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2021 CENTURY 21 Gold POLICY AND PROCEDURE MANUAL MISSION STATEMENTOur Mission is to provide the ultimate client experience to every client, every transaction, every time. VISION STATEMENT Our Vision is to provide every agent the tools, services and support to help them provide that experience for the clients so that clients and agents achieve their real estate objectives. PREFACEEach of us has chosen our career for various reasons. Real Estate is a most rewarding choice on many levels. The gratification gained from satisfied clients many times matches the financial rewards. A career in Real Estate also offers you the opportunity to be paid in relation to your efforts, to be your own boss, to regulate your own working hours and to provide future security through personal investment.The most successful agents follow a plan to assure success. This plan includes a financial goal, time and task management, desire to learn the profession, a positive mental attitude and enthusiasm. Training is important. You should strive to learn all you can about our industry. With smart work, you will succeed. Your efforts, combined with knowledge, experience and the tools provided by CENTURY 21 Gold, can provide you with a rewarding lifestyle.The purpose of this manual is to set forth basic policies and procedures utilized by our company. As Independent Contractors, we require only that you adhere to the laws governing the practice of real estate in PA, when necessary the Orders of both the Governor of the State of PA and the Department of Health, the Code of Ethics of NAR, and the regulations set forth in the multiple listing services of which you are a member. We strongly encourage you to participate in all events arranged by the Company or through the Company to enhance your professionalism. Additions or corrections to this Policy and Procedure manual will be made technologically, and you are requested to update your copy so that it remains a living, current document. You may always request a written copy for your convenience. The owner of Century 21 Gold and its President is John M. Herman, Esq. The Managing Partner is Paul W. Ernst. The Broker of Record and Vice President is Gabrielle J. “Wink” Dietrich, the Controller is Kirk Wentzel, the Director of Training and Relocation is Teri Goodin, and the Growth Advisor is Bill Moser. These people are your Management Team. Agents may be referred from one party to another. The owner, broker, management and support staff are all here to help you. We maintain an open-door policy and will make ourselves available to you. We adhere to the policy of mutual respect. Any problems that arise during your affiliation with the Company should be brought to the attention of management so that your questions or concerns are handled in a timely manner.Our success as a Company depends on your success as an Agent, and we are dedicated to service to the clients and service to the Agents who make our company “Gold.” USE OF THE MANUALItems and procedures in this manual are in alphabetical order for convenience of all parties.ADVERTISINGAdvertising placed through the Company will be done in compliance with the rules of the RE Commission, the licensing laws of PA., and the requirements of our Century 21 franchise agreement.The policy of this Company is that all advertising shall be placed through the Marketing Administrator. Any repercussions from any advertisement placed by an agent other than through the Marketing Administrator will be the sole responsibility of the agent. Agents may, with written permission of the listing agent, advertise properties that are not their listing. When a prospect calls in on a sign, the receptionist will send it to Lead Router. If a call comes in and an agent’s name is mentioned, that call will go to that agent unconditionally. Agents are not to interfere with receptionists’ handling of ad calls. This policy applies to all advertising and marketing, regardless of the media utilized.AGENCYCompany adopts the written policy identifying and describing relationships in which licensees may engage in business with sellers, landlords, buyers or tenants, as set forth in the Consumer Notice.The company acts as a listing agent or as a buyer agent through written listing agreements or written buyer agency agreements or other written agreements for brokerage services with consumers. Agents cannot, by regulation, and will not be paid a commission without a written agreement with a client.In acting as a listing agent or buyer agent, the Company acts as an agent for the client as defined by the Statutes of Pennsylvania and per the duties and obligations of a licensee, agent of a seller, or agent of a buyer as specified by the Statues of Pennsylvania.The Company adopts the additional policy of appointing designated licensees as agents for the seller or buyer pursuant to the Statues of Pennsylvania. Therefore, our company practices designated agency, with only the licensee named and the Broker of Record representing the client. When a licensee is the designated agent of both the seller and the buyer, that agent shall be a dual agent and is required to comply with the provisions of the Statutes of Pennsylvania governing dual agents and the Company’s policy regarding dual agents. In situations where the buyer and seller in a transaction are both clients of Company, the Broker of Record is a dual agent. The Company does not practice sub-agency, nor does it encourage agents acting as Transaction Licensees, where the agent does not represent the consumer in any capacity. Agents are encouraged to review with a member of the Management Team the details of any situation in which a transaction licensee relationship is a possibility. Agents are required to use the Transaction Licensee Contract in these situations and must be a Transaction Licensee for both the Buyer and the Seller. Agents cannot represent one party and be a Transaction Licensee for the other. In these instances, the party not represented by the Agent would be an unrepresented consumer and Agent would use a Non-Representation Acknowledgment or a Broker Fee Agreement form. A minimum commission of $1,000 is required for transaction licensee transactions.Agents may not access any listing or sale file for which they are not the designated agent. Because of the confidentiality required in a fiduciary relationship, agents must respect the protected information of clients of the office. Agents shall not enter the files, or the personal desk space, of any support staff or agent in the company. Agents requiring any information from any file must request it from support staff; no information of any kind may be removed from the main office file. Agents may not remove any information from any other agent’s mailbox for any reason. No file may be removed from the office for any reason other than settlement. If agent is in possession of a company file in anticipation of settlement, and settlement is delayed for an extended period of time, file should be returned to the Settlement Department.When posting sales on the production boards, no sale price will be noted. A virtual production board is maintained on the office Message Board, and a copy is posted on the bulletin board in the office. AGENT OWNED COMPUTERS, CELL PHONE, ELECTRONIC DEVICESAgent owned devices are the sole responsibility of the agents. Company is not responsible for uploads, maintenance or repairs. Agent devices must be virus protected.AGENT OWNED PROPERTIES Agents are expected to list properties for sale if they own properties, including investment properties, but Company recognizes opportunities will present themselves to agents for purchase and sale of properties that will occur outside the Company. To qualify for the additional commission to agent benefit program for agent owned properties, Agent must be affiliated with Company for a minimum of one year. If agent buys or sells his or her personal residence, Agent’s commission split will be 75%, if agent has selected the accelerated commission split plan or the 70% commission plan. To qualify, Agent must have settled 7 units of business during a twelve-month look-back period. This increased percentage of commission split will be paid to Agent on one side of the transaction only.In all events, a minimum of $500 in company dollar is required for the transaction to be covered by company’s Errors and Omissions insurance.AGREEMENTS OF SALECompany will utilize the PAR standard form for agreements of sale. All documents necessary to complete the agreement of sale file will be found in the agreement of sale packet or by accessing the agreement of sale forms from the intra-office message board. In addition, the PAR agreement is available on Zip Forms. Agents are reminded that estimated closing costs must be signed by the Buyer and Seller PRIOR to signing the agreement of sale.No inspections or title searches will be ordered by Settlement Department without a signed copy of the Authorization of Certs and Title