When Should TOM be Used as a Listing Status?

The following are some scenarios to better explain this.

Rule 404.3: “If a Listing cannot be shown for three (3) or more days, its status must be changed to “Temporarily Off the Market” (otherwise known as “TOM”), which is not an “Active” status. This includes listings where there is an ‘Acceptable Offer, with No More Showings’, or there are ‘no more showings’ for any other reason unless the listing is Pending, Sold, Canceled or Withdrawn.”

Scenario #1 - Acceptable Offer, No More Showings.

You must immediately change the status of this property to TOM. If that deal fails and showings resume, then you may change the status to “Back On the Market” (BOM).

Scenario #2 - Owner is not available to show until next week.

You must immediately change the status of this property to TOM. You may change the status to “Back On the Market” (BOM) up to 2 days prior to the resumption of showings. So if today is Monday, and showings will resume on Wednesday, you may change the status today to BOM.

Scenario #3 - New listings that are not showing until the scheduled open house.

There are only 3 ways that this may be done:

1. Enter the listing and set its status to “Coming Soon.” The property cannot be shown to anyone while its status is “Coming Soon.” The “On Market Date” can be set for up to 2 days prior to the open house, setting it to 3 or more days before the open house would be a violation of this rule.  Example: if the open house is going to be on Sunday, the On Market Date could be no earlier than Friday.

    

2. Enter the listing and then immediately change its status to “Temporarily Off the Market” (TOM). Then change it to “Back On the Market” (BOM) up to 2 days prior to the open house. The property cannot be shown to anyone while its status is “TOM,” and the listing will not be included in searches for Available/Active properties. Example: if the open house is going to be on Sunday, you can change the listing from TOM to BOM no earlier than Friday.

    

3. Write in a future “On MLS Date” in your listing agreement that is up to 2 days prior to the open house. Do not enter, market, or show the listing until the “On MLS Date”. Example: if you take the listing on Monday, and you want to start showing it only at the open house on Sunday, the “On MLS Date” could be Friday or Saturday. Since Friday is only 2 days away from the open house, you may enter the listing on Friday and then not show it until Sunday.