REBNY puts the phone off the hook.

The real estate industry, facing increased penalties as a result of recently enacted Do Not Call laws, has tapped an online service to better screen households that are on the Do Not Call Registry. The Real Estate Board of New York has partnered with Atlanta-based technology firm PossibleNOW, to offer REBNY members discounted access to PossibleNOW's DNCQuickcheck, an online tool that maximizes compliance with federal and state Do Not Call laws.

REBNY members, who include residential and commercial brokers, could be hit with fines of up to $11,000 per call, when contacting households that are on the Do Not Call list, even if the potential contacts are referrals. The DNCQuickcheck service will help real estate professionals to identify consumers who don't want to be contacted before they put themselves and their firms at risk of fines.

"Our members' businesses have been greatly affected by this legislation and we're pleased to offer an affordable service that will help them comply with Do Not Calls laws," said Steven Spinola, president of REBNY. "We know our members respect the Do Not Call laws and will do their best to ensure compliance. This service will be an easy way for them to do that."

"As a residential broker, I rely heavily on phone calls to potential and referred customers. However, if one of my referred customers is on the Do Not Call Registry, I can rack up thousands of dollars in fines, just by unknowingly dialing his/her home," said Michael Goldenberg of Halstead Property LLC, a member of REBNY's residential brokerage committee. "Real estate firms could lose many potential customers as a result of this law, but we're hoping the online service will protect us from unnecessary fines."

DNCQuickcheck is Internet-based, so real estate professionals need Internet access with a standard Web browser to utilize the system.

"We're delighted to partner with REBNY to offer this important service to their members at special rates," said Scott Frey, CEO of PossibleNOW. "For $10 per month per agent, REBNY members can access our DNCQuickcheck service to easily check phone numbers against the Do Not Call Registry before they place calls to consumers such as referrals or expired listings. Using the service will help them avoid placing prohibited calls. And $10 is a small price to pay to avoid fines as high as $11,000 per call."

Compliance with the Do Not Call regulations requires more than checking phone numbers against the Do Not Call Registry. DNCQuickcheck also provides assistance with the documentation necessary for a safe harbor defense. In addition to verifying phone numbers and providing compliance reporting, DNCQuickcheck provides the following:

Online training for staff members to meet the federal requirement for Do Not Call training.

A "Policy Wizard" to create and fulfill a company's Do Not Call policy for consumers upon request.

Identification of pertinent "Established Business Relationship" rules associated with Do Not Call numbers to find consumers who can be contacted.

Notification about changes to Do Not Call regulations.

Management of state, federal and internal Do Not Call/Do Not Contact lists.