click Submit at the bottom of the page. Any
changes you make will take effect immediately.

Q20:     Can I print a roster for my county from
Rapattoni?

A20:     You can print a county roster by clicking on SEARCH and selecting Agents/Offices from the 
drop-down menu. When the Find Agents/Offices
screen appears, choose either Agent Search or
Office Search, and then enter the county of choice
in the Counties field and click Submit. To print out a roster, check the box in the upper right corner of the screen between the Phone field and the Exports button. By checking this box, it will include all  records in the print out (you can also check mark  each individual record if you so choose). Lastly, click on the Report button to format the roster into a “printer friendly” format. You can also narrow your roster down by including a city name if you want a roster for a specific city. (The roster can also be exported into an Excel spreadsheet.)

Q21:     What is the CART?

A21:     The Cart allows you to gather listings from different areas of the MLS into one location, so that you can run reports, create exports, send e-mails, etc. Listings can be added and removed from the Cart at any time. The system dynamically updates all listings in the Cart so the information is always
current. Listings will stay in the Cart indefinitely if the
Agent Preference – Empty Cart at Login is not selected.

Q22:     How do I set up my Hotsheet? Can I save more
than one?

A22:     You can set up a Hotsheet by clicking on the SEARCHES menu and selecting Hotsheet from the drop-down menu. Fill in your
criteria. Before starting the search or after viewing the search, click on the plus sign (+) to open the Options Pane on the right side of the screen. Type a name for the Hotsheet search (up to 20 characters) in the Save as a Saved Hotsheet field and click the Save button. The next time you click on the SEARCH menu, click on Saved Hotsheets in the drop-down menu and a pop-up window containing your Saved Hotsheet Searches will open for you to choose your search. Hotsheet searches can go back a maximum of 30 days. You can save an unlimited number of Hotsheet searches For more information on Saved Searches please view number 28.

Q23:     How do I e-mail a report to my client?

A23:     E-mailing a report to a client must be conducted through Rapattoni using the e-mail function. After
viewing your search results, select the listings you
wish to e-mail by checking the small box to the far
right of each listing. Next, click on the E-mail button
towards the upper left of the screen. Select the type
of report you wish to send from the Report Option
menu (click on the down arrow to view the various
reports available), and then click on Submit. Enter
the client’s e-mail address in the To field, and, if you
like, you can type a Subject and a Short Note,
and then click on Send E-mail.

Q24:     What is the difference between a PDF report
and an HTML report?

A24:     PDF (Portable Document Format) reports open in Adobe Acrobat Reader, ready to save or print. This is a standard procedure used on many Internet sites
for displaying documents. Almost all of the MLS
reports are available in HTML (Hyper Text Markup
Language) format and open directly in the browser
window. HTML reports generally load much more
quickly than the PDF reports. No other software is
required to view them but they cannot be saved. BAREIS recommends using the HTML reports because they are dynamic – they reflect the current
state of the listing. Whereas, a PDF report is static
and reflects the state of the listing at the time the
report was generated.

Q25:     How do I run a CMA report?

A25:     To run a CMA report, you must first find and select the listings you want to use for comparison in your
report. Choose a search from the Search drop-
down menu and enter your selection criteria (be
sure to select the appropriate statuses). Click Submit. In the search results, check the box to the
right of each listing you want to include on your report. Next, click the CMA button. Select one of the CMA report options from the drop-down menu list, click Submit. Follow the instructions. For further information, use the Featured Spotlights option from the Help drop-down menu and choose CMAs.

Q26:     I am entering a new listing but I do not have all of the information I need to complete it. How can I save it so I do not lose what I have entered?

A26:     Once you have entered the information that you have, click on the Save Listing as Incomplete and Exit button. Your listing will be given a Listing #.  You can retrieve and complete the listing by clicking on the LISTINGS button
and selecting Incomplete Listings from the drop-down menu. Highlight the correct listing and click Revise. After
all information has been entered correctly, click Submit.

Q27:     When entering a new listing, how do I auto-fill information from the tax data?

A27:     In order to auto-fill data from the tax records you must enter in a parcel number (APN) on the Enter New Listing screen. If you don’t know the APN, click Search County Records (the Enter New Listing screen), and then enter in the property address or owners name on the Search Tax Records Realist screen and then click on Submit. When the search is completed, the MLS Realist Auto pop screen will appear with the results. You can either click on the
APN, to verify that this is the correct property, or click on Select to populate the APN field and then click Next.

