FMLS Form 117, the Notice of Contract, is the document the buyer’s brokerage files with the First Multiple Listing Service after a Georgia purchase contract becomes binding. The selling member has three business days from the executed contract to submit it, either by email to listingdocs@fmls.com or by fax to 404-255-8602.1FMLS Listings Rules & Regulations. FMLS Listings Rules and Regulations Missing that deadline can cost the brokerage up to $25 per day, capped at $500.
Who Has to File It
The selling member files Form 117. In FMLS terminology, that is the brokerage representing or working with the buyer, not the brokerage holding the listing. This is a common source of confusion because both sides have reporting duties when a contract is signed, but the Notice of Contract itself belongs to the buyer’s side.1FMLS Listings Rules & Regulations. FMLS Listings Rules and Regulations
The listing member has a separate obligation on the same three-business-day timetable: log into the FMLS system and change the property status to an under-contract category. If the listing office fails to update the status, FMLS staff will change it once they receive the selling member’s Form 117 and will notify the listing office by email.1FMLS Listings Rules & Regulations. FMLS Listings Rules and Regulations Each side can be penalized independently for its own reporting failure.
When the Deadline Runs
FMLS Rule 14.1 requires the execution of any contract, including contracts with contingencies, to be reported within three business days after the buyer and seller sign.1FMLS Listings Rules & Regulations. FMLS Listings Rules and Regulations Under Rule 24, Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays do not count. A contract signed Thursday afternoon gives you until the following Wednesday, assuming no holidays fall in between.
The clock starts on the Binding Agreement Date, the point when the last party to sign communicates acceptance. That date appears on the GAR purchase agreement. Confirm it before filing, since every downstream deadline in the transaction flows from it.
What to Have Ready Before You File
FMLS does not publicly post a blank copy of Form 117. It is available through the FMLS member portal and may also be accessible through integrated transaction platforms your brokerage uses. Before opening the form, gather:
- The FMLS listing number assigned when the property was entered into the system
- The full property address as it appears in the MLS listing
- The Binding Agreement Date
- The anticipated closing date from the purchase contract
- The legal names of both brokerages and the agents involved
- The executed contract, all addenda, and earnest money documentation, since some brokerages require these to accompany the filing
The exact fields change as FMLS updates the form, so work from the current version in the member portal rather than a saved copy from a prior deal.
How to Submit
The selling member sends the completed Form 117 to FMLS by one of two methods:1FMLS Listings Rules & Regulations. FMLS Listings Rules and Regulations
- Email: listingdocs@fmls.com
- Fax: 404-255-8602
Email is faster and creates a timestamp for your records. Keep the sent copy and the transmission confirmation. If a penalty dispute comes up later, that confirmation is your proof of timely filing.
Penalties for Late Filing
FMLS Rule 20.1(b) authorizes a penalty of up to $25 per day for failing to report a sale or pending sale as required by Rule 14.1, with a maximum total of $500 per violation.1FMLS Listings Rules & Regulations. FMLS Listings Rules and Regulations The penalty applies separately to the listing member for not updating the system status and to the selling member for not filing Form 117. Both sides can be fined for their own failures on the same transaction.
Fines accumulate on business days only, so a ten-business-day delay could cost $250 while stretching across several calendar weeks.
Not the Same as GAR F117
The Georgia Association of REALTORS also publishes a form numbered F117, titled “Seller’s Broker’s Notice to Unrepresented Buyer.”2Georgia Association of REALTORS. Georgia Association of REALTORS Forms It serves a different purpose. GAR F117 is a disclosure a seller’s broker gives to a buyer without their own agent, documenting the broker’s role and confirming the buyer received the “ABCs of Agency” pamphlet.3Campbell and Brannon. 2025 GAR Changes It does not require the buyer’s signature and has no connection to FMLS reporting. If a colleague mentions “Form 117,” confirm which one they mean before assuming the deadline is handled.