form.ALCOHOL/DRUGSWishing to support those individuals participating in a Recovery program for alcoholism or drug addiction, Company will support time off for affected individuals to attend meetings or other reparative therapy with the knowledge and encouragement of the Management Team. It should be clearly understood that use of alcohol or illegal drugs in the office or engaging in any real estate activity while under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs is strictly prohibited. Individuals violating this policy are subject to termination.ASSESSMENTSAgents may want to check information relative to assessments or recent appeals. To do so, agents may go to . On the right side of the page agents will see a drop- down box for departments-select “assessment.” Proceed to “parcel search.” It gives you 4 ways to find your property address. It will give you a detailed report on the property in questions. To print it, hit Ctrl P. This information is often more current than what agents might find in the Bright public records.ATTORNEY REPRESENTATIONAgents are reminded to include in the file the names of any attorneys representing either buyer or seller clients or customers. Agents may never give legal advice to a consumer or client, nor should an agent advise a client or customer not to seek legal counsel.If an attorney contacts an agent with a potential problem, please have the attorney contact the Broker. No documentation of any kind should be signed on behalf of the Company or the clients by agents. Any potential lawsuit should be brought to the immediate attention of the owner or the Broker of Record. In the event of a lawsuit that will be handled through our errors and omissions insurance carrier, counsel for the insurance company will handle our defense.AUCTIONSIn rare situations sellers may request an auction of their property. All auctioneers handle these situations differently, and agents in these situations should contact a member of the Management Team. With regard to internet auction sites, agents are required to be trained by the Director of Training with regard to the process for uploading agreements and proper documentation and compensation.AWARDSCompany will follow the guidelines from Century 21’s Masters’ Program for giving awards. In addition, Company may award yearly Company production awards, plus any additional production or service awards at its discretion.BILLING Controller is not permitted to alter policy or pay agents other than as is set forth in policy except as advised in writing by a member of the Management Team.? Bills will be emailed to agents on or about the 20th of each month. Agents are responsible for checking their email. Bills are due on the 5th of the following month. Bills are considered late on the 6th. Late fees, in accordance with each plan, are assessed on the 6th of each month. Agent bills may be deducted from any settlement after the bill is emailed, however, bills are expected to be paid before the 5th and should not specifically be held to be paid from settlements.Agents will also receive an invoice via email from on or around the 20th of each month. If an agent wishes to pay by credit card, they may click the link from within this email and pay by credit/debit card. Agents who use this function agree to have 3% of the amount they paid added to their next agent bill. The company will NO LONGER keep your credit card information on file or process your payments for you. Alternatively, agents may authorize the company to debit their bank account directly, also done of the 6th of the month before late fees are assessed. This service is free.? If an agent cannot pay their bill by the due date for any reason, they should contact management who will work with them to resolve the situation.BRIGHTAll properties are submitted to Bright unless opted out by the Seller in writing in the listing contract. An opt-out form required by Bright must be submitted, and agent must abide by all Bright rules in its Off MLS Policy. All information uploaded to Bright shall be accurate and verified. Agents shall not use prior information from an expired listing but shall obtain current information from the Seller at the time of listing. No discriminatory or leading remarks will be allowed in Bright submissions.Agents may search our office inventory. When logging onto Bright, go to the MLS tab, then under the Search function, choose Inventory. Required information is the Listing Category, Status and Dates, and then select our office from the look-up menu.License numbers for Agents and Company, for our office and the cooperating company if applicable, are required on all Agreements of Sale. The listing agent’s license number is in Bright, but to find the office number, you will have to go to the state website at pals. and search for the agent. Once you locate the agent’s license, you will see the license number for the brokerage. Agents may also refer to our Message Board where a list of office license numbers is maintained.BRIGHT Off-MLS Listing PolicyBright has issued a new rule for properties, including residential rentals and new construction, that are not put into the MLS. If a seller lists a property and does not want it in the MLS, the Seller must fill out and sign the Waiver of Broker Cooperation form. This form is for properties that will NOT be publicly marketed. Be advised that agents are listing properties, not putting them in the MLS, but then publicly marketing them. Bright now considers this a violation of their rules.As members of Bright, we are required to adhere to all their rules, one of which is the “1 business day” rule regarding public marketing of a property. The information in this policy is taken almost verbatim from Bright’s policy information. Advertising the property to a broad audience is considered public marketing, which requires the listing be entered in the MLS within one business day of that marketing. Public marketing is defined by Bight as flyers displayed in windows, yard signs, digital marketing on public facing websites, brokerage website displays (including IDX and VOW), digital communications marketing (email blasts), multi-brokerage listing sharing networks, and applications available to the general public. Based on this definition of public marketing, here is what is permitted: Office meetings or discussions within your brokerage One-on-one discussions with someone at a party A phone call with a fellow agent Here is what is NOT permitted: Multi-brokerage sharing networks, including private Facebook groups A sign or flyer with the purpose of marketing the property as For Sale or Coming Soon Sending postcards or blast emails to contacts advertising the property.Bright’s 1 business day rule only applies to residential properties – not to commercial, rental, multi-family, new construction, farm or land listings. AS a result of this rule, all listings MUST be entered into Bright within one (1) business day of public marketing. You can advertise your listing on social media and place your sign, but the listing needs to be entered into the MLS within one business day (Monday through Friday). Our sign policy at Gold has always been that no sign is placed on any property until the listing is turned into the front desk. This allows the office staff and agents of Gold to be aware of the property should any inquiry be made regarding the property as a result of the sign. Bright’s fines for violating this rule is very steep - $5,000 for residential properties and $500 for rentals. Agents who violate this Bright policy will have the opportunity to enter the listing, if they do not, they will be fined. Agents of Gold who are fined as a result of violation will be responsible for the fine; company assumes no financial responsibility in regard to assessment of a fine or fines by any agent. BUSINESSES, SALE OFAgents are permitted to sell a business for their Seller clients that is connected to the real estate property being sold. However, if the Seller has indicated that the business has value in excess of the value of the real estate but does not know the value of the business and requires assistance in establishing that value, agent may only assist Seller to establish value if Agent is competent to value the business. If Agent is not competent to establish value, Agent must advise Seller to seek professional assistance in establishing value. Agents are permitted to represent a Buyer Client in the purchase of a business that is connected to the real estate property being sold. However, if the value of the business is in excess of the value of the real estate being considered for purchase, and the Buyer does not know the value of the business and requires assistance in establishing that value, Agent may only assist Buyer to establish value if Agent is competent to value the business. If Agent is not competent to establish value, Agent must advise Buyer to seek professional assistance in establishing value.Our Errors and Omissions Insurance does not cover Agent’s participation in the sale or purchase