FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Oregon REALTORS® forms are available on Transactions (zipForm Edition), SkySlope, and Dotloop. If you already have a current account with one of these partner platforms you will be able to log in to your account and access the forms. If you do not already have an account, Oregon REALTORS® is providing you access to your choice of Transactions (zipForm Edition), SkySlope Forms, or Dotloop Essentials Unlimited as a member benefit. Details on accessing the forms either in an existing account or through the member benefit are available on our Forms page.
If you do not see Oregon REALTORS® forms in the library, please contact the platform’s customer service for assistance.
Oregon REALTORS® believes that it is important to offer a comprehensive suite of business and risk management tools and benefits to our members. As the statewide trade association for real estate brokers and principal brokers in Oregon, we have long provided a variety of risk management tools and advice to our members including our Risk Management Toolkit, Buyer and Seller Advisories, and the Legal Hotline.
We hear early and often about industry, market and legal trends. Through our Legal Hotline, we hear about the issues that snag—and make or break—a transaction and we know where REALTORS® are getting hung up and where they are exposed to risk. Through our Professional Standards Committee we deal with issues related to the REALTOR® Code of Ethics.
Given all this, it made sense to us to also provide real estate forms as a member benefit and our Board of Directors decided to do so. Going forward, Oregon REALTORS® forms can be nimble and respond to changes in the industry and to growing concerns of our members as they arise.
Oregon REALTORS® now joins the vast majority of state REALTOR® associations across the U.S. in providing forms as a member benefit.
If you are an Oregon REALTORS® member, the forms are included in your member dues.
After launch, Oregon REALTORS® will update its forms twice yearly based on changes to the law and member feedback. The forms available for preview above have undergone substantial revisions based on member feedback in October and November 2022, and the content of the forms will not be changing prior to launch in early 2023. Comments received at this point will be considered for future updates.
You can reach out with comments or suggestions here.
Oregon REALTORS® hosts a Forms Info Session every Friday at 11 am where you can learn more, ask questions and provide feedback. You can register for one or more Info Sessions here. Going forward, Oregon REALTORS® will host a Forms Forum at our Spring and Fall Convention where members can provide input on forms and we will always take suggestions throughout the year at the email and phone number above.
Updates will be posted on the web page and monthly newsletters are sent out to our members. Anytime changes are made to the forms, video training will be released simultaneously or in advance of the changes. Oregon REALTORS® will also work with all of the vendors who are hosting Oregon REALTORS® forms to educate users about any changes. At our fall and spring conventions Oregon REALTORS® will host a Forms Forum™ to learn about updates and to provide input and feedback on the forms.
Information on our yearly and mid-year updates can be found here.
Check out our Document Checklist to see all forms provided by Oregon REALTORS®. Is there a form you think we should add to the list? Let us know!
There have always been multiple forms providers in the market. This includes OREF Forms, Stevens-Ness Forms, Home Builder Forms, Attorney forms, Commercial Association of Brokers forms, and others.
With the introduction of Oregon REALTORS® forms, Oregon REALTORS® members will have a set of statewide forms available as a member benefit to all members. Members will continue to have other statewide forms options available for purchase, including the OREF forms.
The benefit of statewide forms—whichever you use—is that they are drafted by attorneys with input from industry experts and are designed to help you manage your risk in transactions.
Below are some tips on navigating multiple forms libraries. Also, check out our video on navigating the new forms environment with key tips from Oregon REALTORS® staff and top Principal Brokers.
1. Don’t mix and match forms from separate forms libraries in a single transaction between a buyer and seller. Exceptions to this policy may include statutory forms such as the Seller Property Disclosure Statement, brokerage forms, and forms that only establish obligations between agent and client rather than buyer and seller. Access the 2.20 Base Change Form Request.
2. Be educated and trained on all forms that you may encounter in your business.
3. Don’t advise clients on which form to use based upon the client’s specific facts and circumstances.
4. Don’t let deals die based on form type.
5. Communicate early and often with your client and with the agent on the other side of the transaction.
To best adhere to these tips, we recommend that you adopt a policy for your brokerage or for you as an individual broker on use of forms that includes a default forms library that you use in your business unless your client has a preference for a particular forms library. Check out our video here.
