The Canopy MLS Board of Directors has adopted a new interpretation of the Clear Cooperation Policy (CCP) to give agents more flexibility while keeping the policy itself unchanged.

What stays the same:

• Within one business day of publicly marketing a property, the listing must be submitted to the MLS.
• Public marketing includes yard signs, flyers, websites (including IDX/VOW), digital messaging (email blasts), multi-brokerage listing sharing networks and applications available to the general public.
• Compliance staff will continue enforcing CCP when non-MLS listings are publicly marketed.

What’s new:
The interpretation allows more flexibility when communicating with agents from different brokerages about Firm Exclusive listings, including:

• Ability to share information about a Firm Exclusive with another agent from another brokerage if their buyer hears about it by word of mouth.
• At the seller’s request, privately soliciting an offer from a buyer, through private, one-to-one communications, before the property is entered into MLS.
• The listing agent, together with the owner or seller, determines the availability of access to show or inspect a Firm Exclusive listing.

Important notes about private one-to-one, agent-to-agent communications:

• Private, one-to-one communication between agents is permitted, but non-private, “multi-brokerage” communication still triggers CCP.
• Compliance staff cannot investigate digital messaging systems, but obvious group communications may result in a violation.

Why this matters:
The policy still protects what CCP was designed to do:

• Limit off-market and pocket listings
• Promote fairness and nondiscrimination in housing
• Support cooperation that benefits both consumers and agents

Fines remain in place:

• $100 for not registering a Firm Exclusive listing within two business days
• $500 for publicly marketing a listing that isn’t in the MLS within one business day