by their clients of any business.BUSINESS PLANUpon affiliation with Company, Agent is offered the opportunity to create a Business Plan with Broker of Record. This is a service provided to Agent as an Independent Contractor.CAREER APPAREL/PERSON PROMOTION ITEMSAgents are encouraged to wear Century 21 career apparel. Marketing Administrator and IT can assist agents in ordering career apparel, business cards and items of personal promotion, but orders must be prepaid.CITY OF READING ORDINANCESZoning: When taking a listing in the city, proof of the property’s permitted use under the existing zoning is required.Certificate of Transfer: A Certificate of Transfer is required for all properties marketed for sale in the City of Reading, and a copy of this Certificate is given to all Buyers. Properties will only be marketed, including in Bright and in any offline marketing pieces, with the number of units reported in the Certificate of Transfer. Certificates of Transfer expire after 6 months and must be updated.Ordinances: Each agent receives a list of the applicable ordinances in the City of Reading, and it is the responsibility of the Agent to make sure their clients, both sellers and buyers, have a copy of the ordinance requirements.Water Meter Inspection: The listing agent for a property in the City of Reading is responsible to order a water meter inspection, and the owner of the property or Agent must be present for the inspection. Be aware of the city’s timeline requirements. If you sell a city property, it is prudent to check with the listing agent to make sure they ordered the water meter inspection. The title company will require it for settlement to occur.COPIES OF DOCUMENTSIt is permissible to email clients copies of documents they have signed as soon as reasonably possible after execution. Agents should keep a copy of their “Sent” email as proof of MISSION DISBURSEMENTAgents may arrange with the Controller to have payments of commission directly deposited to their accounts. Payments will be posted one business day after the settlement has occurred and should be in the Agent’s account within two (2) business days. COMPLAINTS TO CENTURY 21Clients and consumers may file Complaints against Company or a specific Agent through the Century 21 website. These Complaints come directly to the Broker who must respond in a timely fashion. Agents will cooperate with Broker to obtain all the information necessary for a timely and adequate response. COMPUTER USAGE AGREEMENT -Office computers shall be used for office business only. Agents shall refer to the Pornography section of this Policy & Procedure Manual. CREDIT REPORTSThe company does not pull credit reports for sellers or buyers; however, property managers pull credit reports for prospective tenants but only through the AppFolio property management software system. The disbursement and discussion of credit information is governed by Federal law. If an Agent is not familiar with the specifics of the law, consult the Controller.DASHBOARD AGREEMENT PROCESSThere are certain situations that require submission of offers through a Dashboard Platform. Director of Training offers specific courses on how to submit offers on dashboard sites. Agents are encouraged to attend these training sessions. Director of Training is available to assist with questions regarding dashboard submission of agreements. Handling the submission and handling of all requirements of the dashboard process is the sole responsibility of the Agent.DEEDS:When utilizing the deed search online (co.berks.pa.us/recorder) agents can see the deed for the property in question and can see the recorded mortgages. However, agents will not be able to tell if the mortgages are satisfied or not (at least not in all cases). There is a charge to print deeds from this site. Agents are responsible to provide a copy of the deed when listing a property which should be handed in with the listing file, and agents are responsible to provide a copy of the deed when handing in an agreement of sale file. Wyomissing Abstract can provide a copy of deeds to Agents upon request. Agents can also request a copy of the deed from the title company with which they usually do business. Agents can also request a copy of the deed be ordered by the Listing Administrator for listings or by the Settlement Department for agreements.DEPOSIT MONEYEarnest money deposits are required to be deposited to the Company escrow account within one business day of the receipt of the deposit.Earnest money deposit checks dated within thirty (30) days of the settlement date on the agreement of sale must be a certified check or a cashier’s check (as stated in the agreement of sale).If deposit monies are to be placed into an interest-bearing account, it must be so stated in the agreement of sale, together with to whom the interest will be credited at settlement. A W-9 form is necessary to put money into an interest-bearing account. The Patriot Act also requires the Date of Birth for all persons named on the account.Deposit funds for agreements are processed as follows: Escrow deposits are only handed in to Settlement Department for agreements on our Company listings. Deposits for other company’s listings will be forwarded by the Agent to those companies as per the conditions on the agreement of sale. Escrow deposit checks, and a photocopy of it, are only handed in to the Settlement Department, with a fully executed agreement of sale and a complete agreement file. They are never handed in for “safekeeping” prior to the file being submitted, and they are never given directly to the Controller. Customer and/or clients should be advised that escrow deposits will be processed through the escrow account within the required one-day period; therefore, funds must be readily available. Customers and/or clients should also be advised that their check may be converted into an electronic transaction.DESK POLICY Agents of Company may elect to be assigned a desk. No Agent may select and occupy a desk during any period in which they pay no monthly services fee unless waived by management. Company has complete discretion as to if Agent may retain use of a desk. Agents, both single and dual career, who do not have an assigned desk may work from the hotel stations in the building. No personal belongings of any Agent may be left in these areas. Under no circumstances may Agents work from the computer of any support staff or management person. The computers in the Director of Training’s office are for training purposes. They are not part of the hotel desk space available to agents.Agents should not move from their assigned desk space without prior approval of the Broker.Costs incurred for desk space will be set forth in the Commission Plan selected by each Agent.DO NOT CALLA Do Not Call check point is located on the Agent Message Board. Agents are required to comply with the law regarding Do Not Call. This site allows agents to check any phone number to ascertain their ability to contact consumers by phone.DOT DISTRIBUTION Dot distribution is a system for Agent production awareness of new business written, calculated as follows:1 dot for a listing (no dot under 90 days)1 dot for a listing sold1 dot for each fully executed agreement of sale1 dot for each transaction sale signed by both parties1 blue dot for a buyer agency contract, exclusive or non-exclusive. Buyer agency contracts must be turned in within three (3) days of execution of an agreement of sale to qualify.All dots will be tallied each month to determine the Top 21% of the agents of the company. Blue dots will not be considered with determining the Top Producer for each month. In determining the Top 21, however, blue dots will be considered.Agents will be given only one (1) blue dot for a buyer agency contract to prevent a duplication of dots when a buyer agency contract is handed into the Settlement Department prior to handing in an agreement of sale file.Dot Report can be viewed on the Message Board or on the print-out of the virtual dot report hanging on the bulletin board.DRESS CODEIt is the philosophy of the Company that Agents should dress in a professional, business manner. Agents may wear acceptable Business Casual attire when dealing with customers and/or clients. Agents may wear appropriate casual attire in the office when no interaction with customers and/or clients is anticipated. Agents not dressed appropriately, however, will not be given walk- in customers.DROP BOXThere is an after-hours drop box at the front of the office building which may be utilized for anything, including rent payments for the Property Management Division, which clients or co-op agent might deliver to the office after normal business hours.ELECTRONIC LOCK BOX KEYS There is no electronic “office” lock box key available to Agents for any associations which require one for access to listings. Agents who would like their own electronic lock box key should obtain an application from IT. Showings for properties listed in the counties that utilize electronic lock boxes must be made by calling the showing number in the MLS information; they cannot be scheduled electronically.Agents who desire to predominantly work in areas that are not serviced by Bright should consider joining the MLS that services these areas (for example, Lehigh County). Any listing submitted to these MLS systems must be put into the Broker’s name, and the Marketing Administrator cannot handle automatic searches for Agent’s clients in these MLS areas. EMAILAgents will be assigned a personal, Company email address. Agents are encouraged to check email frequently throughout the day. Leads, showings, etc., will be sent to the Company emails, as well as customer and client requests, etc. Company email will not be forwarded to personal email addresses. Agents are required to conduct business through the Century 21 Gold email address. It is important to read any email from any member of the Management Team as soon as possible. Most information in these emails is time sensitive, protocol or policy related or regarding a transaction in which the Agent is involved.ERRORS AND OMISSIONS INSURANCECompany maintains Errors and Omissions Insurance, and Agents are covered under this Policy, a copy of which can be obtained from Controller at Agent’s request. Agent’s choice of Commission Plan will determine whether any cost for coverage is incurred by Agent. Our policy contains a deductible of $5,000 per instance, and the cost of the deductible will be split with the Agent based on the Agent commission split with Company.If any agent engages in illegal or unethical behavior or any type of criminal behavior that errors and omissions insurance will not cover, Agent will pay 100% of the cost to defend and 100% of any judgment awarded from such illegal activity. Agent will be subject to termination.Any claim or potential claim must be reported by Broker to our insurance carrier immediately, and any such possibility must be reported to Broker.ESCROW AGREEMENTIf Agent requires an Escrow Agreement at settlement, Agent shall use the PAR Escrow Agreement available on Zip form. In emergency situations, Agent may call the office to request a PAR Escrow Agreement be emailed to the title company. Agent shall have a member of the Management Team review the language of the Escrow Agreement if the funds are to be held by Company. ESTIMATED CLOSING COSTSPA law requires that buyers and sellers receive an estimate of closing costs prior to the signing of the Agreement of Sale. This estimate must be dated and signed by the client and must be dated prior to or on the same day as the agreement of sale, and a written copy must be retained in the file on the transaction. Any substantial changes to this estimate during the transaction or negotiation must be dated and initialed to reflect the pany acknowledges that lenders provide estimated closing costs to buyers; however, Company requires Agent to provide closing costs that are signed by the clients, dated prior to the agreement and retained in the file. Lenders do not always include all the cost of conveyance in their estimates. Agents are responsible to be sure that complete charges are reflected on the lender estimate of closing costs in the event that cost sheet is used.ETHICSThe Code of Ethics of the National Association of Realtors will be the cornerstone of ethical standards for Agents of Company.Agents may not write Installment Land Contracts or Installment Sales Agreements, as this constitutes the illegal practice of law per the attorneys for PAR. Agents should review any transaction with Management in which an ILC or ISA will be utilized prior to writing an agreement of sale utilizing this purchasing option. An attorney must prepare the Installment Sales Agreement, and clients must consult their tax accountant regarding tax ramifications before entering into a contract of this nature.Agents are reminded that the Code of Ethics requires all contracts be kept current, and this is the sole responsibility of the Agent.EXPIRED LISTINGSThe Marketing Administrator will contact Agent as to the disposition of these listings prior to expiration. Expired listings reflected in the daily Bright hot sheet may be pursued by any agent, regardless of the listing office. Company requires a courtesy call within 48 hours of the expiration date to the original listing agent if that agent was a Century 21 Gold agent. The Code of Ethics prevails in regard to discussion of any agent’s prior involvement with any client or customer.FHA AND VA MORTGAGESIn utilizing FHA and VA mortgages, Agents are required to be informed as to the viability of these programs both for the properties they have listed, the buyers they represent and their ability to qualify for them. FACILITIYIt is important for each agent to understand that the facility is for everyone’s use. Should agent have customers or clients that leave coffee cups, soda cans, etc. in a room, agent is responsible for leaving the room in the proper condition. The office must always remain a professional environment in which to conduct pany will comply with any protocol required by Order of the Governor of PA or the Department of Health, for any circumstance whatsoever with regard to the facility and admittance to the building by any person. No vendor information is permitted in the lobby.No chairs, signs, boxes or filing cabinets may be placed in the aisles in any part of the general agent or top producer areas of the office.Smoking is permitted only in the designated exterior areas of the office. Nothing may be discarded in the parking lot.Agents shall use designated areas in the buildings for breaks and meals. Agents are expected to keep these areas clean, discard debris and return all food items to proper storage areas, such as cabinets or refrigerators. No food items or beverages shall be consumed at the Company computers or hotel station areas.The general work areas are for agents. Vendors of any kind are expected to remain in the receptionist area. Agents are to meet clients in conference rooms, not at their desks. Agents are not permitted to use conference or training rooms as their personal work areas.Kitchen refrigerator is for the convenience of Agents. Only one day’s supply of food should be stored in the refrigerator at a time, in order to provide space for utilization of the refrigerator by all Agents and Staff of Company. Agents may not take telephone calls or work in the kitchen area.Agents may not work in the conference rooms.Agents may not congregate in the reception area.Agents may not use speaker phone capabilities to the detriment of other agents’ ability to work undisturbed. Agents should respect others in the building by keeping their voices, their language and their conversations appropriate to a business environment.Family members, including children, of agents are welcome in the building unless restricted for Company to maintain compliance with Orders of the Gov of the State of PA or Department of Health; however, children and family members must remain with the agent at all times. Children causing any disturbance will have to be removed from the facility if their behavior interferes with the quiet enjoyment and professional atmosphere of the facility. Pets are prohibited from the office with the exception of the pets of the owner. FEESFees incurred by agents depend on the Commission Plan selected by each agent.FILES:In order to comply with the requirements of law, and in order to adhere to our fiduciary responsibility to our clients, required documents and information shall be supplied.A Phase Sheet must be completely filled in when files are handed in to enable the support staff to facilitate the files properly. Broker of Record, through the Zip deficiency report, will be advised of documents missing from files at the time files are handed in. Agents are required to check their own Transaction file in Zip and correct any deficiency on the checklist prior to the expiration of a contingency and/or prior to settlement. Agents who desire to keep their own files are reminded that all pertinent information, including but not limited to, contracts, addendum, emails, and memos, must be turned in to the appropriate administrator or staff.Settlement Department will prepare the file for settlement. Once the file has been prepared and is given to the Agent, if any changes occur to the transaction that affect the fees submitted to the title company by the Settlement Department, Agent must notify the title company handling the settlement and the Settlement Department about the changes in order for the Controller to receive the funds expected and for the clients to be properly charged on the CD at settlement. All amounts charged or received at Settlement must coincide with the amounts on the Fee Sheet attached to the settlement file and to be returned to Controller in the colored folder.Any missing document, as indicated on the deficiency report as required, must be in the post-settlement file before Agent commission checks will be issued. Any waiver of these requirements can only be