Getting Started - Making SmartMLS Tax Your Own

The SmartMLS Tax system is a comprehensive, customizable and user-friendly public records system that brings information that was once spread over multiple systems into one dynamic program. SmartMLS Tax is powered by CRS, a market-leading data company whose mission is discovering, developing and delivering innovative data-driven solutions. 

You can access SmartMLS Tax from the Tools, Resources & Links widget on your Connect Dashboard: 

You can also get into SmartMLS Tax by clicking the Tax icon in the upper right corner of Connect:

If you are on a listing in Connect, you can access SmartMLS Tax by clicking either the Tax Record, SmartMLS Tax CMA or CRS Quick CMA link in the Additional Info menu:

Regardless of your how you get to SmartMLS Tax, it will open in a new browser tab, allowing you to easily use it while remaining in Connect.

Before you begin working in SmartMLS Tax, we strongly recommend that go you in and configure the program with your personal preferences.

To do so, click the Settings button in the upper right-hand corner:

The Settings screen has a variety of options that allow you to customize your branding, searches, reports and much more:

Branding

Branding allows you to upload your personal photo (or a company logo, if you prefer) that will then be added to your SmartMLS Tax reports. You can also enter your name, contact information and, if you desire, a personal note/tag line:

Photo specs:

• Agent photo= 90x90 pixels; 6mb maximum file size; .jpg, .gif or .pgn file types.
• Company logo= max height of 57 pixels, max width of 350 pixels.

Once you have entered your information and/or photo, make sure to put a check in the Add my branding to reports check box on the left side of the screen.

Remember to click Save once you are done.

Your branding will appear in the upper left-hand corner of the program and on all reports you generate from SmartMLS Tax.

Email Address

Your default email address is the address that appears when you email reports from SmartMLS Tax (and the address to which any replies will be sent):

Note: entering your email address on the Branding screen does not automatically add it to the Email Address section. You must enter it here in addition to entering it on the Branding screen.

Default County Search

The Default County Search section allows you to select up to four (4) Connecticut counties to set as your search starting default:

Clicking in the selection box will display a drop-down menu with all eight (8) Connecticut counties:

As you click on a county, the list will disappear and the selected county will appear in the box above. Click within the box again to select an additional county to add to your defaults. Repeat as necessary.

Click Save when you’re done.

Note: the Counties search field is “sticky”, meaning if you search for the same county repeatedly, the system will remember it for you and it will always be selected when you begin a search.

Search Settings

Search Settings allows you to set your default search screen as either the Simple, Advanced or Map Search:

• Simple search loads any default counties you have set up and provides you a single field that allows you to search on an owner name, property address, parcel ID, APN or MLS#. 
   
• Advanced search provides you with a much more comprehensive search screen and many different ways to search for public records (with separate sections of fields for location, property value, property characteristics and owner information). 
   
• Map search allows you to draw an area on a map and search for public records within that specific area. 
   

Click Save once you have chosen your default search screen.

Map Directions

The Map Directions Starting Point allows you to set a default starting point for when you use SmartMLS Tax to generate driving directions to a property:

Remember to click Save to store the address.

Saved Criteria

The SmartMLS Tax program allows you to save the search criteria for frequently run searches (including comparable searches).

The Saved Criteria section allows you to edit the names of the saved searches you have set up (using the pencil icon), or delete the searches completely (using the X):

Click here for instructions on creating a Saved Criteria search.

Saved Results

If you have run a search and saved the resulting public records, the Saved Results section enables you to modify their respective names:

Click the pencil icon to edit the name of the results, or click the X icon to delete it completely.

Custom Results List Settings

SmartMLS Tax allows you to customize the parcel information that appears on the Results screen, giving you control over the fields that appear. You can display tax records either in a simple view or custom view:

Once you have selected your default view, you can then choose the 10 fields that you want to display on your report.

There are 35 fields to choose from:

Use the icon to place your selected fields in the order you would like (via drag and drop).

Don’t forget to click the Save button at the bottom of the list when you are done selecting your fields and placing them in your desired order. 

 

Comparables Results List

The Comparable Results List, which is a list of the fields that appear on your comparable properties when you create a Quick CMA, functions the same as the Custom Results List (as demonstrated directly above this section).

You can choose up to 14 fields (from 32 total available fields):

Use the icon to place your selected fields in the order you would like (via drag and drop).

Don’t forget to click the Save button at the bottom of the list when you are done selecting your fields and placing them in your desired order.

Map/List View

Map/List View allows you to set your default results view as either a map or a list:

If you select Map View, you must then choose either Road or Aerial.

Remember to click the Save button to store your preferences.

Property Report

When you are viewing an individual record, the Property Map Defaults setting controls how the parcel displays on the map (with/without dimensions and/or shading):

The Property Report settings allow you to determine the sections you want to appear on the property report:

You can choose any/all of the 15 sections to display on your reports.

Remember to click the Save button to store your preferences.

Home Improvement

The SmartMLS Tax program allows you to select the estimated market value you'd like to apply to the value adjustment when using the Home Improvement Tool:

• Average Cost per sq ft/acre- This estimated market price is calculated by multiplying the square feet of the subject property by the average cost per square foot of the comparables to derive the market estimate. 
   
• House Price Index- This estimated market price is derived by multiplying the most recent sales price of the subject property by the Federal Government’s House Price Index (HPI). The Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO) estimates and publishes a set of very accurate quarterly House Price Indices (HPI) that show the rate of house price inflation or deflation. These values are calculated using actual home price data obtained when residential mortgages are purchased on the secondary mortgage market by the government agencies Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae. The HPI that SmartMLS Tax used in this calculation is based on average house price growth for the geographic area in which the subject property is located. 
   

NOTE: HPI are available starting 6 months after the property is sold. Therefore, if the property was sold less than 6 months prior to the current date, the most recent previous sales price for the property is used for the second Estimated Market Price. SmartMLS Tax will not inflate the price by the HPI until the next HPI is published. Moreover, if the property was last sold for less than $1000, the previous sale is also used in this calculation.

Estimated market price = last sale price of subject x HPI (price change rate since the last sale date for subject property’s area)

• Average Sales Price/Tax Appraisal Ratio- This estimated market price is derived from the ratio of the most recent sales price to the tax assessor’s appraisal for each comparable property. In some areas, for example, the tax assessor may appraise a home for a value that is consistently 70% of the market price. That ratio can be applied to the most recent tax assessor appraisal of the subject property to derive another estimated market price, as follows:

Estimated market price = average sales/tax appraisal of comps x last appraisal of subject property

Click Save when you have made your selection. 

 

These estimates appear when you click the Comparables menu option at the top of a Property Report:

This example shows where the Home Improvement Tool appears on a Quick CMA: