CAN AGENTS HAVE IDX WEB SITES?

IDX is a complex program. At this time the display of IDX Data is restricted to a participating Firm’s web site.

SHOULD I CONTINUE TO SEND MY OWN LISTINGS TO OTHER WEB SITES LIKE THE NEWSPAPERS AND REALTOR.COM?

That’s a business decision you have to make for yourself. Some brokers feel their listing data is being used by third party web sites to draw consumers away from the brokerage community. Others feel that the exposure available from such web sites is well worth any purported loss of control of the data. You should examine this situation carefully and decide for yourself.

WHAT HAPPENS IF SOMEONE ABUSES IDX?

The CMLS will monitor brokers who develop web sites using the IDX Data. It will also monitor other real estate web sites. If the CMLS finds that an IDXS is misusing data, that broker will be notified of the wrongdoing and required to correct the problem. If the broker fails, he or she will have their access to IDX terminated, will be fined and may possibly even have their CMLS privileges interrupted.

WHY WOULD I WANT TO DISPLAY OTHER BROKERS’ LISTINGS ON MY WEB SITE?

Because by displaying the complete CMLS inventory of active listings, you are providing a service to consumers that can help keep them coming to your web site. If you want to be able to sell services on-line, you need a way to keep consumers at your site once they get there. (Industry folks refer to this. as having a “sticky” site – the “stickier,” the better.)

WHY WOULD I WANT TO ALLOW OTHER BROKERS TO DISPLAY MY LISTINGS ON THEIR WEB SITES?

This is a great question. The answer lies in a desire to strengthen the brokerage industry. Long-term, if real estate brokerages want to compete with other industry segments for the business of Internet consumers, they will need to have web sites that are attractive to consumers. That means having the most data. If you don’t want your listings on the Internet at all, then you don’t want to participate in IDX. If you currently provide your listing data to one or more local or national web sites on the theory that more exposure is better, why wouldn’t you want your listings exposed on other brokers’ web sites? 

WHY WOULD I WANT TO LET OTHER BROKERS DISPLAY MY LISTINGS IF I DON’T HAVE MY OWN WEB SITE?

See the answer to the previous question. The rationale is equally strong in this case. In addition to those arguments, sellers will want to know why your listings do not show up on IDX web sites when the listings of other brokers do. 

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?

IDX costs you nothing. A web site is another matter. See Appendix B for some rough estimates of the cost to put up and maintain a web site including the Internet Data Exchange Data.

WILL THIS ALLOW BIG BROKERS TO HAVE MORE SUCCESSFUL WEB SITES? or WILL THIS MAKE LITTLE BROKERS LOOK LIKE BIG BROKERS?

Brokers will get out of IDX whatever they put into it. Very large brokerages may have more money to put into their web sites. They may spend more marketing dollars to get consumers to visit their sites. But small firms that focus on Internet strategies and marketing may be able to look as “big” on the Internet as their much larger competitors. IDX is a tool designed to make all broker sites more attractive to consumers.

WILL CONSUMERS CALL THE LISTING AGENT ON LISTINGS BELONGING TO OTHER IDXSs?

Maybe. The listing firm’s name has to appear on any detailed display of data for listings that don’t belong to you. You cannot display the listing agent’s name. (This isn’t true with regard to your own listings. See the question below about agent links.) An interested consumer could call the other brokerage and ask which agent has the property listed in order to reach him or her. However, this is a great deal more difficult than just e-mailing you. This phenomenon is also just as likely to benefit you, as your name appears on your listings on other brokers’ web sites.

WHAT DATA WILL CONSUMERS SEE? WHAT PROPERTY TYPES, STATUSES, DATA ELEMENTS, ETC.?

IDXSs may only display active listings of any or all of the CMLS’ eight property types. They may display only the data fields that appear in Appendix C of this document.

HOW DO I KNOW SOME AGENT FROM ANOTHER OFFICE WON’T END UP ADVERTISING MY HOT NEW LISTING AS HIS/HER OWN?

You don’t. But it would be just as much a violation of the CMLS Rules and Regulations under IDX as it was previously. Such an act would violate the Code of Ethics and state real estate law as well. 

CAN THE CONSUMER LINK DIRECTLY TO THE LISTING AGENT’S E-MAIL?

An IDXS can provide linking on its own listings to its agents. It need not do so. This is a matter to be determined between the IDXS and its agents. An IDXS cannot display agent information on the listings of other IDXSs. 

WHAT KIND OF ADVERTISING FOR OTHER SERVICES OR COMPANIES CAN BROKERS HAVE ON THEIR WEB SITES WITH IDX DATA?

Anything that will not violate the CMLS’ Rules and Regulations regarding IDX. This means that if your firm puts up a web site hosting IDX Data, you may sell advertising space to an automobile dealership on the site. Every page of your web site could have an ad for a different advertiser. Keep in mind the following things: 1.) The site still has to be for and controlled by your real estate firm. See Section 8.13 of the CMLS Rules and Regulations. 2.) The advertising must not jeopardize the goodwill of the CMLS or the listing broker; for example, advertising an obscene web site above listing data. This will result in the IDX Data Feed to the IDXS being terminated. 3.) Banner ads must not mislead consumers. If the banner seems to contradict information about the listing firm or information in the listing data itself, it should not be used.

DO I NEED A WEB SITE?

The CMLS is providing great flexibility so you can compete in an increasingly complex industry. You must decide what your own business strategy is and whether IDX and a web site with IDX Data would support that strategy.