approved by a member of the Management Team.Post settlement files will be scanned and stored for the required three (3) year period per the PA Real Estate Commission. The paper file on the transaction will be kept for a minimum of two (2) years.FINE HOMES AND ESTATESA property must be $500,000 to quality as a Fine Homes and Estates property. Agents may request application for this designation, and approval is determined by the Broker. Agents must qualify for this designation based on prior production.FORMS REQUIRED BY LAWIn the practice of real estate in PA, certain forms are required by law. Inspectors from the PA RE Commission are permitted four random inspections per year to ascertain that these documents are in each file. To protect the Company and Agents, Company will enforce this requirement.Consumer Notices are to be signed by consumers and Agents at the Initial Interview.Buyer Agency Agreements are to be signed by consumers to establish the relationship of agent to consumers at the initial interview Listing contracts are required to be signed by all parties in title. Listings will not be processed until all parties in title have signed. Listing cannot be processed until fully executed. Estimated closing costs, signed by the Sellers, are required at the time the listing contract is signed.Estimated closing costs are to be signed by both buyer and seller prior to the signing of the Agreement of Sale. There are no exceptions to this.Lead Based Paint forms, signed by buyer, seller and agents, when dealing with properties built prior to 1978, are required. Only the proper line on the form with regard to reports is to be initialed. Agents are reminded that this is a Federal law and no clients are exempt. Agents will not be paid commissions on settled transactions until all forms required by law are in the files post- closing, properly executed by all parties.FORMS REQUIRED BY COMPANY POLICYBest Practices requires certain forms as a matter of company policy. These forms will be included in the Deficiency Report, but in the event they are not returned with the file post-settlement, Broker has the discretion to waive the form requirement, but only with a memo to the file and with the understanding that agent has the sole responsibility for any issues that may arise. FRONT DESK AND RECEPTION AREAAgents may not take personal phone calls or use the reception area to conduct business of any kind.Agents and personal assistants are not permitted behind the front desk for any reason whatsoever. Agents are advised that no disruption of the receptionists’ work or time will be tolerated.Agents are reminded that any conversations in the proximity of the front desk and reception area can be heard by anyone in that area, so proper business protocol is required. Management will address this with Agent if this policy is not respected.Agents are restricted from using the computers in the front desk area.HOME IMPROVEMENT CONSUMER PROTECTION LAWThis law requires all home remodeling contractors be registered as of 7/1/2009 with the PA Attorney General’s office. Agents may not refer any unregistered contractors to clients and/or customers. Contractors should be able to produce their HIC#. Office will not incur any responsibility or liability under any circumstances for work done or payment to any contractors referred by Agents of Company.HONESTYIt is the explicit policy of the company that agents and support staff handle others with honesty and integrity. Agents are aware that fairness is due only to the client, but honesty is due to all parties in the transaction. Please refer to the requirement of agents to disclose material defects in listing contracts and agreements of sale.IN-OFFICE COMMISSION SPLITSWhenever a seller or buyer is working with more than one Agent, Agents must agree in writing as to how the commission is split. No agent has the unilateral right to alter this form once it is signed by the agents splitting the commission.In case of conflicts, Management will help in dispute resolution. Agents shall not make agreements with persons outside the office except through the referral system or with prior endorsement of Management. Agency and fiduciary responsibility will be strictly respected. Agents may not talk with the client of another agent, as required by the licensing laws of PA. In the event an Agent receives a call, however inadvertently, from the disgruntled client of another Agent, that Agent shall not discuss the complaint with the client but shall immediately refer the matter to a Member of the Management Team. INVESTMENT PROPERTIESAll listing or sales of investment properties should have a current APOD (Annual Property Operating Data) sheet plus the signed copy by the seller verifying the accuracy of the income and expense figures.JOB DESCRIPTIONS and TASK RESPONSIBILITIESA copy of the Task Responsibility Report will be given to Agent during their initial orientation conference with Company.Agents will be advised of any changes to the task responsibilities.LEAD ROUTER Market Leader is similar to Zillow in that it is a lead generator. Market Leader sends leads to the company via Lead Router. Company will use Lead Router/Zap to disperse leads to Agents and reaches Agents by phone. Leads that come into the office on specific properties will be placed into Lead Router by the receptionist and be directed to the listing agent who has 5 minutes to accept the lead. If listing agent does not accept the lead in the time frame, the lead will route to the next available agent taking that zip code and price range. Lead Router training through Century 21 is necessary in order to be entered into this system. Lead Router will be administered by the Director of Training. LISTINGSWhen handing in listings, Agents are advised that staff may not fill in the Bright information sheet for Agents. No listings will be submitted to Bright or any MLS system without pictures; no exceptions unless approved by Management.Listings may be submitted in any category appropriate to the listing, but must be submitted in the category in which the listing actually falls (example multi-unit properties).The listing packet contains both the pre-printed listing agreement and the PAR listing contract. They are both put into the packet for the convenience of Agents to use the contract with which they are most comfortable. However, only use one. Under no circumstances have your clients fill out both.The listing packet will contain the Lead Based Paint disclosure form (LPD). If your listing was built prior to 1978, the seller should fill this form out at the time of the listing. This form will be uploaded to Bright, along with the SPD, at the time of the listing. The minimum protection period in the listing contract is 180 days. Agents will be advised of new Company listings through the Bright hot sheet. During the term of the listing, if a substantial price reduction is given, Agents should have the original estimated closing cost changed, dated and initialed. If during the term of the listing changes are made to the property, Agents should have the original SPD amended, dated and initialed. The Listing Administrator will have staff upload the amended SPD to the proper sites. Listings must be submitted to Bright within three (3) days of the date signed or the effective date.Agents are advised that Bright does not permit (nor does the Code of Ethics) Agents to use any information, including pictures, from another agent’s expired listing. All information must be obtained by the listing Agent. In addition, all pictures must be current pictures of the property showing the condition of the property at the time of the listing. Changes in appearance or condition of the property require new pictures.If Agent’s listing expires, Agent has only 7 days after expiration for a listing to be “extended.” After that, Agent must do a whole new listing agreement. The listing cannot be put back on the market after that period of time unless a new listing contract is fully executed.Changes to the listings are to be handled using the Change to Listing Contract form from PAR. LOCK BOXES AND SIGNSCompany has a sign technician who will install and remove signs from listings within our target area. When a listing is turned in by an Agent on the accelerated commission menu only, Company will arrange for a sign to be placed on the property. When the property is sold, the Marketing Administrator will arrange to have the sign removed. Agents should return lockboxes after settlement; otherwise agent will be charged for the cost of the lockbox. If the listed property is expired or withdrawn, the Marketing Administrator will arrange to have the sign and lockbox removed. If a sign is missing from a property, Agent will be charged for the sign. If a lockbox is missing, Agent will be charged for the lockbox.Gold posts and frame signs will be purchased by Company or by Agent, depending on the commission menu selected by Agent. If for any reason Agent transfers a lockbox from one property to another, it must be registered