Matrix Tip: Including or Excluding Values Using Special Characters

May 30, 2018 | Matrix, MLS®, Stats & Technology | 0 comments

Use two special characters in your Matrix searches to include or exclude listings!  The wildcard asterisk (*) or the exclamation mark (!) can help you make your searches more precise.

Include Values – Wildcard

When you include any free form text field (e.g. Street Name, Remarks, Seller Name, etc.) in your search, you can expand your search by using the wildcard asterisk * (shift 8). You can use the wildcard to search in the following ways:

*king: this will find items that end with “king” (e.g. Mackenzie King, Viking)

king*: this will find items that start with “king” (e.g. King William, Kingsway)

*king*: this will find any items that contain the word “king” (e.g. Rockingham)

You can also surround a phrase by a wildcard. For example, *backyard pond* would find any items that contain the words “backyard pond” together.

You can enter multiple values, separated with a comma.  This will return all listings that contain either value.

When you search streets, it can be beneficial to add a wildcard to the end of the street name if there is some ambiguity in how the street’s name is spelled. For example, Governor* would find both “Governors” and “Governor’s”.

You don’t have to the use a wildcard in your search, but using it produces results as broad or as precise as you desire.

Exclude Values – Exclamation Mark (!)

An exclamation mark (!) can be used in a free-form text field to exclude values.  If you enter an exclamation mark (!) before your search string, the search will return listings that do not contain that value.  Similar to the wildcard, you can exclude multiple strings by separating them with a comma.

For example, !main, !king will return listings where the street name does not contain either main or king

Where Can I Use These?

The wildcard asterisk (*) and exclamation mark (!) search tools can be used in any free-form text field, which are fields that are not pick lists or drop down menus.  Free form text fields include, but are not limited to:

• Remarks for Brokerages
• Remarks for Clients
• Street Name
• Inclusions
• Exclusions

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact the MLS® Department at 905.667.4650 or support@rahb.ca.

Removing or Cancelling a Showing in ShowingTime

May 16, 2018 | Matrix, MLS®, Stats & Technology | 0 comments

Are your buyers unable to make it to a scheduled showing? Or your sellers unable to show their home when a showing has been booked? Did you cancel the showing? Not only is it courteous to cancel a showing request if the appointment cannot be honoured, it’s also required according to RAHB’s Rules & Regulations:

“Section 8 – Selling Procedures

8.04 If a Member is unable to keep an appointment, the Member shall:

(i) where the appointment was made directly with the Listing Brokerage, advise the Listing Brokerage, or if direct contact with the Listing Brokerage is not possible, advise the Seller directly; or

(ii) where the appointment was made directly with Seller as permitted under these Rules, advise the Seller directly.”

If you’ve booked your showing request in ShowingTime, you can also cancel it in ShowingTime. Here’s how:

1. Log in to ShowingTime from the Tools menu in Matrix. As ShowingTime is an SSO (Single Sign-On) link, no additional login information will be required.

2. In ShowingTime, Click on the Showings button, located on the left-hand side of your screen.

3. a) To cancel a showing that you have requested on another member’s listing, click I Have Requested.

b) Alternately, to cancel a showing request on one of your listings, select On My Listings.

4. On the right-hand side of your screen, you will see a list of showings that have been requested. Click on View/Modify for the listing in question.

5. Click on Cancel Appt.

6. This will bring up a dialogue box in which you can provide a reason for cancelling, and any additional comments. This information will automatically be sent out to the listing salesperson via their preferred method of correspondence (SMS, email, phone).

The listing salesperson will receive the following message:

Please feel free to contact the RAHB MLS® Department if you have any questions – 905.667.4650 or support@rahb.ca.

Matrix tip: Searching for Main Floor Bedrooms and Bathrooms

May 16, 2018 | Matrix, MLS®, Stats & Technology | 0 comments

Many home buyers are looking for homes that have bedrooms and bathrooms on the main level, and Matrix makes it possible to search for those properties! You need only to make a simple addition to your search criteria.

Here is what you need to do….

1.  In your residential search criteria (go to Search > Residential), scroll down to the bottom of your screen. Click Add (beside Additional Fields).

If you have already added fields to your search criteria, this will look slightly different.

2.  Add Rooms Search to the available criteria. Highlight this field in the Available Fields box, and then click Add.  Rooms Search will now appear in the selected fields list.  Click Back to return to the search.

3. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen, and you will see the Rooms Search field (below the Additional Fields bar). Set Type to either Bedroom or Bathroom (depending on what you are searching for), and level to M (main floor).

This will search the rooms list for any room where the Type is Bedroom or Bathroom, and the level is M – main floor bedrooms and bathrooms!

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact the MLS® Department at 905.667.4650 or support@rahb.ca.