Shame on You!!  On Friday the property was shown as ACTIVE and available to purchase.  Before writing an offer, I called the agent who said it was in minutes of being sold.  Just a couple of initials.  On Saturday the property was STILL showing as ACTIVE.  On Sunday...still showing as ACTIVE.  I called and the female agent of the "team" said she had been away for four days and yes it was sold subject to inspection, and she would change the status in the computer.  Monday morning...STILL ACTIVE!!  Called agent and she was on her way into the office to change the status.

Some rules really should not be broken, and this is one of them.  An agent needs to change the status from ACTIVE to ACTIVE STI (subject to inspection) ASAP! after a contract is accepted.  While the rules give you 24 hours to do that, even 24 hours is too long.  Four days is just nasty.  Agents are showing the property.  Buyers are narrowing down their choices to that one house.  Lots of wasted time, effort and emotion only to find that the house was sold days ago.

Do I report the violation?  Not until the house closes.  Why?  Because if it falls out of escrow, as it did once before, my buyer client may be penalized for my actions of reporting the agent being in violation of the mls rule, if and when they get an opportunity to submit an offer.  There really is no excuse for an agent who lists property to not change the status fairly immediately.  If you don't know how to change the status, which takes about two seconds, you should be listing property.

Changing the status from STI to PENDING or from PENDING to SOLD is not as ultra important to be done ASAP as from ACTIVE to STI.  ACTIVE means agents are showing the property, and to cause agents and buyers to be wasting their time is just unconscionable IMNSHO.  Some days I'd like to start my own Hall of Shame.