with the Marketing Administrator. The Marketing Administrator will monitor and register when lockboxes are taken and returned.Each lockbox will be individually coded at the time of the listing. The combination will be given only to the Showing Center.Lockboxes may be signed out with the Front Desk at the time of the listing appointment, but Agent shall advise the Front Desk when the lockbox is in use for that listed property.It is Agent’s responsibility to report any status changes to the support staff immediately so that the support staff may institute the appropriate procedures, including the removal of a sign if necessary. Agents will be charged for any lost signs. Any problems with signs being altered, stolen or misplaced by the consumer must be reported immediately to Management.When an Agent leaves the Company, all lockboxes issued but not returned will be billed to the Agent’s final invoice unless it is on an active listing which remains with the Company.Agents will be contacted weekly in regard to sign removal by the Listing Administrator for any listings that are expiring or properties that are settling. Agents are advised to stay current on their listing expirations so that delays in extending listings do not occur. Agents are required to advise Settlement Departments of any settlement date changes.MLS SYSTEMS OTHER THAN BRIGHT:Company can place listings from Berks County in MLS systems other than Bright if the individual listing agent does not belong to these MLS systems, but they will be in the name of the Broker of Record. These listing will be submitted only to the MLS which services the county adjacent to the county in which the listing is located. There is, however, no requirement to put listings in an MLS other than Bright. Agents who work predominantly in a geographic area that is covered by an MLS system other than Bright are strongly encouraged to personally join that MLS system in addition to Bright.Even though a link exists to schedule showings electronically, it is the Company policy that Agents are NOT permitted to set up any electronic showings in these MLS systems. Agents must call the showing appointment phone number for that listing to set up showings, and the showings can be set up in the agent’s name. Lehigh County (LVAR) – Agents must be in the Gold office building to be logged into the MLS by a staff administrator. Agents cannot schedule showings electronically; they must call in, but the showing can be scheduled in the agent’s own name. MAIL All flyers, mailers, postcards, etc. should be approved by the Marketing pany will pay for the first promotional mailing for new agents as approved by Management. Company will not pay for personal individual letters sent to customers or clients, personal letters, flyers, personal promotional material and/or mass mailing or bulk mail.In regard to incoming mail, Company recognizes that Agents may have confidential mail arrive for them, and Company will make every effort not to interfere with this confidential mail. Any mail appearing to be of an urgent nature will be opened by Company at its discretion. Agents will be advised of any mailed opened by Company.Outgoing mail shall have at least one of the following: The proper amount of postage affixed to the package; the sender’s name included in the return address; and the sender’s initials at the top right- hand corner of the envelope. Mail submitted for processing with a sender’s name provided and no postage attached will be charged to the appropriate agent’s monthly invoice. Mail submitted without sender’s name will be held until that information is forthcoming.Settlement letters will be mailed at Company’s expense.MARKETINGCentury 21 franchise compliance issues will be adhered to, as will Real Estate Commission compliance issues.Offline collateral marketing material should contain the phrase “Don’t forget to visit our (or your personal) website for all active listings.” Company is not responsible financially for any personal promotion or advertising done by Agents.Drones may be used only by registered commercial photographers, properly pany has high quality resolution color printers. Postcards, newsletters, property highlight sheets and other promotional materials can be available through the Marketing Administrator. Costs for these items will depend on the Commission Plan selected by each Agent. Requests for marketing pieces may be made in person, by telephone or by email; however, a telephone order needs to be followed by a request by email or in writing.MENTORING Mentoring is the responsibility of the Managing Partner. It is most beneficial for Agents to have completed their Initial Training before entering the Mentoring Group. However, in the event Agents’ schedules delay the completion of Initial Training, Agents may participate in the Mentoring Group during the Initial Training period.Agents may remain in the mentoring process at their discretion.MINIMUM LISTING COMMISSIONSAll listings are company listings, not individual agent’s listings. All listing commissions are negotiable; however, Company has the option to not accept a listing once it is turned into the Company. Listings that do not meet Company guidelines may not meet minimum advertising/marketing policy guidelines.Our Company policy is 6% for residential listings and 10% for commercial listings, and a minimum commission of $4,000 for properties that, even if taken at the percentages in this paragraph, would result in a commission below $4,000. For a $4,000 minimum commission, the co-op offered to the selling agent shall be not less than $1,700. The minimum commission for properties between $60,000 and $500,000 is 6%. Above $500,000 the minimum commission is 5%. Any change in commission which results from negotiation of an Agreement of Sale or any BRI must be reported to Settlement Department, including commissions being paid on net after seller assist. Cooperating Broker Agreements are the required form.NEW CONSTRUCTIONTo calculate taxes on new construction, multiply the sale price by the Common Level Ratio. Using that valuation, calculate the taxes using the millage for the municipality in which the new construction is located. The current common level ratio can be found at steb.state.pa.us/. However, the assessors compare comparable properties when setting assessed values and may assess accordingly.The implied warranty of habitability applies only to the original owner. NOTICEAgents will periodically receive emails, text messages or Workplace videos providing information relative to Real Estate Commission, State of PA., Department of Health, NAR, PAR or RBAR, Code of Ethics or Company policy. These notices become part of policy and agents are expected to adhere to the policy in the Notice. Noncompliance becomes the total responsibility of Agent, and Company is indemnified and held harmless from any noncompliance by Agent.OPEN HOUSE ADVERTISINGOpen houses, during the pandemic, will be subject to compliance with any Order of the Gov of PA or the Department of Health.When appropriate, open Houses will be marketed in Bright and online. The deadline for open house marketing is Monday at noon unless specifically advised by the Marketing Administrator of an early deadline. Open houses are automatically pulled from Dash for . Agents are advised that Open Houses given to the Marketing Administrator passed deadlines are not guaranteed to appear in marketing media. The picture of the Agent hosting the open house will appear in any marketing material. However, if the host agent does not elect to have their picture appear in marketing, the listing agent’s picture will appear. If the listing agent does not elect to have their picture appear, no picture will appear.Agents who are on either 100% Commission Plan will be billed for open house marketing if a cost is incurred, regardless of who hosts the open house. Agents should schedule their open houses by utilizing the open house scheduling tab on the message board. Agents available to do open houses can offer open house help to listing agents or listing agents can request help through that same message board.Print advertising is now rare, but Agents who place open house ads other than in company approved marketing media will be billed per their Commission Plan.OPEN HOUSE GUIDELINESHSA and Protocol will be determined by the Seller but can never be less stringent than required protocol of the Gov of PA and the Department of pany will follow the guidelines established by the Reading-Berks Association of Realtors as follows: Immediately upon entering each open house, the customer must record the date, their name, and the name of the REALTOR with whom they are working. This customer “protection” will not supersede any claims the listing office may already have regarding this particular customer. The customer will be honored by the listing REALTOR as the customer of the referring REALTOR. These open house guidelines shall not be the only determination of procuring cause.OPEN HOUSE SIGNSCompany does not provide open house signs