Q28:     What is an Incomplete Listing?

A28:     Incomplete Listings are listings that were only partially entered. They are not active in the MLS and cannot be
included in searches.

Q29:     What is an Unapproved Listing?

A29:     Unapproved listings are listings that have future on market dates. These listings cannot be viewed by agents or the public until it reaches the on market date.

Q30:     When I submitted a new listing why did it display message stating that the listing did not successfully
validate?

A30:     When entering a new listing, the Rapattoni system attempts to validate the address information against a national
address database in order to determine it geographic codes, which are needed in order to perform searches based on radius or map. If the address cannot be validated, the system displays the above message. Contact BAREIS
for further assistance.

Q31:     I am entering a new listing but when I try to submit it, I get an error message telling me that it’s a
duplicate. Why?

A31:     Duplicate listings are not allowed unless pre-approved by BAREIS staff. When entering a listing, the Rapattoni
system will search for duplicate listings and not allow a listing to be entered if it already exists in the database.
If you receive a duplicate error message when adding a new listing, it could be for several reasons. Contact BAREIS
staff for assistance

Q32:     How do I load photos onto Rapattoni?

A32:     Before uploading a photo, the listing must already be entered and saved on the MLS. The digitized photo to be
loaded must be saved on your computer or on a disk or CD. To upload a property photo:

                 1)  Click on LISTINGS and select View/Revise Your Listings from the drop-down menu and  then select  Upload.

                 2)   Click on the Revise Listing icon (note pad & pen) next to the Listing # and then click on Upload under the Pictures heading. Next, click on Browse to locate the photo file. Once you’ve located and selected the appropriate image file, the file name will then appear in the File name: field at the bottom of the dialog box. Click on Open, and then click on Upload Picture and it will display the photo to be loaded.

                 3)  Click OK to attach the picture.

Q33:     I’m having trouble loading my photo, why?

A33:     The photo file may be too large or not an acceptable file format. Photos must be in JPEG format. The maximum
size limitation for a photo is 3MB. The maximum width for property photos is 400 pixels wide and 300 pixels high.
The maximum width for an agent portrait is 200 pixels. If you receive an error message with the Error Code 0, it is
because the photo image is too large and needs to be reduced.

Q34:     How do I add a Virtual Media link to a listing?

A34:     From the LISTINGS drop-down menu, choose View/Revise Your Listings. All of your Active listings will display. Next to the desired listing number, click on the Revise Listing icon (note pad & pencil). On the Revise Listing screen, under the Listing Information heading, click on Virtual Media. On the Virtual Media screen select the Virtual Media Type from the drop-down menu and use the text field to enter the full URL - Internet address (http:// has already been entered for you), and then click on Submit.

Q35:     How do I put a listing on tour?

A35:     From the LISTINGS drop-down menu, choose View/Revise Your Listings. All of your active listings display. Next
to the desired listing number, click the Revise Listing icon (note pad & pen). On the Revise Listing screen, under
the Listing Information heading, click on Broker Tour Dates. Enter the appropriate Date and Time. You may also
enter comments (e.g. Drop your business card into the fish bowl to be eligible for a $100 raffle). When completed click on Submit.

Q36:     Where and when are Broker Tours held?

A36:     Each county, and in some cases, specific areas (of a county) have scheduled weekly tours and/or tour meetings. For information on the weekly tours click on this link Tour Info to go to the tour page on BAREIS.com and select the county of your choice. You can also access the tour schedule from Rapattoni >
LINKS > MLS Links > BAREIS Forms & Lists > Tour Information.

Q37:     How do I revise information on my listing?

A37:     To change information on a listing, from the Listings drop-down menu, choose View/Revise Your Listings. All of an agent’s Active listings will display. If you need to access listings that are not active, click on the down arrow under Status to display the drop-down menu and select the appropriate status and click Submit. When your listings appear, click on the Revise icon (notepad & pencil) next to the MLS number of the listing you wish to
revise. The Revise Listing menu displays many options for revising your listing:

To modify an information field (other than Price) – Choose Listing Information, modify the appropriate field, and then click Submit.