IDX Explained
Find out how we help you grow your real estate business with the most accurate listings and market data. real estate professionals to display the most complete and up-to-date real estate listing data on their real estate websites.
iHomefinder maintains trusted relationships with over 450 associations in the United States and Canada to provide authorized, accurate and timely registration data to thousands of brokerage agents and website teams using IDX.
To offer IDX Canada directory data on your website through iHomefinder, you must be an authorized agent or broker and your association must be included in our IDX service coverage.
Established by the National Association of REALTORS, IDX is a policy whereby brokers exchange permission to view others' listings on the Internet. Broker Reciprocity is another name used for IDX, reflecting this exchange cooperation between brokers.
Although IDX is a policy, the term is commonly used to refer to the flow of list data provided by an MLS system. IDX also includes a set of rules about how list data is displayed and each MLS system. may have variations of MLS rules.
What is an MLS?
MLS stands for Multiple Listing Service, which is an exclusive database created, maintained, and paid for by real estate professionals to help their clients find, buy and sell properties. MLS systems are the source of IDX list data and can serve an association or council or multiple associations or councils. An MLS system can be owned by associations of real estate agents and/or brokers or it can be an independent entity. The geography covered by each MLS system can vary from a single city or country to large areas.
Our IDX cover page provides detailed information on the various MLS systems for which we currently provide service. (As local or regional councils manage IDX datasets and access policies, use your association name when searching for your system on our cover page.
How does IDX work?
MLS systems make property list data available to IDX providers, such as iHomefinder, through an IDX data stream. We use the industry-standard RETS protocol in most of the MLS systems we serve. We provide FTP IDX in some areas, although we no longer add new data streams via FTP. (FTP does not manage data as efficiently as RETS.) We do not offer IDX over-framed links or intelligent framed links from an MLS system.
How does IDX work?
IDX providers typically download the property data of a derived MLS Sy several times a day, store it in a database, and make it available for research and viewing on their customers' websites. In some areas, agents and brokers can get a direct IDX data feed from their MLS system, although in this case, they would have to implement an expensive system, with professional programming skills, to download. , store and display.
IDX is only available to members of the MLS Systems real estate board for viewing on their websites. Providers such as iHomefinder cannot provide IDX to non-members or for any purpose other than viewing the member's website.
In most forums, agents and brokers can have IDX on their websites, as can entire agent teams and offices. Some cards only allow IDX for brokers and offices, not agents. In all areas, IDX accounts cannot be shared by agents or brokers in different brokerage offices, as each IDX website must be licensed by a specific local broker.
You must complete IDX documents, usually with the broker's signature, and be approved for iHomefinder IDX by your real estate board before you can provide listings for your website. A number of working days to complete after opening a paid account and sending us your documents (or more in certain tabs). We will automatically email you full instructions for your listing when you become a paying customer. IDX allows you (as an agent or broker who is a member of a real estate board that operates an MLS system) to post that board's listings on your website through an automatically updating IDX data feed.