for agents. Agents who desire to do open houses may purchase open house signs from the Company; signs will be kept on hand for agent purchase. Open house signs may be purchased through any of the preferred vendors of Company through the IT. Agent holding the open house, not the listing agent, is responsible for placing the open house sign on the property and removing it once the open house is complete.PARKINGAgents may park anywhere in the parking lot of the building; however, no one may double park in front of any building entrances with the exception of loading or unloading their car or to assist disabled passengers.PERSONAL ASSISTANTSPersonal Assistants will be employees of Company, and Company is willing to pay assistants with Agents responsible to reimburse Company for 100% of the costs of payroll for the assistants, including payroll taxes. This expense will be added to the monthly company invoice of the Agent for whom the Personal Assistant works.PETTY CASHA small petty cash fund will be kept by the Broker of Record. Agents who have a minor cost that they feel should be reimbursed by Company may request reimbursement through the Broker of Record.PHASE SHEETListing files and Agreement of sale files require a Phase Sheet with all pertinent information, including due dates for contingencies, filled in and all contact information supplied. If the Buyer or Seller is a Zillow lead from company generated Zillow lead programs, Agents are required to mark the phase sheet accordingly. If Zillow information is missing from the Phase Sheet, Agent will be contacted directly by the Settlement Administrator to ascertain if the client is a Zillow lead.If the listing is exempt from the additional commission charged to the Seller, the phase sheet should be marked accordingly. Examples of exempt listings are Bank-owned properties, short-sales and properties that are sold using a VA mortgage for the Buyer.PORNOGRAPHY – Company has a Zero Tolerance policy regarding any pornography being viewed or downloaded on any office computer or any agent computer used for any business purpose associated with Company. PRE-SETTLEMENT INSPECTIONThe Agreement of Sale allows for a buyer to make two pre-settlement inspections. Agents are encouraged to facilitate these pre-settlement inspections and attend them. Agents are advised that pre-settlement inspections should be done in sufficient time to allow for negotiation if any problems arise at the pre-settlement inspection. The pre-settlement walkthrough report (PSW) is to be used by agents, and a fully executed copy of this form is required to be handed in with the settlement folder for post-settlement review.Mediation is part of the Agreement of Sale and any problems post-settlement will be addressed according to the mediation procedure outlined in the agreement unless Mediation is waived.PROMOTIONAL SUPPLIESOn occasion some promotional supplies may be available for purchase by Agent directly from the Company, but in most instances must be ordered through the IT and must be prepaid.PROPERTY MANAGEMENT DIVISION Agents are advised that company has a Property Management Division. Agents who refer clients to Property Management are required to use a Property Management Agent active in that Division. Agents are advised that, because of the interaction of the Property Manager with the Landlord client, Landlords may utilize the Property Manager for real estate purchases or sales for future business. Property Manager is required to pay a 25% referral to the agent who referred the property into the Property Management Division originally for any property sold by a Property Manager or listed by a Property Manager as a result of these referrals. Property Managers may not initiate the relationship with the Landlord relative to listings and sales. If an Agent who is not a member of the Property Management Division refers a Landlord client to the Property Management Division and a Property Management Agreement is executed between company and Landlord, the referring agent will receive a 2% management referral commission for the first 24 months of the management contract. This commission is only paid on the Property Management side; no commission is paid on the rental side of the management contract.As a point of clarification, Agents of company may list properties for rent and rent properties to tenants, represented or unrepresented, as part of their normal course of doing business, and this function of the practice of real estate is not required to be submitted to the Property Management Division.READING BERKS ASSOCIATION OF REALTORSCompany is a Realtor company, and all Agents are encouraged to join the Reading Berks Association of Realtors or the association of the county in which they do the majority of their real estate business. The by-laws of RBAR require company to notify RBAR within 10 days of an agent being licensed with the Company. Agent will be required to make application to the Association immediately upon joining the company and are responsible for their application fee to RBAR and PAR, unless provided otherwise in their selected commission plan. Agents who elect to remain non-member salespersons are expected to adhere to the Code of Ethics based on the responsibility of Broker of Record for their actions. There is a non-member salesperson fee equal to one full year of RBAR dues for agents who remain non-members, and this fee, which is not prorated, is an RBAR fee, not a company fee.TRULIA/ZILLOW – Bright pushes our listings to , Zillow and Trulia. Any leads from , Trulia or Zillow that come to Company are referred to the listing agent. RECRUITINGCompany encourages Agents to actively recruit other agents who might be an asset to our Company. Company will reward an Agent who recruits another agent to our company, whether it is a new agent or an experienced agent. Company will pay the recruiting Agent $100 from the company’s side of the first 15 eligible sales that the recruited Agent closes for the company. To be eligible, the transaction must result in a minimum commission to the Company of $1,700. To be eligible for this program, the recruiting agent must have notified Management about their role in the recruiting of this agent, and the recruited agent must verify that the recruiting Agent encouraged them and played an active role in their decision to become an agent with our company.RELOCATION/REFERRAL/REASSIGNMENT– Company has a Relocation Director to provide expert services to both incoming and outgoing clients. The Relocation Director will supervise the incoming and outgoing referral clients from all sources, however, all reports and requirements of the companies providing Company with relocation clients will be the responsibility of the Agent. Relocation Director will determine which Agent will be assigned to each referral. In the absence of the Relocation Director, Agent shall contact the Broker of Record. All referrals assigned to Agents from the Relocation Director will be at a 60/40 split regardless of the commission split program selected by the Agent. Relocation Director reserves the right to remove any Agent from the listing or sale of a Relocation property to which they have been assigned if Agent does not comply with the requirements of the Client.In the event Company must reassign a listing or agreement of sale to a new Agent, Agent accepting the referral will pay a 25% referral to Company. The remaining 75% of the commission will be paid to the Agent at their current split. Agents involved in outgoing referrals should remain in contact with the client they referred.A copy of all referral agreements must be given to the Settlement Administrator to be included in the settlement folder.RENTAL COMMISSIONSCommissions paid on rentals, whether as a listing agent or as a buyer agent, whether the property is in the property management division or under an Exclusive Right to Rent listing contract, or as the coop Agent in a rental transaction, will be paid at a 50/50 split regardless of the commission split program selected by the Agent.SELLER’S PROPERTY DISCLOSURE STATEMENTA Seller’s Property Disclosure Statement (SPD) is required for all listings, unless the owner of the property is an exception to the Seller’s Property Disclosure law in PA. Our SPD forms will be available on Bright. Agents should not fill out the SPD for the seller; however, an agent is permitted to write out the SPD as the agent reviews the disclosure information with the seller only if the seller’s needs require assistance from the agent. Zip Forms also has an SPD in template form.The signed and dated Seller’s Property Disclosure Statement must be executed by all parties having interest in the property. If an attorney-in-fact is signing for the seller, they should sign “their name, Agent for the named party.”Agents are required to be aware of all parties who are exceptions to the SPD law. Investors are not exceptions.SETTLEMENTAgents shall advise Settlement Department of any change in settlement date, whether by extension or by a move forward