24.210.430    INTERNET ADVERTISING RULES

(1) Licensees who engage in any form of Internet advertising, including, but not limited to, web sites, blogs, video streaming, and social media, either directly or indirectly, shall comply with the Internet advertising rules set out in this rule. This rule does not apply to traditional forms of advertising or promotion, such as newspaper, television, radio advertisements, yard signs, or direct mailings.

(2) All Internet advertising shall truthfully and accurately describe the real property or service advertised. Real property advertisements shall identify the city, town, or county in which the real property is located. A specific street address is not required.

(3) All Internet advertising shall provide licensee identification. The timing and placement of such licensee identification shall vary, depending upon the nature of the advertisement or promotion, as follows:

(a) Whenever a licensee or brokerage company owns a web page or controls its content, every viewable page should include (or link to) a licensee identification. (A viewable page is one that may or may not scroll beyond the borders of the screen and includes the use of framed pages.)

(b) E-mail shall include a licensee identification at the beginning or end of each message, unless the licensee has previously provided licensee identification to all recipients of the e-mail.

(c) News groups, discussion lists, and bulletin boards shall include licensee identification at the beginning or end of each message.

(d) Licensee identification is not necessary in connection with instant messages if the licensee provided the written licensee identification via another format or medium (e.g., e-mail or letter) prior to providing or offering to provide, licensable services.

(e) Licensee identification is required prior to providing or offering to provide licensable services during a chat session or in text visible on the same web page that contains a chat session if the licensee or brokerage company controls the web site hosting the chat session.

(f) Licensee identification is required prior to the advertising message or in text visible on the same web page that contains a voice over net (VON) session.

(g) Licensee identification is not necessary for audible messaging if it was provided via another medium (i.e., e-mail, letter) prior to providing or offering to provide licensable services.

(h) Licensee identification should be visible as part of the advertising message when using multimedia advertising (e.g., web-based, executable e-mail, attachments, etc.).

(i) Banner ads should link to a web page that has licensee identification, unless the banner ad has licensee identification contained in it.

(4) Licensees' Internet advertising may include real properties on which neither the licensee nor the brokerage company is the listing agent, so long as the listing agent has offered cooperation and has consented to Internet advertising by the licensee engaging in the Internet advertising, and the owners of the property have consented to the same.

(a) The offer of cooperation and consent to Internet advertising may arise pursuant to the rules and regulations of a multiple listing service in which the listing agent and the licensee, engaging in the Internet advertising, are both participating (provided the multiple listing system gives the listing agents the option of prohibiting Internet advertising of some or all of their listings by some or all of the participants on that multiple listing system) or by specific written agreement between them.

(b) The owner's consent may be included in the listing agreement and need not identify the specific licensee to whom consent to Internet advertising is given.

(c) Licensees' Internet advertising of real properties, on which neither the licensee nor the brokerage company is the listing agent, must set forth as part of the property information, a statement that the subject property is listed with another licensee or brokerage company and shall identify the listing agent or brokerage company.

(d) The content of any property data obtained from another listing agent or multiple listing system may not be changed in whole or in part. However, such property data may be formatted differently, be condensed, and further advertised if the advertisement contains the following statement or similar language: "The foregoing material was abstracted from another source and does not contain all of the information available at the source site. Please request further information when considering this property."

(e) No licensee shall be responsible for errors or misrepresentations of others who reproduce or further disseminate the information concerning the licensee's listings, unless the licensee originated the error or misrepresentation and failed to update the information.

(5) All Internet advertising must be current as of the date of the advertisement and must be updated within seven days in the event of material changes to the listing, such as its expiration, termination, or amendment, and/or in the event of material changes to the information otherwise found in the Internet advertising. Internet advertising shall indicate the date on which it was created and last updated.

(6) All information, disclosures, statements, and the like required by this rule to be included in a licensee's Internet advertising shall be displayed in a size, color, typestyle, and location that a reasonable person will notice and be able to read.

(7) The licensee is responsible to assure the accuracy of Internet advertising published or disseminated by another person or another party under the direction of the licensee.

History: 37-1-131, 37-51-203, MCA; IMP, 37-1-131, 37-51-102, 37-51-103, 37-51-301, 37-51-321, MCA; NEW, 2001 MAR p. 785, Eff. 5/11/01; TRANS, from Commerce, 2005 MAR p. 2455; AMD, 2007 MAR p. 1329, Eff. 9/7/07; AMD, 2012 MAR p. 1776, Eff. 9/7/12; AMD, 2013 MAR p. 1621, Eff. 9/6/13.