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Work With Criteria

When performing New Search, Saved Searches, and Pre-Defined Searches, you must choose characteristics for the listings you want to find. Enter or select search criteria at the Criteria page, where a search form displays.

When you have clicked Continue after beginning your search and entering basic criteria, a suitable search form displays. You can change the search form, except in the case of cross-class searches.

The field types included on a search form vary. They include:

• Multi-Select and Dropdown Lists where you select one or more options (for example, Municipality), or exclude options with the Not checkbox.
• Min/Max fields where you type a range of values (for example, List Price from 500000 to 600000).
• Text fields where you enter all or part of the search text you want (for example, Street Name), or exclude options with the Not checkbox.
• Multi-Select Checkboxes (for example, Features).

Not Criteria

"Not” checkboxes are available in drop-down lists and text boxes. The checkbox doesn't display if a field is numeric, currency, identifier (such as MLS#) or date/timestamp (such as expiry date).

When you select the Not checkbox, the search criteria you select is excluded from the search results. For example, if the selection at Style is “Contemporary” and the Not checkbox is selected, the search finds listings for all Styles except Multi-level.

How...

To Choose a Search Form

To to Define the Location by Field or Map Shape

To Enter Criteria at Various Field Types

To Exclude Values with NOT

To Clear Criteria

To Add More Fields to the Search Form

To Count Results On the Fly

To Preview the Search

To Save and Share the Search

To Submit the Search

To Choose a Search Form

1. At the Search Form dropdown list, choose the form you want:
   
   Quick Search: To search by the characteristics relevant to your basic criteria choices, use the Quick Search form. Enter or select values at any field; add more fields as needed from the Other Fields dropdown list.
   
   Flex Search: To customize a form, use the Flex Search form. In order to build a search, choose more fields from the Other Fields dropdown list.
   
   Pre-Defined: Available for Pre-Defined searches. These search forms have a limited number of fields relevant to the chosen search.
2. Enter criteria.

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To Define the Location by Field or Map Shape  

For all searches except MLS# Search, you must define a location before you submit your criteria. You can define locations two ways: by selecting Area, Municipality, Community fields at the Criteria form; or by drawing a polygon or radius at Map.

By Field, at the Criteria Form

Choose Areas, Municipalities, Communities from the dropdown lists. You must make a selection from these fields unless you plan to draw the location at the Criteria page's Map tab. When you choose a value from more than one geographic field (for example, two Municipalities and a Community), search results include properties in all the selected locations. This allows you to search properties in a particular community along with bordering municipalities.

By Shape, at Map

Start at the Criteria page, then click Map on the action bar. The map displayed is limited to drawing a shape, and optionally submit the search without returning to the Criteria form. You can move the map, zoom in and out, and draw a polygon or radius around the region you want. You can also save the shape for later use, clear the shape, choose a saved shape from the Used Saved Shape dropdown list, and choose from Places (points of interest) or address locations.

If you use Map to define and submit the location by drawing a shape, the system displays search results at the Map page instead of the search results list (List).

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To Enter Criteria at Various Field Types

• Select an option at dropdown lists (for example, Street Name starts w/) then enter all or part of a text value. To enter more than one text value, click the Or button. To exclude options, click the Not checkbox.
• Select one or more options at multi-select lists (for example, Style) or exclude options with the Not checkbox. To choose more than one option, Ctrl+Click each one you want.
• Select one or more checkboxes at multi-select checkboxes.
• Type a range of values at Min/Max fields (for example, Washrooms from 2 to 3).

To Exclude Values with NOT

1. Click the Not checkbox at the desired field.
2. Select or enter the value(s) you want to exclude from results.

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To Clear Criteria

• To clear field criteria, click Clear on the action bar.

Note:

• To clear a map shape, switch to Map, then click Clear on the action bar.

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To Add More Fields to the Search Form

1. Click the Other Fields dropdown list at the bottom of the search form.
2. Select a field.
3. Choose or enter criteria as needed.

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To Count Results On the Fly

• As you enter criteria, a counter on the action bar dynamically updates the number of results.

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To Preview the Search

1. Enter desired search criteria.
2. Click Preview on the action bar.
3. At the criteria summary, review how each search statement reduces the number of results the search will find.
4. Click Close to return to the Search Criteria page.

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To Save and Share the Search

1. Click Save Search on the action bar.
2. Enter a name, and click Save.
   
   To save changes to a previously-saved search, click Save Search on the action bar, then click Save As, enter a name, and click Save.
   
   To save a copy of another owner's search with changes, click Save Search on the action bar, then click Save As and name the search. Search assigns you ownership of the new copy.

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To Submit the Search

1. At Criteria or Map, click Submit after entering field criteria or drawing a map shape.

• New, Saved, Pre-Defined, and MLS# Search Results display at the List page; they display at the Map page if you drew a shape at Map.
• Map search results display at the Map page.

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Get Help in PDF Format

Help for Stratus MLS v3.15.1 April 25, 2013

Copyright 2013 Stratus Data Systems, Inc.