by mutual agreement of the Buyer and Seller.Agents are expected to attend settlement on behalf of their clients. If an Agent requests to have Management attend settlement because the Agent has another job which makes it impossible to attend, or an Agent is out of the area working or on vacation, there will be a $50 fee for Management to attend. Administrative staff is not permitted to attend settlement on behalf of an Agent, with the exception of an Agent’s personal assistant who may attend. Problem settlements that require the attendance of Management to facilitate a solution to the problem will not be a chargeable attendance if the Agent is also in attendance. Management, attending a settlement on behalf of an Agent, will advise Controller of the charge to be billed to Agent.SEXUAL HARASSMENT– Company has a Zero Tolerance policy regarding Sexual Harassment. Any Agent who believes they have a Sexual Harassment complaint shall bring such complaint to the attention of the Broker of Record and the Controller who handles Human Resource matters for Company.SHORT SALES A short-sale packet with forms and instructions is available.Short sales require competency, and if Agents take them as a listing agent or if Agents sell a property that is a short sale, Agents are expected to do all the work involved in the marketing or processing of this property. This task may not be assigned to a Support Staff person. This includes contacting the banks, preparing the HUD-1, obtaining the contact information from the short sale department, etc.Zip has a blank HUD-1 for your use.FNME has announced to its servicers that they are not to negotiate short-sale commissions below the amount negotiated by the listing agent unless the commission exceeds 6%.A short-sale addendum should be attached to the listing contract as soon as agents become aware that the seller is in a short-sale situation. A short-sale addendum to the agreement of sale should be attached at the time the agreement is written (this may only become a short sale during the price negotiation).Short sale agreements must be handed in to the Settlement Department immediately upon the agreement being fully executed by the Buyer and Seller. They are not held by Agent until an approval is received by the Seller’s lender. Agents are required to make seller clients aware that hardship must be proven for a listing to be considered as a short sale. Agents are required to make buyer clients aware of the possibility that short sale offers will not be approved by the seller’s lender.Listings will remain ACT-O in Bright during the term of the short sale agreement of sale. Agents are required to advise the receptionist to continue the ACT-O status to prevent this listing from changing to Pending status in Bright. Agents receive the notification of this pending change directly from Bright.SIGN INSTALLATION/RETURN Company’s sign technician will put up and take down the Gold Post signs, black posts for Fine Homes & Estates signs, frame and window signs only. Support staff person submitting listing to right or the appropriate MLS system will contact the sign technician to initiate the installation system. Name riders, directional signs, open house signs, pending, sold, info boxes, lock boxes and keys are the responsibility of the Agent.Agents should allow 72 hours for installation of signs.Settlement Department must be advised by Agent of any change in settlement date. Settlement Department will advise Listing Administrator of the change. Listing Administrator will revise the sign removal sheet.Signs that are being returned to the office may be placed only in the Agent Lounge area of the building.SOCIAL MEDIACompany social media is the responsibility of the IT. Any Agent who uses Social Media in conflict with the rules and regulations of the RE Commission, PA law, the Code of Ethics or the Company guidelines will be required to remove their pages or posts.STAFF RESPONSIBILITIESThe Administrative Staff, whether licensed or unlicensed, cannot do agent responsibilities, such as CMAs, closing costs, agreements, Replies to Inspection, etc. They can and will type anything agents write for them to type, but they cannot create these items or documents under any circumstances. This includes Bright sheets which must be handled by the listing agent.Personal Assistants, if unlicensed, may not do anything for which a license is required under any circumstances.STIGMATIZED PROPERTIESDisclosure of stigmatized events is NOT required. They do not constitute a physical defect. However, company recommends Agents receive permission from its clients to disclose.TELEPHONE SYSTEM Agents will be assigned a number that will be your personal direct dial number.All advertising must display the company number in more prominence than any other number. Agents may use cell phone numbers in advertising, again complying with the real estate licensing laws in PA.Agents may have their direct dial number programmed to contact an additional outside number, such as a cell phone. Technology and its use are paramount to Agents’ success in our industry. IT administrator will assist you with any questions or concerns you have relative to the use of the telephone system.TIMESHARESAny timeshares coming into Company are handled by the Relocation Director.All timeshare questions should be referred to the Relocation Director. Agents who have a client who wishes to sell a timeshare should contact the Relocation Director who will provide agent a packet at no charge.TIME MANAGEMENTAs an Independent Contractor, agents are responsible for their time and the use of their time. Agents will receive help from Broker of Record in the preparation of their personal Business Plan. This plan will help agents determine the time commitment necessary for them to achieve the production goals that agents set for themselves.TOOL KITTool Kit is a Marketing Presentation software in which Company participates. Agents are encouraged to use Tool Kit for listing presentations. There is no charge to Agent for utilizing this program.TRAININGNewly licensed agents are required to participate in and complete the Initial Training under the supervision of the Director of Training. Training is an ongoing service provided to the agents of the Company, and all agents are encouraged to take advantage of the training programs available for your continued growth as skilled professionals.The majority of training will be done by use of Zoom meeting technology.ZAP Refer to information on Lead RouterZILLOW LEADSAgents, at Company’s discretion, may be included in Zillow lead generation groups, the terms and conditions of which are idiosyncratic to the specific group. Agents may be removed from any group at Company’s discretion based on Agent production or lack of follow-up.ZIP Zip is a two-fold platform which can be accessed from the Message Board. All PAR Standard Forms, as well as the template for the Century 21 Gold forms, can be accessed from Zip. Agents do not create forms for their transactions in the Company Zip file. Zip is the Agent transaction file, electronically stored for Agent use to retain all documents in the transaction and monitor the checklist, including deficiencies.Agents will receive training from the Company IT and the Director of Training on the use of Zip. ZIP TRANSACTION DEFICIENCY NOTIFICATIONAgent file deficiencies are set forth in the task section of the Agent’s Zip Transaction File (not the office file). Agents are required to monitor their individual transaction files to ascertain any tasks that are deficient and are responsible for the action required to remove the deficiency or satisfy the contingency.Under no circumstances will Agent “approve” the documents in Zip. This is an administration function.VACATIONAgents who go on vacation or take leave from the company for whatever reason are required to have another Agent fill in for them during this entire period of time. Agents may work remotely utilizing technology but must have an Agent available should circumstances arise that warrant it. All members of the Management Team shall be advised of the duration of the Agent’s vacation time and the substituting Agent.WEBSITESCompany provides agents with the ability to have a personal website, and agents are encouraged to do so. All personal websites are under the supervision of the company IT.WORKPLACECentury 21 has Facebook for Workplace which can be accessed on 21online. In addition, Company has a private Workplace group “Gold” which is accessible only by agents from Gold and some members of C21’s administrators and corporate personnel. Agents are encouraged to sign into Gold’s Workplace daily for updates. Communication through Workplace will increase with time.THIS POLICY AND PROCEDURE MANUAL IS TO BE MAINTAINED BY AGENTS AS A WORD DOCUMENT. CHANGES TO IT WILL BE SUBMITTED TO AGENTS BY EMAIL UPDATES. AGENTS REQUESTING AN UPDATED DOCUMENT MAY SUBMIT A REQUEST TO THE BROKER BY EMAIL AND ONE WILL BE PROVIDED TO YOU. ................
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