Oregon REALTORS® forms and OREF forms have several differences to understand. Watch the video walkthrough of the two forms here.
You can find the Buyer and Seller Advisories on our website.
The Oregon REALTORS® Board of Directors establishes an annual budget for the organization. Whether or not Oregon REALTORS® continues to provide member benefit vendor subscriptions will be a budgetary decision that the Board of Directors makes each year. Regardless of future decisions regarding member benefit software access, Oregon REALTORS® forms will always be provided a member benefit.
If you already have access to the Oregon REALTORS® forms through SkySlope, Dotloop or Transactions (zipForm Edition), Oregon REALTORS® User Policy requires that you not set up an additional member benefit account. The member benefit accounts are here to ensure that every Oregon REALTORS® has access to our forms, and Oregon REALTORS® pays for that access based on the number of users. Signing up for a member benefit account when you already have access to the forms would be an inefficient use of Oregon REALTORS® member resources and is against our policy.
Visit our training library page for a comprehensive overview of training resources. Oregon REALTORS® provides both a self-paced and live virtual “Using Oregon REALTORS® Forms” training course for C.E credit, a video-annotated forms library, and topic-specific training videos and resources. In addition, members can join our weekly “open-houses” for an overview of the library and to ask pressing questions about the forms (register here). Oregon REALTORS® also maintains a list of certified trainers that you can contact to schedule live in-person and virtual trainings on Oregon REALTORS® forms.
It is our commitment to you to provide all of the tools necessary for everyone associated with your brokerage to be well-trained in the proper use of Oregon REALTORS® forms. If you have feedback on additional training resources that would be helpful, let us know!
Oregon REALTORS® offers an annual Train the Trainer program to get high quality trainers from around the state certified to teach on Oregon REALTORS® forms. There are four chances to take the four-hour training course this year: once-per-month from December 2022 to March 2023. More options will be announced at the start of 2024. All trainers interested in being certified to teach Oregon REALTORS® forms should complete the interest form.
Trainers will be provided with the “Using Oregon REALTORS® Forms” training slide deck, handouts, timed outline, and teaching guide. As change to the Oregon REALTORS® forms are made, trainers will be notified and supplied with updated training materials. After major changes or one year, trainers will be required to complete a short refresher course to ensure their courses are providing Oregon REALTORS® forms users up-to-date information.
What does it take to become a Certified Oregon REALTORS® Forms Trainer?
The Certification Process:
To become a Certified Oregon REALTORS® Forms Trainer, you must complete the following steps:
- Complete interest form and sign up for one of the training times
- Attend entire training course (use the link above to sign up for a training opportunity)
- Get 100% on the comprehension quiz
- Sign professionalism contract
- Attend training updates at least once per year
After these steps, you will receive the course materials and can begin teaching at your brokerage! However, if you want to be part of our cadre of Certified Trainers promoted across the state, or want additional support from Oregon REALTORS® before you teach, you’ll need to complete a few extra steps:
- Record 15 minute clip of you teaching “Using Oregon REALTORS® Forms” to your brokerage or a small group
- Submit teaching recording to Oregon REALTORS® for review
- You will be notified of approval status within two weeks and will receive a badge certifying you as a Certified Oregon REALTORS® Forms Trainer
If you are interested in becoming a Certified Trainer, fill out the interest form.
Oregon REALTORS® has launched a Certified Oregon REALTORS® Forms Trainer program to get high quality trainers from around the state certified to teach the “Using Oregon REALTORS® Forms” curriculum, that walks agents through doing mock transactions with the new forms. Use this continuously growing list to reach out to a Certified Trainer and get your staff up to speed on the new Oregon REALTORS® forms with this high-quality training. (You will need to work with the trainer or a title/escrow company to provide CE for the training if the instructor you contract with is not a certified CE provider through the state agency.)
